Farm employees are invited to a series of training sessions organized by the South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) that are focused on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP).
The two SNAP-focused sessions — set for Wednesday, May 4, from 2 to 3 p.m. and Thursday, May 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. — are open to all staff of farm businesses that accept SNAP, according to a Franklin County Community Development Corporation (CDC) newsletter. Participants will learn SNAP basics, including what the cards look like, what items are SNAP eligible and how to carry out a SNAP transaction using Conduent and TotilPay machines. These trainings will cover the SNAP protocols that the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires businesses to cover with their employees every year.
To register for one of the two SNAP training sessions, visit bit.ly/3kcEh7p.
Virtual info sessions focused on HIP benefits with presenter Ellery Pool will share with participants what foods are HIP eligible, where HIP can be used, how HIP fits within SNAP and how a customer can successfully use HIP benefits, the newsletter states. After the session, attendees will be able to explain HIP to customers and welcome HIP customers.
To schedule a HIP training session, visit bit.ly/3MvLjjP.
CommonWealth Kitchen is collaborating with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Rhode Island, the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (CDC) and the South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) to offer a two-day program on food product development and food safety issues faced by small processors.
The virtual course, which costs $100, will be offered on Wednesday, June 22, and Thursday, June 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, according to a Franklin County CDC newsletter.
To register, visit bit.ly/3veyFjx. The deadline to register is Tuesday, June 21.