More and more Americans have been turning to using their backyards to raise their food. Several sources have told me that backyard vegetable gardens are more popular than in many years.

Part of the reason is the high cost of produce and fruit and the other main reason is because backyard crops don’t have near the chemicals that many commercially grown produce has.

I can attest to the benefit of backyard gardens. I have a typical yard, nothing of any great size, but I have raised beds in which I grown beans, carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupes and tomatoes. I only have three 10-foot-long, 1-foot wide beds for cucumbers and so far in July, I’ve picked 71.5 pounds of cucumbers. I also have 16 grape vines, 3 semi-dwarf apple trees, 1 dwarf cherry tree and a peach tree. I’m already planning on building a few more raised beds in the Spring and expand my produce to include sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. I grow more than my wife and I can use, but we love to share with our kids, neighbors and friends.

In addition to growing your own veggies and fruit, many people have turned to raising their own chickens and/or ducks, that is, where zoning regulations allow. There are many residential areas that ban raising chickens or ducks in a residential backyard, but there are still many places where it’s allowed.

People raised them for the eggs and for the meat. We’ve all been told to eat less red meat (beef, pork and lamb) and eat more poultry (chickens, ducks and turkeys).

However, there has been a growing health concern centering around raising chickens and ducks in backyards, according to the CDC:

• As of July 13, 2018, 212 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 44 states.
• 34 ill people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
• 26% of ill people are children younger than 5 years.
• Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory findings link these outbreaks to contact with live poultry, such as chicks and ducklings, which come from multiple hatcheries.
• People can get sick with Salmonella infections from touching live poultry or their environment. These birds can be carrying Salmonella bacteria but appear healthy and clean and show no signs of illness.
• Several different types of Salmonella bacteria have made people sick in this outbreak: Salmonella Seftenberg, Salmonella Montevideo, Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Indiana and Salmonella Litchfield.

The CDC also reported that 72% of the cases of Salmonella took place after people were in contact with chicks or ducklings in the week prior to their illness.

The CDC is not recommending about raising poultry in the backyard, providing you take some precautions to avoid getting sick. To avoid getting sick, don’t let kids handle chicks or ducklings without wearing some kind of disposable gloves. Be careful when being in the areas occupied by the poultry. Clean shoes before entering house.