Vermont officials announced a recall of shell eggs from Leaping Bear Farm of Reading on September 11, 2026, after finding Salmonella Enteritidis in both the eggs and environmental samples at the farm. The Vermont Department of Health has linked fourteen Vermont illnesses to the strain, and other states have genetically linked cases. The recall covers every carton dated between June 1 and September 5, 2026. The flock numbers about 1,800 hens — small enough that FDA’s egg safety rule never applied to this farm at all.
What was recalled
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Health Department received confirmatory laboratory results on September 10. The farm agreed to a voluntary recall the following day. The product is sold in cartons carrying the Leaping Bear Farm logo and labeled Grade A Pasture Raised Organic Eggs. Every carton dated June 1, 2026 through September 5, 2026 is covered.
Leaping Bear Farm has also agreed not to sell or distribute any chicken eggs until the Agency determines that the Salmonella Enteritidis strain is no longer a public health threat. The Agency thanked the owners for cooperating. Consumers with questions can reach the farm at 520-345-1906.
Where the eggs were sold
The Agency published eighteen distribution points across Windsor and Windham counties — farmers markets, farm stores, a co-op, a general store, a butcher shop, and a diner:
| Location | Address (Vermont) |
| West River Farmers Market | Junction of Route 11 & Route 100, Londonderry |
| Ludlow Farmers Market | 37 S. Depot Street, Ludlow |
| Putney Farmers Market | 8 Carol Brown Way, Putney |
| Market on the Green | Village Green, 15 S. Park, Woodstock |
| Leaping Bear Farm | 238 Tattle Street, Reading |
| Walker Farm | 1190 US-5, East Dummerston |
| Milkweed Farm | 27 Earth Bridge Road, Westminster West |
| Deep Meadows Farm | 6377 US-5, Windsor |
| Reading Greenhouse | 786 VT-106, Reading |
| Brownsville Butcher | 871 VT-44, Brownsville |
| South Woodstock Country Store | 4800 South Road, South Woodstock |
| Woodstock Farmers Market | 979 W. Woodstock Road, Woodstock |
| Woodstock Village Market | 37 Pleasant Street, Woodstock |
| Londonderry Village Market | 5700 Vermont Route 100, Londonderry |
| Putney Food Co-op | 8 Carol Brown Way, Putney |
| The Putney Diner | 128 Main Street, Putney |
| Putney General Store | 4 Kimball Hill, Putney |
| The Farm on the River | 987 Connecticut River Road, Springfield |
The illnesses
Fourteen Vermonters have been linked to the outbreak strain, according to the Health Department. The state has also said that cases in other states are genetically linked, which means the isolates matched in PulseNet. Vermont has not said how many out-of-state cases there are, or which states they are in, and no federal agency has published anything on this outbreak.
What people should do with the eggs
- Do not eat eggs from Leaping Bear Farm dated June 1 through September 5, 2026.
- Throw them in the trash for landfill disposal. Do not put them in a compost pile.
- Wash anything the eggs may have touched — including the refrigerator — with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher.
- Call a healthcare provider if symptoms appear.
Symptoms and when to call a doctor
The state release describes Salmonella infection as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps beginning six hours to six days after infection and lasting four to seven days, with most people recovering without treatment. (Onset windows vary by source; the fact sheets often used in egg outbreaks give 12 to 72 hours.) Vermont tells people to contact a provider for diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than two days, bloody stool or urine, fever above 102°F, signs of dehydration, or longer-term complications including diarrhea lasting months, infection spreading elsewhere in the body, and reactive arthritis. Young children, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.
Why there is no FDA recall notice
There is no FDA outbreak page here, no CDC investigation notice, and no entry in FDA’s recall database. This outbreak and recall exist entirely as two documents on a state agriculture department’s website. That is not an oversight. It is how the rules are written.
FDA’s egg safety rule, 21 C.F.R. Part 118, reaches shell egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens whose eggs are not all sold directly to consumers. Those producers must register with FDA, follow a Salmonella Enteritidis prevention plan, control rodents and pests, test the poultry house environment, test eggs when the environment comes back positive, and refrigerate at 45°F. A producer with 1,800 hens does none of that, because none of it is required.
The result is a farm that sold eggs into eighteen retail and market locations for at least three months, with an environment that turned out to be carrying Salmonella Enteritidis, and no environmental testing requirement that would have found it before people got sick. Vermont found it the way these things usually get found — backwards, from the people in the hospital.
I have argued for years that the size of a producer is a poor proxy for the risk it creates. A small flock sells into a small area, which caps the number of people exposed. It does not cap how sick any one of them gets. Fourteen confirmed cases in a state of 650,000, plus matches in other states, from a flock of 1,800 birds, is not a rounding error.
Questions people are asking
Which eggs are recalled? All Leaping Bear Farm eggs in cartons dated June 1, 2026 through September 5, 2026, labeled Grade A Pasture Raised Organic Eggs.
Can I compost or cook them to be safe? No. Vermont specifically says not to compost them — throw them in the trash.
Is this connected to the Midwest Poultry Services egg outbreak? Nothing in the state’s documents connects the two. That multistate outbreak was declared over on September 3, 2026.
About Salmonella
Salmonella is the leading cause of foodborne illness hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Most people recover within a week, but the infection can spread beyond the intestines, and some people are left with reactive arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome long after the diarrhea stops.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The firm has represented thousands of people in Salmonella cases and has recovered over $850 million for clients, including in outbreaks traced to eggs, chicken, peanut butter, cantaloupe, sprouts, and produce.
If you or a family member became ill with Salmonella after eating these eggs, you can contact the firm for a free case evaluation at 1-800-884-9840, or see About Salmonella and the Marler Clark Salmonella litigation page.
Sources
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Salmonella Detected in Eggs from Poultry Flock in Windsor County (Sept. 11, 2026).
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Recall of Chicken Eggs Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination (Sept. 11, 2026).
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