When it comes to intellectual nourishment safety in grow fruits and veg , it does n’t matter if you ’re a commercial wholesale grower , hobby farmer , dwelling nurseryman or direct marketer , the danger of food - borne illness is the same and the precautions that need to be take are very similar , says Roy Ballard , Purdue Extension pedagog for agribusiness and natural resource in Greenfield , Ind. Good agricultural practice should be follow up by every farmer , no matter the size of it of the garden or field .
“ Most home gardeners are very cavalier about food - give birth illness in the garden , ” Ballard order . “ multitude eat veg right out of the field or rub off a tomato with a bird put down on it and then feed it . Sometimes a gardener may side - dress crops withmanureor manure teatime or perhaps let adogor cat orchickeninto the garden . All of these habit have the potency to make you very ill . Some who are at gamy risk of exposure could even fail from related illness . ”
“ Microbes really do n’t wish which solidifying of production pattern you habituate , ” he says . “ They are opportunistic and will feel situation where they can flourish under either system . Manure is manure . [ Wild ] bunny rabbit manure should be considered the same as horse or moo-cow manure . Compostis a majuscule dirt amendment , but compost must be done in a controlled and monitored way to insure that the material actually heats up and becomes pasteurised . Just piling up manure and leaf and kitchen scraps for a few months is not compost . That is manure and not compost . ”
Microbial contaminant is the main prophylactic concern when grow and harvest home crop , Ballard say .
“ The key is to limit pic of edible crops to microbes : Harvesting them in a elbow room that keep them clean , cool them to retard maturation , and market or use them in a way that preserves the quality and safety until they reach the fork , ” he says . “ Really intend about all the position where microbes can meet your food all along the production , harvest and preparation cognitive operation . That string of quality , safety and cleanliness has to stay unbroken from start to finish . ”
If you ’re heading out to the field or garden , keep in mind these point for preventing food - borne sickness in the crops you grow :
1 . Manure ApplicationDo not utilize manure to harvest areas near harvest times . Several months should surpass between manure app and harvest . “ Ideally a fall diligence prior to the crop the next growing season , ” Ballard enjoin . “ Do not manure teatime or manure side - clothes . ”
2 . Flood WatersFloodwaters can contain a legion of bacteria that may make the food unsafe or induce spoilage . Soil contaminant from flooding may be as gamey as uncomposted manure so handle a overflowing field as if it had a manure software . permit a minimum of 120 day between the recession of water and harvest home to reduce contamination risk . When in dubiety , throw out food for thought that may have been damaged or spoiled in the flood . It ’s risky to run through any of the produce , so cast out it for rubber ’s rice beer .
3 . Contamination AvoidanceDuring the grow time of year , take stone’s throw to bound your crops ’ exposure to serious bug . Keep brute — bothwildand domesticated — out of garden . Use supports for cropsto elevate them off the ground . Any crop that has direct contact with the dirt or land splashing or flood lamp waters is at a in high spirits risk for contamination , so utilize drip mould irrigation or soil - apply H2O . nullify overhead irrigation .
4 . IrrigationUse drinkable piddle to irrigate . “ Municipal is safe , groundwater second - best and then surface water , ” Ballard says .
5.Harvesting ToolsUse clear , consecrate , sterilized buckets for harvest , not ones that had hydraulic fluid or rouge in them . Use cleanknivesand scissors grip when harvest home , ward off wounding produce at harvest , and toss any green goods with hurt or bird droppings . “ If in doubt , throw it out , ” Ballard say .
6 . Cleaning ProduceRinse bring forth well with wiretap water . This remove stain and perhaps some attached pathogens , but does not secure safety . Store fresh produce in nerveless condition to reduce microbe growth . For more data on washables and handling green groceries , consult the University of Minnesota Extension ’s “ Washing Fruits and Vegetables — Why and How ” by Debra Stolpa and the Food and Drug Administration ’s “ get Safety : Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh - Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices . ”
