Brookshire Farms set to reopen after E. coli investigation
Brookshire Farms in Los Osos will reopen on Friday, November 6, after a voluntary closure tied to an E. coli outbreak investigation, with officials reporting no evidence of the outbreak strain on the farm.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department said lab testing confirmed E. coli O157 in five patients linked to a recent outbreak at Brookshire Farms. The farm’s own testing and environmental samples returned negative for the outbreak strain, which health officials noted is not unexpected because contamination can be temporary and hard to detect. Other types of E. coli and coliform bacteria were found in some samples, but those results do not identify the source of the infections.
Brookshire Farms announced it will reopen on Friday, November 6, at 11 a.m., inviting the community to pick up free pumpkins. The farm said thousands of pumpkins are available and thanked residents for their support during the closure.
The investigation continues to assess eight additional cases under review, all involving visitors between Oct. 16 and Oct. 26.