State and federal health departments have identified a ranch in San Benito County as the likely source of a recent E. coli outbreak in spinach that killed three people and sickened more than 200. Authorities for the first time say the E. coli contamination originated from the Paicines Ranch in San Benito County. The ranch breeds Angus cattle and quarter horses and leases land to crop growers.

On the Paicines Ranch website:

Our Statement About the Recent E. coli outbreak

We are deeply saddened by the results of the recent outbreak of E. coli found in spinach. It has been reported that the Paicines Ranch is under investigation. This is not true. The Paicines Ranch is not under investigation by any government agency. We lease row crop land to farmers. If you want to know whether a particular farmer is under investigation, you should ask them. Since we neither farm nor process row crops of any kind, we are unable to comment further.