Salad crops and E coli etc

[diggernotdreamer]

Hi, new to this forum and the salad book is now going to be purchased. I am in the process of setting up a small farm business in Southern Ireland, growing unusual and interesting leaves, veg and cut flowers. I have always used my composted manures. It is from hens mainly with a bit of alpaca mixed in. The hens are bedded on shavings and this is then composted down for usually a year. I apply the compost into my polytunnel beds and then cover the area with newspaper and plant the transplants through, I find it keeps the leaves cleaner. I am concerned about E coli and poisononing people, would I be better off just using worm compost for salads or am I just being a bit paranoid, have eaten my own stuff for 20 years and I’m not dead yet. Can’t find a definitive answer to this anywhere, would be really grateful if anyone could help. Thanks

[charles]

 Welcome to the site, probably there is nothing on this as nobody has suffered a problem, I don’t know except that like you I have been growing leaves in surface composted soil and there have been no health problems, quite the opposite with people loving the leaves so much, and I eat loads.

I have a feeling that there is misunderstanding about bacteria in soil, which is stuffed full of them when healthy – as we are too – and your composted hen manure should be full of beneficial microorganisms.

[diggernotdreamer]

Thank you for your quick reply, has put my mind at rest. Going out now to talk to my microorganisms and thank them for all their help

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