[dandelion]

Very bad news for any who love fresh raw greens - and for those trying to raise their own produce as well. I have a horse, a cow and chickens. I compost their waste for at least thirty days in a black plastic can in direct sun to "cook" it and raise the temp to levels that SHOULD render it harmless, then I put it in a regular compost pile for months before using it.

But this kind of tragic news makes me uncomfortable. I'm trying to use good sanitary practice, and I wonder if there's a way to KNOW when the manure is completely composted...

Sadly, this might end up with the government telling "backyard gardeners" that they can't use manure for fertilizer - and that makes me even more uncomfortable.

[kingattax]

Sadly, this might end up with the government telling "backyard gardeners" that they can't use manure for fertilizer ....

then the backyard gardeners need to tell the government that it's use of "manure" will be restricted as well.

[stlnative]

that will never happen - people just need to educate themselves about using manure in their own backyard gardens.

Looking this up on internet is easy...

Composting livestock manure
http://gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/manure/manure0.htm

[Aussiebabe]

I don't think any government could care about the backyard gardeners. If you mess up, you will only make a few people ill. The problem is with these big organic producers that distribute nationally, where they can cause mass problems if the manure is not treated properly before use.

Actually, a bigger problem is uncooked bean sprouts. These have been the number one cause of food poisoning from vegetables. The way bean sprouts are grown uses a perfect process for growing bacteria which cause food poisoning. If you go the the FDA website you will find many warnings from the FDA about bean sprout food poisoning.

[adamsjas]

Sadly, this might end up with the government telling "backyard gardeners" that they can't use manure for fertilizer - and that makes me even more uncomfortable.

Not half as uncomfortable as e-coli will make you.

Contrary to common birkenstock belief, most of the stuff in Manure is not beneficial for gardening. The part that is, well you can get that in a bag and be assured of getting just the best part. Chemistry is your friend. Mankind stopped crapping in the fields a long time ago.

[GladesGuru]

May I suggest a piece of "scientific" equipment commonly known as a "thermometer". Placed in the sh*t barrel center, it will allow an accurate temperature reading.

Use of one with a long probe or a thermocouple on a wire will make possible accurate determination of whether or not sterilization has occurred.

Natural or organic farming does carry certain riaks associated with handeling of large quantities of fecal material.

The life of an organic farmer is analogous to having to listen to daily doses of campaign speeches - immersed in one sort of sh*t or another.

PS The really, really dangerous sh*t is found in urban areas, and has a Blue tinge.

;-)

[mom4kittys]

Anybody know how hydroponics work?

[Erasmus]

I see a market for a home e. coli test.

[MarMema]

Goat poop is safe.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

I'm trying to use good sanitary practice, and I wonder if there's a way to KNOW when the manure is completely composted...

Maybe use some pH test papers and see if someone has an idea of how acidic or alkaline the stuff has to be to kill the bacteria.

[Xenalyte]

Sadly, this might end up with the government telling "backyard gardeners" that they can't use manure for fertilizer - and that makes me even more uncomfortable.

Yeah, it's a philosophical tragedy, but on a practical level, the admonition would seem fairly easy to subvert, since there likely aren't enough FDA produce inspectors to patrol every backyard gardener in the country.