Brookshire Farms Reopens After E. Coli Outbreak Investigation
“I’m destroyed,” co-owner Shawn Callaway told sanluisobispo.com on Nov. 6, 2026, marking the first day Brookshire Farms reopened to the public after shutting down for 10 days during peak pumpkin season. The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health linked the Los Osos farm to a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreak that resulted in five confirmed cases and three children requiring intensive care.
Callaway spent 36 years working as a firefighter before starting the farm off Los Osos Valley Road 14 years ago with his wife. In the wake of the county’s investigation, his phone received interview requests from national outlets including CNN, USA Today, and People magazine. Meanwhile, employees turned away visiting families at the farm’s entrance while the property remained shuttered.
Environmental Testing Yields Negative Results for Outbreak Strain
County health officials confirmed E. coli O157 as the specific strain that sickened patients who visited the farm between Oct. 16 and Oct. 26. However, the farm said all tests and environmental samples taken there came back negative for the outbreak strain, according to KSBY News.
Mulkerin noted that failing to pinpoint the exact source through environmental lab testing is not unexpected because bacterial contamination is often temporary and difficult to detect through available sampling methods. While other types of E. coli and coliform bacteria were found in environmental samples, none established the source of patient infections.
County Officials Faced Criticism over Untested Pumpkins
According to sanluisobispo.com, Callaway expressed frustration that the county never tested their pumpkins, while health officials stated testing was limited due to numerous potential sources, a lack of testable items, and time delays between exposure and sampling.
Initial county guidance warned the public to wash pumpkins and avoid touching carved gourds, prompting the cancellation of annual pumpkin smash events in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. Mulkerin later clarified to sanluisobispo.com that people should not worry about pumpkins and that the department never intended to claim pumpkins caused the infections.
Thousands of Free Gourds Offered as Farm Resumes Operations
Brookshire Farms reopened on Nov. 6, offering thousands of leftover pumpkins for free to families, as reported by KSBY News.
The county reported that any risk of additional exposure had passed by the reopening date and no ongoing public health threat remained. The farm plans to operate for the Christmas season starting around Thanksgiving, scaling back its ambitions to focus strictly on foundational holiday memories.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Brookshire Farms Outbreak
How many people were sickened in the Brookshire Farms E. coli outbreak?
The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health investigation includes five lab-confirmed cases and eight additional cases still under investigation, according to KSBY News. Three children required treatment in intensive care.
When did the infected individuals visit the Los Osos farm?
Health officials determined that all affected individuals visited Brookshire Farms between Oct. 16 and Oct. 26, 2026.
Did tests find the outbreak strain of E. coli at the farm?
No. According to KSBY News, all tests and environmental samples taken at the farm came back negative for the E. coli O157 outbreak strain. Health officials stated that contamination can be temporary and difficult to detect.
Are pumpkins still considered a health risk by county officials?
No. Although initial public warnings cautioned residents to wash or avoid carved pumpkins, Mulkerin clarified that the health department did not intend to identify pumpkins as the source of the infection and told the public not to be afraid of them.
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