University of Vermont Consortium

This contract involves a collaboration with the University of Vermont Consortium to study foodborne pathogens on small specialty produce farms located in the Northeast region of the United States. The project includes collecting soil and amendment samples from these farms to assess the prevalence and risk of pathogens in produce. The collected samples will undergo environmental sampling and analysis, with the results forwarded to the Office of Acquisition and Materials Testing (OAMT) for sequencing and further research. The contract is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration, aiming to enhance understanding of potential contamination sources in specialty farming environments. Key contacts for the contract include a program acquisition liaison, with specific contracting officer details to be determined. This initiative supports efforts to improve food safety by providing critical data on pathogen presence in agricultural soils and amendments used in produce farming.