Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8361-2974

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Committee Chair

Christopher M. Ashwell

Committee Co-Chair

Jessica M. Blythe

Committee Member

Tim P. Boltz

Committee Member

Cangliang Shen

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Improving Food Safety Practices Among FSMA-Exempt Small-Scale Produce Growers: A Manuscript-Based Dissertation on Risk, Adoption, and Practical Barriers

Jesica Temple

Foodborne illness outbreaks associated with fresh produce continue to pose a public health risk in the United States. Although the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) established science-based standards to prevent contamination, many small-scale farms are exempt from these requirements. Consequently, voluntary adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) varies widely across regions. Strategies to improve engagement among FSMA-exempt growers are key to advancing postharvest food safety and reducing contamination. This manuscript-based dissertation examined how knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) influence voluntary adoption of GAP among FSMA-exempt small-scale growers, and developed and validated a behavioral framework, to assess readiness for adoption.

Chapter 1 presents a systematic literature review that analyzed seven cross-sectional studies of FSMA-exempt growers’ food-safety behaviors across three high-risk domains—agricultural water, cleaning and sanitation, and storage and transport. Adoption of specific practices varied widely: only 28.9–39.4 percent of farms tested well water, 71–74 percent managed sanitation or packing in designated facilities, and 64 percent addressed transport cleanliness. Despite widespread awareness of food-safety importance, implementation remained inconsistent, revealing a gap between intention and practice and highlighting the need for a behavioral framework to measure readiness and guide outreach.

Chapter 2 introduced a behavioral classification framework—Willing, Ready, and Able (WRA)—to stratify engagement among FSMA-exempt small-scale produce growers who sell primarily through West Virginia farmers’ markets. A cross-sectional survey of 35 FSMA-exempt growers conducted at the 2025 West Virginia Small Farms Conference classified respondents as Willing (no formal training, confident in current practices), Ready (training plus adoption of one to three GAP-aligned practices), or Able (training plus adoption of four or more practices). Results showed that 62.8% had received training, 53.1% sanitized surfaces, and 52.5% used refrigeration. The WRA distribution (34.3% Willing, 34.3% Ready, 28.5% Able) revealed distinct engagement levels and demonstrated the framework’s utility as a diagnostic tool for tailoring outreach and strengthening voluntary adoption of food safety practices.

Chapter 3 validated the WRA framework statewide using survey data from 125 FSMA-exempt produce growers recruited from farmers’ markets across all six West Virginia Department of Agriculture regions (96 percent response rate). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed unidimensional reliability for three behavioral constructs—confidence, perceived importance, and willingness (Cronbach’s α = 0.81–0.88). Multivariate analysis (MANOVA) identified significant group differences (Wilks’ Λ, p < 0.01), with construct scores increasing stepwise across groups (Willing < Ready < Able). These findings validate WRA as a reliable behavioral-readiness diagnostic and demonstrate its potential to inform targeted food-safety outreach and efficient resource allocation.

Collectively, these studies establish a validated, theory-driven framework for quantifying voluntary food-safety engagement among FSMA-exempt small-scale growers. The WRA framework bridges behavioral science and agricultural practice, providing Extension and regulatory partners with a standardized tool to assess readiness, identify barriers, and design interventions that advance safe produce handling and protect public health.

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