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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] contaminated lettuce

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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Wiediger, Alison" <awiediger AT HART.k12.ky.us>
  • To: "'market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] contaminated lettuce
  • Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 12:50:40 -0600

> From: marc[SMTP:marc AT aculink.net]
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/irrad/contaminatedlettuce.cfm
>
> Excerpt:
>
> "OCA Comment: Lettuce cannot be irradiated.
>
> Lettuce Takes Up E. Coli, Defeating Normal Cleaning
> Lettuce that has been fertilized with manure or irrigated with water
> contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 can take the bacteria up through its
> root
> system and internalize it inside its leaves, resisting traditional
> external
> sanitizing methods.
>
>
So, the information to give consumers about this is that certified organic
regulations (and the practices of most organic farmers whether certified or
not) would not allow raw manure to be used for fertilizing lettuce or any
other food item within 90/120 days of harvest. "Organic" farmers use
compost, not raw manure for that. They also have to have their water used
for irrigation tested for contamination. Finally, if they are using manures
from their own grass fed ruminants, they possibility of O157:H7
contamination is low/nil since that is an organism associated with grain fed
runinants according to a Cornell University Study of a few years ago. On
the other hand, a conventional lettuce grower may or may not need to watch
and document use of raw manure, depending upon where he/she is growing.

If I remember correctly, the 20/20 web of lies and innuendo just tested for
any e-coli, not O157:H7, and found it on the conventionally grown as well as
the organic, leading to a conclusion that the growing method wasn't as
likely to be at fault as the harvest/post harvest handling methods. In that
interview, Dennis Avery also exposed either his ignorance of proper organic
growing techniques, or chose to ignore what he know. Judging by his book,
I'd guess the latter. He is a very smart, smooth talking, persuasive man
and should not be underestimated. He has made very clear that he considers
organic farming the enemy.


Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm







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