Market Farming

[Joan Vibert <joan AT windwalker-farm.com>]

Title: Re: [market-farming] Chemical Damage

Phil – I’d also try your state agriculture department.  We had drift a few years back and our state agency has a zero drift policy on pesticides.  They sent out someone and took tissue samples.  There is a penalty to the person spraying, whether its the farmer or coop or what.  The day ours happened I called the coop as soon as I smelled it and called them off the field across our road.  It was a very windy day and they were out there in those little doodlebug sprayers (I might add they were young kids without an ounce of protection).

I also sat down that day and wrote a letter to the coop explaining that we were certified organic and that drift would cause us to lose three years of organic prices and that we would hold them financially responsible for it and that my letter served as notice.  Don’t know how much good it actually does – but I’d definitely contact a lawyer.  Iowa is usually much better than Kansas in those kinds of issues.

So sorry to hear about it – growing is frustrating enough without stupid human intervention like that!

joan
windwalker farm
ottawa, kansas