Evaluating the food safety impacts and soil health benefits of integrated crop-livestock farms in California

The overall objective is to assess the food safety risks and soil health benefits on integrated crop-livestock systems. The specific objectives are: 1) To determine the prevalence of STEC in sheep and poultry in integrated crop-livestock farms; 2) to determine differences between types of integrated crop-livestock systems (fresh produce versus nut trees, sheep versus poultry) regarding persistence and concentration of generic E. coli and STEC in soil (before and post-grazing) and soil health indicators; 3) to analyze factors that affect the persistence of E. coli and STEC; and 4) to identify GAPs to minimize cross-contamination and promoting soil health.