Pesticide Drift Threatens Organic Farms | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

something to think about when looking for land

Chert Hollow Farm sits nestled between rows of tall trees and a nearby stream in central Missouri. Eric and Joanna Reuter have been running the organic farm since 2006. That means they don't plant genetically modified crops and can only use a few approved kinds of chemicals and fertilizers.

"We've traditionally raised about an acre and a half of pretty intensively managed produce, so it's a very productive acre and a half," Eric Reuter says.

Their neighbors grow acres of conventional corn and soybeans, and they mostly got along. That is until one July evening in 2014. Joanna Reuter was transplanting some broccoli when a sound caught her attention.

"I basically heard this loud noise," she says. "It was coming north to south, and I basically yelled, 'What the 'beep' is that?' "

They spotted a crop duster passing unusually close to their property. Shortly after experiencing headaches and irritation, they knew the wind had blown something chemical onto their land. Without knowing what it was, they were left in the lurch, with a big asterisk on the authenticity of their organic crops.

"We were concerned about how do we properly market ourselves, because we feel very strongly about openness and honesty," Eric Reuter says. "We felt a little odd about marketing farm shares and such for the next year as a sustainable, chemical-free farm."

more http://www.npr.org/s.....anic-farms