Avoid E. coli by growing your own vegetables

Have you heard the reports about produce with E. coli and salmonella contamination? I always thought that problem was specifically an issue with meat products. The first time I heard one of these reports, I thought I had heard it wrong. However, these reports are becoming more frequent than I can understand. Over the past decade, this problem has really started to repeat itself with at least 20 different reports of E. coli on produce. The 2006 incident with tainted bagged spinach was responsible for 200 deaths. So the produce is somehow coming in contact with animal or human fecal matter. Eeewww! Not positive how this is happening but perhaps through the manure used in the soil, dirty irrigation water or somehow in the packaging process. Despite diligent research by federal, state and local food-safety experts, no one has identified just how E. coli is entering and thriving in our produce. And since the experts don't know how the contamination is occurring, they don't know how to keep outbreaks from reoccurring. This frightens me because I am a serious vegetable eater. I've heard that the best way to protect yourself is by washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them raw. If you're still concerned, make sure all veggies you eat are cooked. The heat will kill bacteria. However, this just gives me more reasons to be passionate about growing my own produce. Some of you already grow a vegetable garden each spring. I have written before about the benefits to growing your own food. This may just be the issue that could encourage those of you who have not ever grown a veggie garden or those of you who only grow spring veggies (tomatoes, peppers and squash) to start growing some of your own leafy greens. Growing your own spinach, chard, lettuce, collards, cabbage and so forth is very easy and satisfying. For those of you who may live in an apartment or have a very small yard, you don't need a huge area to grow leafy greens. If all you have room for is a half-wine barrel, guess what? You can still have a great lettuce or greens garden. Set your barrel where the sun can warm it during the day and somewhere you can get to easily if the ground is wet. Fill with good soil and plant your favorites. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Remember, the more you pick of your greens, the more they produce. Which means every night before you start cooking dinner, go out to your little barrel of greens and pick some fresh leaves. No chance for E. coli contamination here!Jennifer Miner is the owner of Flower Hut Nursery at 603 4th St. and Highway 65 in Wheatland. Her phone is (530) 633-4526.