Is it Safe to Use Manure in the Garden?
Animal manure has been used in vegetable gardens for centuries, right? Back when people rode horses and families kept milk cows, animal manures were a natural source of fertilizer for home gardens. Today, publicity about E. coli outbreaks have made people more aware of the risk of food-borne illness and many are now questioning the safety of using animal manure on food crops, including one Farmcolony neighbor who raised the issue as we were digging out straw and manure from the goat shed. Several of us wanted to take the droppings to the garden, but she resisted. “Animal manure can make people sick,” she insisted as we discussed where and how to dispose of the droppings. “I don’t want to eat greens that have been exposed to manure,” she added. Is she…