HOMER, MI–
A farm in Michigan will stop selling products for the rest of the year after officials reported that the farm was using untreated human- waste as fertilizer for their products.
Kuntry Gardens was cited by The state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development after employees found traces of untreated human fertilizer during a routine inspection of the land.
According to the report, the farm sells its products in at least 20 local grocery stores and directly to customers.
Several stores have already pulled the products from their shelves.
State officials also issued a warning that the product may have been contaminated and that anyone experiencing symptoms of foodborne illness should seek medical help.
After the report was made public, the owner of the farm told reporters that the dumping of human waste on the land was an “honest mistake” and that the waste came from an outhouse and was not used as fertilizer for their products.
“We are all about food safety, but this is just something that happened, and it was an oversight,” the owner told WDIV.
The farm was ordered not to sell any products for the rest of the year and the soil will be tested before next year.
The use of untreated waste to grow food is a violation of state and federal law but it is unclear if the farm will face criminal charges.