Safely Using Produce from Flooded Gardens

After flooding occurs, gardeners often raise questions about the safety of consuming produce from gardens that were under water for a day or two. How concerned gardeners have to be about using garden produce after a flood depends, to a large degree, on how “clean” the flood water was or whether it was likely to have been contaminated with sewage, river or creek water, farm run-off, or industrial pollutants. The most conservative answer — one that eliminates any and all risks — is that gardeners should discard all produce that was touched by flood water. However, if flooding occurs early, there will typically be weeks left in the growing season, and gardeners will likely wish to salvage some crops. Click on the following link to read more and get tips for considering what can be salvaged and what must be discarded from a flooded garden.

http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/factsheets/Safely%20Using%20Produce%20from%20Flooded%20Gardens.doc