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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 10, 2006 Keep eating vegetables Despite E. coli outbreak, healthful options exist, say Rogue Valley food managers, growers By Bill kettler Mail Tribune Worried about tainted lettuce and spinach, but want to keep eating your greens? There's no better time to explore the wide variety of "other" leafy vegetables, as well as local produce, says Annie Hoy, outreach and owner/service manager with Ashland Food Co-op. The co-op carries several chards, as well as collards, cabbage and kale, and most stores carry cabbage and other vegetables that can be transformed into interesting and appetizing salads. Hoy says it's also important to pay attention to basic food safety rules to prevent foods from becoming sources of illness. Bagged greens, for example, should never be left at room temperature for extended periods of time because the enclosed environment provides ideal condition for any bacteria to grow and multiply. "It's like putting them on steroids," she said. Advertisement Hoy said Southern Oregon farmers are selling locally grown greens at farmers' markets in Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass. People who have questions about food safety can talk directly with the farmers to find out how they grow their crops. The Ashland market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Ashland Armory, 1420 E. Main St. The Medford market has the same hours on Thursdays at the Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway. The Grants Pass market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays at Fourth and F Streets. Hoy noted that so far, none of the suspect greens have come from organic growers. Locally grown spinach is available from farmers such as Vince and Mary Alionis, who operate Whistling Duck Farm on 20 acres in the Applegate Valley. Alionis said all farmers suffer when federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture say "Don't eat spinach." "A lot of these problems are specific to one farm or one growing area," she said. Alionis said anxiety about the California greens has brought them higher market prices for their greens, but some people have called them with concerns about whether their lettuce and spinach is safe to eat. "It's just the conditions on one farm" that have caused problems, she's explained. "There's nothing in the (growing of) spinach that makes it a problem." People should keep food safety issues in perspective, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, an epidemiologist for the Oregon Department of Human Services. "There's always a certain amount of risk," he said, noting that many foods are processed in some way (such as pasteurization) to make them safer to eat. Cooking spinach, for example, would reduce the health risk to "almost nothing," he said, because the E. coli bacteria cannot survive heat. Washing packaged spinach at home after it has already been washed in processing has little value, he said. "It's already been washed better than you can do it at home." He said no illness related to tainted greens has been reported in Southern Oregon. Six cases have been reported in Oregon, including one person in Multnomah County, two each in Marion and Benton counties, and one in Linn County. "It's important to eat your greens," Cieslak said. "I haven't stopped eating greens and I feed them to my kids. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail: [email protected] Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com