Fact sheet : garden to plate : food safety for school and community gardens

"Revised by Londa Nwadike, Extension Food Safety Specialist, with thanks to the original author, Lisa Martin, Shawnee County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent""Kids and families who grow their own produce are more likely to eat the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Because gardening is an effective strategy for healthier food consumption, the number of school and community gardens is increasing across the state of Missouri. However, fresh produce has also been linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated any time from planting to eating. Most pathogens are killed by cooking, but they are very difficult to wash off produce that will be eaten raw. To minimize contamination risks, this fact sheet outlines good practices for growing produce that school and community volunteers can take to keep their produce safe."--Introduction.Londa Nwadike (Kansas State University / University of Missouri Extension Food Safety Specialist)New 7/1