California Farm Owner Speaks Out After E. Coli Outbreak Forces Shutdown
WHO:
Sacramento Bee - Brookshire Farms co-owner Shawn Callaway said he and his wife were distressed after the outbreak and expressed sympathy for affected families: “Our hearts go out to the families, the kids, the adults.”
San Luis Obispo Tribune - Callaway said safety has always been a priority for customers and employees. He had worked as a firefighter for 36 years before starting Brookshire Farms with his wife.
Sacramento Bee - San Luis Obispo County health officer Dr. Christy Mulkerin said contamination can be temporary and difficult to detect with available sampling methods.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - County public health officials linked Brookshire Farms to an outbreak involving five confirmed cases; three children were in intensive care.
WHAT:
Sacramento Bee - Brookshire Farms voluntarily closed during an E. coli investigation and reopened to the public after a 10-day shutdown during peak pumpkin season.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - The county confirmed E. coli O157 among local patients, but environmental testing at the farm did not detect that specific strain. Other types of E. coli were found, but the county said they did not establish the source of the infections.
Sacramento Bee - Callaway said the only known connection among confirmed cases was that the individuals had visited the farm.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - Callaway said the five confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli cases involved two groups who visited on two consecutive days. One group went through the night maze around 7 p.m.; Callaway said the first group had no contact with pumpkins.
Sacramento Bee - The farm reopened with thousands of leftover pumpkins, which visitors were encouraged to take for free. The county said there was no longer an ongoing public health threat or risk of additional exposure.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - Callaway described the shutdown’s financial impact as “a huge loss” but said public safety mattered more.
WHERE:
Sacramento Bee - Brookshire Farms is in San Luis Obispo County, off Los Osos Valley Road.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria canceled their annual pumpkin-smash events after county guidance about washing pumpkins and avoiding carved ones.
WHEN:
Sacramento Bee - The two groups visited the farm on October 17 and the following morning.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - The farm planned to open for the Christmas season beginning around Thanksgiving.
WHY:
San Luis Obispo Tribune - The county said testing was limited by numerous potential sources, a lack of testable items, and delays between exposure and sampling.
HOW:
Sacramento Bee - Callaway said the farm has 17 restrooms, cleaned and pumped twice weekly; 17 handwashing stations; and eight sanitizing stations. Tables and chairs are cleaned multiple times daily.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - Callaway said the farm has no petting zoo and believed pumpkins were not the outbreak source. He said the county did not test the pumpkins.
Sacramento Bee - Callaway said other E. coli bacteria were found in an old cow pie on a hill above the farm.
San Luis Obispo Tribune - Mulkerin said the county did not intend to imply pumpkins were the infection source and urged the public not to fear them.
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 06:57 UTC)
Brookshire Farms reopened after a ten-day shutdown tied to an E. coli investigation. Five confirmed cases were linked to farm visits, including three children in intensive care. County testing found no outbreak strain at the farm, and officials said no threat remained.