YOUNGSVILLE — Late last month the Democrat reported that a test sample of raw milk from the Youngsville dairy farm of Rich Dirie had been found to be contaminated with the bacteria listeria.

Dirie speculates that the listeria sample that essentially shut down his raw milk operation earlier last month was caused by way of simple “dirt.”

According to Dirie, October rains had moistened the soil at his Youngsville farm; the soil later clinging to his cow's teats, while the routine peroxide cleaning dip apparently “missed a spot,” according to Dirie.

A routine pathogen test conducted on October 21 by the New York State Department of Agriculture found the presence of listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous bacteria is generally the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease, listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. The disease affects primarily pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.

Though no illnesses were reported stemming from the contamination at Dirie's farm, he would, on October 23, volunteer to suspend sales of his raw milk product.

Last Tuesday the NYS Department of Agriculture was back on the scene, securing yet another raw milk sample for testing.

On Saturday Dirie received the good news he'd been patiently waiting for since the initial listeria laced sample had been uncovered: last Tuesday's test sample came back negative for the bacteria, thus clearing Dirie to resume his raw milk sales.

The state will continue testing samples of Dirie's milk for at least the next six weeks to ensure the product's consumption poses no threat to the public.

“It's like music to my ears,” said a relieved Dirie of the news in an interview with the Democrat yesterday. “We'd normally sell a good 8 to10 gallons of the raw milk product per day and the extra cash is nice... I'm just glad it all worked out in the end.”

In the five-plus years he's been selling raw milk now, Dirie said that the positive October test was the first such issue he's had at the farm.