Use your food safety brain when planning your vegetable garden
By By Diane Wright Hirsch - Extension Educator/Food Safety
Featured Article - posted Wed., Mar. 28, 2012 While looking at
seed catalogues and visiting the garden center, it is good to
stretch our garden brains a bit and think about applying some
food safety principles as we plan and prepare the vegetable
garden for planting. First, consider the location of your
garden. We usually make decisions about garden location based on
sun exposure, soil type and moisture and convenience. Our food
safety brain should tell us to locate vegetable gardens away
from manure piles, well caps, garbage cans and septic systems.
Next, your food safety brain should learn the right way to
compost - especially if it is to be used on food crops. Compost
is the natural breakdown product of leaves, stems, manures and
other organic materials. The microorganisms that cause food-
borne illness can be found in decaying organic matter. A well-
managed compost pile can generate eno