spinach- the new front

From CNN's story "E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is spread through contamination by fecal material. Brackett said the use of manure as a fertilizer for produce typically consumed raw, such as spinach, is not in keeping with good agricultural practices. "It is something we don't want to see," he told a food policy conference.

The story tells us how E. coli could contaminate our produce supply, but if it doesnt "keep with good agricultural practices" do growers still do it? And if not manure, then what? Do growers generally follow good agricultural practices, or is there a lower standard generally considered acceptable?

I will not be able to look at spinach the same way for a long time; I usually cook it though, does that solve the problem? Not clear from the coverage sadly.

As Rich says the smell of manure is actually the smell of money in the farming world, man I love repeating that as I drive by a freshly fertilized field.