Strategies in Support of Organic Dairy Production and its Livelihood

1. Determine the dynamic of zoonotic food- and waterborne pathogens Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Cryptosporidium spp. among agricultural ecosystems in New York State (NYS). 2. Identify sources, ecological factors and management practices associated with the likelihood of introduction, and survival of these pathogens through epidemiologic studies. 3. Develop risk assessment models using both deterministic and stochastic approaches to delineate the pathways by which these pathogens could enter the food chain and identify critical control points to mitigate their associated risk. 4. Integrate findings into extension and educational programs for the purpose of closing the knowledge gap in mitigating the risks associated with these pathogens. ?