South Dakota Cantaloupes Are Safe

A recent article in the Rapid City Journal declared South Dakota cantaloupes safe. Of concern are news reports identifying melons from Jensen Farms in Colorado as the source of multiple listeria outbreaks nationwide. Listeria is a serious disease that can be fatal. Jensen Farms ships to 25 states, and listeria infections have been reported in many of them. The grower has recalled all 300,000 cases of melons.

The Journal reports that Safeway recalled all its Colorado-grown melons and now sells melons from California. Nash Finch, which supplies Family Thrift and Prairie Market, does not buy from Jensen Farms. As far as we know, melons sold in the Rapid City area farmers markets are grown in South Dakota.

Whenever there are reports of food borne illness, we at DLFN remind our readers of how important it is to buy food locally. When you buy at a farmers market you can speak directly to the farmer who raised that food and transported it to the market. The DLFN network sponsors farm tours every summer so consumers can see for themselves where their food comes from. We’ve found our local farmers to be proud of their farms and to answer all of our questions about food quality and safety. The Meet the Growers section of this website contains reports of our farm visits.