The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Work with Me
    • Speaking
    • Giveaways
    • Social Media Consulting
    • Sponsored and Guest Posts
  • Gift Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • About Me
    • Media
    • Terms of Use

The Truth About Pesticide Use on U.S. Farms

October 19, 2020

I know you’ve seen the photographs. There is a man all suited up in a white, plastic garment that goes from head to toe. His face is covered and he has a gas mask on. He is carrying some kind of creepy hose that is spraying out some odd looking substance onto a field full of fresh, ripe crops. Of course, if the farmer just doused his crops with something so harmful he had to wear a hazmat suit, how can that possibly be safe for us to eat?!

Fortunately, that popular stock image is really nothing more than a fantasy. Growing up on my family farm, I assure you that no one in my family has ever donned a hazmat suit or gas mask when going into the field (or, ever actually…). I can also assure that, despite the popular misconception, farmers definitely do not douse their crops in pesticides. 

For starters, the application of pesticides is regulated by both state and local governments. On the federal level, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, also known as FIFRA, is the legislation that allows the EPA to oversee every single pesticide being used in the country. Even if farmers wanted to douse their crops in pesticides, they would still have to comply with application rates set by the EPA, because not doing so is a violation of federal law. Furthermore, restricted use pesticides can only be  sold to or applied by a certified applicator.

But even if certain pesticides are available for use on our crops, that doesn’t necessarily mean we use them. 

Take the problem of aphids in soybeans. This pest is relatively new to the United States, with the first documented reports starting in 2000, and likely originated from Japan. Soybean aphids  damage the plants by extracting sap. However, although the pests can be managed with insecticides, farmers don’t just whip out their sprayers as soon as aphids are detected in a field. Rather, we wait until the number of aphids in the field reaches a particular number. That’s because the damage being caused by the aphids isn’t worth the cost and time it takes to spray for them. 

Pesticides are also costly, so if we can avoid using them we will. That’s one of the reasons we are particularly interested in genetically engineered crops. Since we started growing corn that has been genetically engineered with the Bt trait, we have not used any insecticide on our corn. The Bt trait creates a protein that cannot be digested by certain types of worms, but it is easily digested by humans. (If you’re interested, it is the same concept as why you can safely eat chocolate but your dog cannot.)

While the common perception might be that farmers are eager to use pesticides whenever possible with as much as possible, that just isn’t the case. In reality, we are proud to grow food that is safe for your family and ours. We also want to make sure we protect and preserve our farms for generations to come.

signature

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Conventional, Facts Not Fear, Family Farms Tagged With: conventional agriculture, EPA, facts not fear, family farms, food safety, pesticides, regulations, science

Comments

  1. Douglas Irvin says

    October 25, 2020 at 4:59 pm

    The image could well be an organic farmer spraying dangerous chemicals on the crop hence the protection.

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe via Email

Archives

Latest on Twitter

2 days ago
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

Dr. Oz Is On The Ballot Today. t.co/yLEzA5wjQi

  • Reply
  • Retweet 0
  • Like 0
May 2, 2022
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

How Do Farmers Know When to Plant? t.co/hm6JVYZolA

  • Reply
  • Retweet 0
  • Like 0
April 22, 2022
Farmers Daughter's Twitter avatar
Farmers Daughter
@farmdaughterusa

Modern Agriculture & Sustainability t.co/kvW2DjAaBy

  • Reply
  • Retweet 1
  • Like 1

Latest on Facebook

The Farmer's Daughter

16 hours ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Have you heard about the situation in Sri Lanka? They decided to ban conventional agriculture in favor of organic production. Welp, it's not going so good.... 👀

... See MoreSee Less

Switch to organic is splitting Sri Lanka apart at the seams | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

In less than a year since Sri Lanka became the first country to fully ban conventional farming, a massive economic crisis has gripped the island nation.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

No, no, and no.

... See MoreSee Less

Dr. Oz Is On The Ballot Today. - The Farmer's Daughter USA

thefarmersdaughterusa.com

And he has to lose. I’ll offer an apology for my regular readers that I’m only now covering this story. I randomly heard in passing that Dr. Oz was running for the U.S. Senate. But I suppose I did...

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

5 days ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Day 4 of #Plant22 is underway! Rain forecasted for this afternoon and tomorrow though.How is it where you are?

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

1 week ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Hi everybody. This is Mischa. I need your help. We have record-breaking high temperatures today in South Bend. It's currently 90 degrees. But mom says we all complained about the cold weather for 6 months and she's not about to turn on the air conditioning for one hot day. Please call PETA or something. 🥵

... See MoreSee Less


Video

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

1 week ago

The Farmer's Daughter

This is *still* the number one misconception about agriculture that I run into. How about you?

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Latest on Instagram

thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
Best $15 ever spent? Probably. #summer #solarpow Best $15 ever spent? Probably. 

#summer #solarpowered #mypatio
Breakfast at @javacafesouthbend this morning. Supe Breakfast at @javacafesouthbend this morning. Super simple fruit bowl, but just what I needed.
Happy Earth Day! Modern agriculture is a story of Happy Earth Day!

Modern agriculture is a story of sustainability. Here's just a few ways that farmers protect our planet while also growing an abundant, safe, and nutritious food supply!

#earthday #earthdayeveryday #sustainability #farm #sustainableagriculture #farmers #agriculture #modernagriculture
I often find myself in courthouses, being a lawyer I often find myself in courthouses, being a lawyer and all. And unlike the general public, I usually get to take my camera inside.

#courthouse #indianacourthouse
Happy Easter! Happy Easter!
Profit isn’t a four-letter word. I understand w Profit isn’t a four-letter word.

I understand why some people are cynical. We’ve all come across hucksters and snake-oil salesmen. They’ll tell you anything you want to hear just to entice you to purchase their product. Not everyone has good intentions and values are often disregarded just to make a few dollars.

But the reality is that all of us are working for profits. That’s precisely why we go to work every day. Sure, we might really love what we do, but we still need that paycheck. We have to make money to support ourselves and our families. We have to put a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, warm water in the pipes, and heat in the vents. And, if we’re honest, we also want enough money for some frivolities.

That doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t mean you’re lying to people. It doesn’t mean you’ve sold your morals down river for cash. It just means you’re just like everyone else.

Too many people believe farmers are doing bad things just to earn a buck. They believe we’re willing to deplete our soils, poison our crops, abuse our animals, and dirty our water. Why? Just so we can buy nicer things. I’m sure farmers like that exist. I don’t personally know any, but I won’t tell you it never happens. There are bad people in every profession.

But the vast majority of farmers are just like the vast majority of everyone else–good people. We don’t lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. We take pride in our work, our farms, and our produce. Farmers try to make money for the same reasons that everyone else does–to make ends meet.

So next time you’re tempted to judge someone just for making a living, think again. Is this person really trying to increase profits, or are they trying to make a living?
Part 2. Growing my hair out after chemo! Part 2.

Growing my hair out after chemo!
What's it like growing your hair out after chemo? What's it like growing your hair out after chemo? Here's the first few months for me.

Honestly, it seemed to go faster than these photos would suggest.
#standwithukraine #standwithukraine
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs