Another approach is to try to displace O157:H7 in farm animals, whose manure can be spread to nearby farmland.

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"One of my favorite sayings is 'The best manure on the farm is the owner's footprint, '" he says.

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"When people get a little carried away, they forget how all their guests may feel, " says Ms. Post, referring to wedding registries that might include such things as farm animals, honey bees and even manure.

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Many new initiatives in the bill fund research and programs for farm-based biofuels, including everything from making methane out of cow manure to planting switchgrass and especially, growing corn to make ethanol, which has been promoted as a means toward energy independence.

NPR: Farm Bill Offers Aid to Fruit, Vegetable Growers

The federal lawsuit was filed in 2010, after representatives from Waterkeeper flew over the farm and identified what they initially believed to be a large uncovered pile of chicken manure.

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In 1996, the Labor Department accused DeCoster of maintaining "sweatshop conditions" for migrant workers at its Turner, Maine, chicken farm, where then-Labor Secretary Robert Reich said workers risked salmonella by handling dead chickens and manure with their bare hands.

CNN: No further egg recalls expected, feds say