Produce Safety Data

Food Scientists Confirm the Effectiveness of Commercial Product in Killing Bacteria in Vegetable Washwater

June 26, 2008

BOISE, Idaho-Research conducted by food science faculty at the University of Idaho and Washington State University indicate that a commercially available fruit and vegetable wash, when used in a food-manufacturing setting, can dramatically decrease the number of disease-causing organisms in produce-processing washwater. That could reduce by manyfold the potential for cross-contamination within the water by such "gram-negative" bacteria as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.

The product, sold commercially as FIT Fruit and Vegetable Wash, not only proved much more effective than the commonly used chlorine dioxide but is made from ingredients like citric acid and distilled grapefruit oil that are generally regarded as safe. Chlorine dioxide, whose use in food plants can put workers at risk, was compromised by soils and plant debris in the washwater and killed only 90 percent of the target organisms in the food plant and followup laboratory studies. By contrast, FIT killed 99.9999 percent, according to associate professor of food science Dong-Hyun Kang of Washington State University. "If you had a million bacteria, you would have one left.
~ Joe

Naconiche Gardens Data

Cherokee Master Gardeners received a letter today informing of a customer appreciation sale at Naconiche Gardens June 20 through July 4. They say everything in a pot is on sale except items in the propagation house.

Mammoth Sunflowers

These sunflowers have been around since 1000BC. They face the east each morning waiting for the sun to come up. They follow the light all day, ending up facing the west. They spend all night going back to the direction that the light will begin again, facing the east. If you pull the leaves from the stem, they can no longer follow the light. Some of them grow to b 25 feet tall with a flower face of 3 inches. During the years of Malaria, they were plant to kill the germs that were in the air. After Chernobyl, the Russians planted them to soak up t;he radiation form the soil and water. It was determined that they soaked up as much as 95% of the radiation. If planted in a corn field, the ants will herd up all the aphids and push them toward the sunflower. The aphids then climb on the stalk of the sunflower but are unable to kill the p;ant because the stalk is so strong. This leaves the lady bugs free to protect the other plants. Wayne and Kathie

Class to Meet June 24 at Wayne and Kathie Davis Home

The next Class meeting will be on Tuesday Morning June 24 at the Davis home in Sardis. We will begin at 10 a.m. Pant propagation will be the topic of study.Wayne and Kathie home is at 8217 FM 1857 just south of the Sardis Church. As always past class members are welcome.

Tomato Varieties

Varieties entered in the 2008 Tomato Fest Best Home Grown Tomato Contest were:

Celebrity
Pick Rite
Mt. Spring
Early Girl
Marglobe
Big Beef

Largest Tomato

How large was the largest tomato at the 2008 Tomato Fest?

Quite large.

2 pounds 9 ounces

It was the largest I recall in the last 8 years. - Joe

Potato Problems

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/em/em8948-e.pdf

Most Cherokee County gardeners report a very good Irish potato crop this year, but in the last day or two I have gotten a few questions about things like elephant hide and hollow heart.

If you would like to know more about potato disorders, insects and disease you might visit the web site above.

Joe