So much for staying organic

I am not a died in the wool, intensely organic gardener. However, I have been try to stay reasonably that way. BUT, the plane spraying the potato fields came down so close to the house I could almost talk to the pilot. I live 2 blocks from one field, 1/2 mile from another and only a mile or so from several others. Wonder what will happen when they spray to turn the wheat field brown before harvest? It is just beyond the potato field.

Kay

walshevak wrote:I am not a died in the wool, intensely organic gardener. However, I have been try to stay reasonably that way. BUT, the plane spraying the potato fields came down so close to the house I could almost talk to the pilot. I live 2 blocks from one field, 1/2 mile from another and only a mile or so from several others. Wonder what will happen when they spray to turn the wheat field brown before harvest? It is just beyond the potato field.

Kay

I think I would be talking to the owner of the land for compensation.

My neighbor is a breast cancer survivor and the treatments have messed up her immune system. She can tell everytime they spray. Loaned her my ANSFG and helped her put in a 4x4 and a 4x8 tabletop hoping to boost her intake of organic food.

Kay

I wonder if you could cover your gardens somehow the day they spray...the farmer would have to call you, and you could call your neighbor and help her get the garden protected. Personally, I find spraying by airplane repugnant after learning what inhaled pesticides can do to a body. Bad enough they use those chemicals at all!

Do you have any idea what product they sprayed with? Also, contacting your COOP Extension Ag Agent for further advice may be prudent. Hang in there!

Thanks for the info.

They have been spraying the potatos with something to reduce the mold and mildew problem because of the unusualy warm winter and early spring. I don't know what the product is. Dont know if it made any difference, but all my beds are covered in tulle. Peppers and tomatos are in the open.

Kay

I'm afraid tulle is probably not going to protect your plants much. The holes are too large, and even layered it's not likely to stop or even reduce something like this appreciably. It sounds like it's your friend you're most concerned about, so perhaps you could find out if this chemical is something that goes systemic once applied or is something that can be washed off before eating. I hope your friend was indoors when they sprayed, and stayed there until the chemical could settle out of the air.

I'm pretty sure the regulations say they have to tell you what they
sprayed since it's being broadcast that way. The agency that keeps
track of the chemicals farmers and manufacturers use is the NC Dept of
Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR). That's the state level equivalent of the EPA for NC, responsible for enforcing EPA regulations. Anyone who uses any
chemicals gets inspected by this agency regularly; poor chemical
handling can come with stiff penalties. (When I was
an environmental science student in NC, we had speakers from their
closest office come and talk to us several times; I wanted to go to work
for them when I graduated. )

I'm not sure, but that other agency that
Daniel9999 gave you *might* be a division of NC DENR. There may be a
regional office in Elizabeth City, so check the phone book government pages.