Crazy salmonella outbreak tied to one Iowa farm and its sicko owners

Turns out we have Wright County Egg, run by the DeCoster family to thank for this mess as the salmonella strain was linked back to their feed. It also turns out that they're a bunch of sickos.

From today's NYTimes:

The DeCosters produce 2.3 million dozen eggs a week in Iowa. Over the years, many here have objected to the growing operations of Austin J. DeCoster. Neighbors sued the DeCosters’ farms for what they said were noxious gases, millions of gallons of uncovered manure and putrid animal carcasses left on roadways.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources declared Mr. DeCoster a “habitual violator,” making his the only operation ever to be deemed such in Iowa, for its handling of hog waste. And Mr. DeCoster paid more than $1.5 million as part of a settlement with 11 female workers, most of them Mexican, at his egg facilities over sexual harassment and assault charges, including rapes by supervisors.

Full story here.