Experiments involving the integration of cattle into crop rotations in organic food production showed such systems performed well in keeping pathogens out of meat, according to a recently published study.
The study involved three experimental organic farming systems on which crops were rotated with cattle. Researchers found no traces of common strains of E. coli or salmonella on the meat produced in the experiments, and pathogens detected in feed, fecal and hide samples remained below thresholds commonly detected in conventional production systems.
Kathleen Delate, a professor of horticulture and agronomy at Iowa State University and one of the authors of the study, said the results show promise for the potential of farmers to integrate animal and crop production. Experiments have shown such arrangements can help farmers realize a number of benefits, including better soil health, but Delate said no previous studies of such systems in the Midwest focused on food safety.
“Our feeling is that this kind of integration could be a practice more and more farmers could adopt for a variety of reasons,” Delate said. “Farmers are interested and are looking to universities and researchers for advice on how to get it done.”
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