Market Farming

["Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>]

>Elizabeth Pike wrote:
>>
>> If composting the manure removes the risk, I don't understand your
>> beef with this issue.  (Not being rude-enquiring minds wanna know ; }
>
>I'm not being rude, either (at least not on purpose).  I just want to
>know what the "slight" risk is.
>
>According to the original poster's sig, he seems to be in a position
>where I would think he might know.
>
>Holly ;-D


    Sorry, I can't offer statistics on the issue. I'm just aware of an
increasing number of food poisoning events related to cider, fruit and
vegetables. Food science and safety aren't a primary professional focus. I
just become concerned when the growers I work with and the customers they
serve are affected by the issue, and they have been. I think it would be a
mistake for anyone who uses manure in their food crop production, whether
raw or composted, to not take this issue very seriously. I'm sure their
customers are.

    I think manure is an outstanding fertilizer and soil amendment. It just
needs to be handled sensibly. Like several other poster's pointed out, E.
coli and other dangerous microorganisms are natural inhabitants in the
intestines of some animals. Deer and cattle are well-documented examples.
The microorganisms can survive in manure for a significant period of time.
We need to make sure that we handle it safely.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center