Santa
Cruz Sentinel Op-ed
June 10, 2007
Last October, I received news that no organic farmer wants to
hear: pesticides had been detected during a routine crop inspection.
The pesticides were identified as organophosphates, some of the
most toxic chemicals used on food crops. We immediately took steps
to ensure the organic integrity of the product we send to market.
Today, the source of contamination has been identified, but we
are unable to stop ongoing pesticide drift under current law.
Jacobs Farm has grown organic culinary herbs for more than 25
years. We have been farming on Wilder Ranch State Park since 1997.
Organophosphates are not registered for use on culinary herbs,
so the crops affected by the pesticides could not be sold even
as a conventionally grown product. We can't continue to farm at
Wilder State Park unless there is a change in the pesticide regulations
that would prohibit pesticide drift regardless of the cause. Current
regulations are only concerned with wind at time of application.
They do not address what happens to pesticides after they are applied.
It is well-documented that organophosphates vaporize and move with
fog after they've been applied. Ironically, the chemical company
argued they are not responsible because the pesticides on our crops
could have come from another county because fog drift carries for
miles.
We know that the pesticides reached our farm after being applied
to nearby farms. In response to the drift of these toxic chemicals,
Jacobs Farm is suing the pesticide-application company, instead
of our farming neighbors. The suit seeks to prevent future chemical
pesticides from drifting onto Jacobs Farm.
For 10,000 years people have farmed in harmony with nature. Sixty
years ago, pesticide manufacturers created a multibillion-dollar
industry that essentially requires farmers to apply a different
toxin to address each new pest. Pesticide companies support a system
under which farmers become dependent on their products to kill
pests rather than develop holistic pest-management strategies as
are used by organic farmers.
Chemicals keep farmers on the pesticide treadmill. Instead of
learning to work with nature to grow healthy plants, we're told
to spray pesticides. The recent rebirth of organic farming is in
response to consumer demand for a safer, environmentally friendly
and sustainable method of producing food. Pesticides that don't
stay where they were applied because of fog or dust endanger the
integrity of organic foods and the livelihood of the farmers who
work hard to produce them.
Organophosphates are powerful chemicals. They were used as nerve
gases in World War II and were later brought into widespread use
as pesticides. They could be reaching many parts of Santa Cruz
County, including backyard gardens and school yards. We know they
drifted to our farm because we tested for them.
Consumers have the right to buy pesticide-free organic food. Under
current law, the only way to protect the sustainability of organic
farming is to push for regulations that prohibit toxic pesticide
drift in fog and dust. Pesticide drift in fog or dust from pesticides
that vaporize after they've been sprayed should not be legal and
is why Santa Cruz County agricultural commissioner found no pesticide
violation on our farm even though there were multiple positive
tests for organophosphates.
As an organic farm, Jacobs Farm follows
strict federal standards. Jacobs Farm is certified organic because
we believe it is better to grow food free from toxic chemicals — better
for the soil, plants and people. Our goal with this lawsuit is
to address the root of the problem. We support the work of our
fellow farmers. Through this lawsuit we hope to find a way to
co-exist with conventional farmers and prevent continued damage
to our crops.
California needs a policy shift, if
we hope to protect organic farms from pesticide drift. We are
notifying our legislators of the challenges we face in protecting
our crops from chemicals in a fog-ridden area. If you are concerned
about this issue, please join us in pressing for a change to
strengthen the rules around how pesticides are regulated. Such
a change would help us protect the integrity of organic farming
throughout California. Fewer pesticides in the environment will
help protect our water supply, wild plants and animals, and public
health — a winning proposition for
everyone. |
