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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] sprayer rig for 3pt hitch
  • Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:26:18 -0400


On Apr 18, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Kakerby wrote:

And I have been wondering about the issue of residue from conventional spray products; I'd have to clean that thing out really well before I used it on our fields so that our inspector didn't get all upset.  Are there known methods/techniques/products which can suitably clean out a sprayer tank so that it can go from conventional to certified organic use?  I'm wondering if that alone would be sufficient reason to get new.  

Talk to your certification agency.

The guidance manual I have from NOFA-NY says:

"Dual use of spray equipment is strongly discouraged. It is virtually impossible to completely remove all chemical residues from a sprayer. The producer must be able to clearly prove that residue of a prohibited product does not remain in the sprayer before it is used on certified crops."

That may not be applicable to you -- I don't know whether other certifying agencies are giving similar advice. I also don't know what proof NOFA-NY is accepting -- I suspect you'd have to know what had been in the sprayer in order to prove it wasn't there any longer, as it would be implausible to test for everything, but mine (probably too small for you) was bought years ago from an organic operation which had bought it new so I haven't had to try to figure out exactly what they mean. Again, you need to talk to the certification agency that you're working with.



-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale







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