Still Breathing in a Chemical Haze

It was the end of July, 2017, and the air was heavy and warm.  The sun was part way towards the horizon in the West as it tried to burn through a chemical haze.  The breeze didn't want to come out to play that evening and I couldn't blame it if it were more interested in an ice-cold lemonade while it sat on the porch.  However, I am certain that it would not have opted to sit outside that night if it could choose.

That evening had the potential to be a beautiful Summer evening.  While the day was warm, it was not oppressively so.  The sun was bright, but not blinding.  Since it was Friday, there were no additional workers on the farm.  That meant we could more easily run a couple of errands during the hottest part of the day and use the cooler hours in the evening to work in the fields.  There is something relaxing about the knowledge that you have a fair amount of work to do, but week-long stresses of working AND managing the work of others can be eased away by taking a productive walk behind a wheel hoe.

Unfortunately, were in the middle of one of the "Spray Seasons" in Iowa.  Eighty-five percent of the land in this state is farmed in some fashion (30.5 million of 35.7 million acres according to USDA 2016 numbers).  Of the acres that are farmed, 23.4 million were dedicated to corn and soybeans (76.7%).  Another 2 million acres were planted to hay and alfalfa and about 170,000 were in small grains.  It would be safe to make the observation that nearly all of the corn/soybean acreage is farmed using herbicide, fungicide and pesticide applications as their most common tool for dealing with pests and weeds.  

Everyone was frantically trying to get the pesticide and fungicide applications done in Bremer County and the surrounding counties during a ten-day period.  But, that Friday was the peak.  Everyone wanted to spray and they wanted to spray NOW.

The buzz of airplane engines started just before 7 AM and were still going at 7 PM.  The whine of high-boy spray rigs rushing down the road at their top speeds gave an unwelcome counterpoint, though I have to admit there were certainly fewer of those since aerial spray seems to be the thing to do.  If there were birds singing - and I actually doubt that they were - you couldn't hear them.  In fact, I found myself hoping that the birds and other critters we like had found good places to hide. 

 Unfortunately, with the human tendency to tear out every brushy area or stand of trees because it is "not productive land" I doubt there were many places they could go to find sanctuary.  In just five years, as a response to high corn and soybean prices, 97,000 acres of woodland in Iowa were cleared (from 2009 to 2013).  Three quarters of these losses are due to agricultural operations and Iowa now has 100 million trees fewer than we did in 2010.

Agri-chemicals are to commodity crops what pharmaceuticals are to the health industry.  We all want to take a pill or spray a chemical and make the problem go away.  The case study of bifenthrin, which was registered for use in 1985, can be used to illustrate the expansion of use for many chemicals in agriculture.  You can find similar maps and view them to your heart's (dis)content at the United States Geological Survey site. 

While it is true that not every chemical shows the same trend as bifenthrin, you should take note of the state that is most often completely covered to show heavy use for a wide range of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.  Why, yes, that is our state - Iowa.  To further make the point, I suggest that you go to the survey site linked above and check out Atrazine, Trifloxystrobin, Glyphosate (Round-up is the most well-known product) and whatever else you are curious about.  

Below is the yearly trend chart for the use of bifenthrin:

Part of what makes this whole situation even more concerning to me is that it takes a few years for all of the data to be verified and made available.  The most recent data at the USGS site is from the 2017 growing season.  If we want to make decisions on these things, we will be looking at data that is three to four years old.  Take a look at the use of dicamba shown below:

With the approval of dicamba for over-the-top use on cotton and soybeans in 2016, use of this chemical doubled in 2017.  Since that time, dicamba use is known to have grown significantly, but the data is not official.  Based on what I have read, I suspect the use numbers will show doubling for cotton and soybeans in 2018 and again in 2019, with probably a bit of a plateau in 2020.

Dicamba is an herbicide that has gained more popularity with the introduction of dicamba-resistent seed for soybeans and cotton.  Dicamba products have been in use for some time for corn.  Bifenthrin is a broad spectrum insecticide, which means it does not target any particular insect - instead it just kills them all, whether you think they could be beneficial or not.

A new hatching of dragonflies were zipping around the East fields of our farm that Friday morning in 2017, and I took pleasure in watching them go from hovering in one spot to hovering in another after a quick movement in what seemed like an impossible direction.  Then, I found myself apologizing about all of the pesticides that were certain to be added to every surface of the county over the next few days.  I muttered something about 'bad timing' and 'I hope you all survive this.'  

What a strange thing to say to a creature that has ancestors that were on this earth 300 million years ago.  A dragonfly is a fantastic predator (if a bit indiscriminate) to have on our farm since it will eat any number of pests that might cause problems with our vegetables.  The adults can live for several weeks to a couple of months if a bird or other larger predator doesn't take them.  This batch was seen on our farm for two days.  Fill in the blanks.  We may work to provide habitat and a safe haven on our farm that these critters favor, but they don't see borders the same way we do.   

But, then again, airborne spray doesn't see borders like we do either. 

Take a moment and click on the picture above to see a larger version.  All of those dots in the sky?  Those are dragonflies on our farm.  I still have hope because our little island oasis does provide some respite for the dragonfly - even if the spray crosses our borders.  It gives me hope because if we have more people who provide these oases - we could have more dragonflies (among other things).

But, let's be honest, the sheer volume of pesticides being dumped on acre after acre of land in Iowa results in coverage that is not limited to just the target crops.  We all know this, we just don't want to think about.  In fact, we are so adverse to thinking about the possibility that we are willingly poisoning our world that we aren't even doing much research to either prove or disprove this.  It's a good deal like avoiding seeing the dentist about the tooth that hurts because you are afraid that she'll say you have a cavity.  

Let me remind you of the first picture I showed that was taken on that July evening in 2017.

The sheer volume of spraying going on during the end of July helped to make the air heavy and difficult to breathe.  A quick look to the skies reminded me of smog we had witnessed during visits to certain larger cities.  And, it didn't just look that way on our farm.  It looked and felt that way when were in Tripoli... and Sumner... and Waverly, as we ran errands during the heat of the day. 

In the interest of full disclosure, the overcast was not entirely due to the agricultural activities either.  On top of it all, there were multiple wildfires in the West and Canada.  It is possible that this was just another day where smoke from locations many miles way contributed to the overall effect.  But, there was no denying that the spray activities were a significant part of the issue.

So, what does that mean for us as we considered the 200 foot rows of broccoli and onions that needed a pass with the wheel hoe?  Were we supposed to go shut the windows of our 140 year-old farmhouse and hide?  Did that mean we are supposed to stay inside for this ten to fourteen day period?  How were we supposed to do the work that we do if we shouldn't be outside?  What about all of the other people who work outdoors in the Summer months?  Is it okay that their bodies have contact with all of this stuff during spray season?  Are all of the outdoor enthusiasts supposed to stay in?  Should the bike paths, swimming pools and tire swings stay empty at this time?  And what about all of the creatures on this earth that have no 'inside' to go to?  Are we just supposed to deal with it since it is the cost of living in Iowa?

My answer always depends on the moment.

On bad days, I DO want to run and hide.  It hurts too much to witness this.  It worries me every time we enter each Spray Season - and it isn't just the July season - we worry during the Spring herbicide spray season too.  I wonder if I should tell our young workers who are often high school and college age that they should go home and not work during Spray season.  We have pulled them from fields before, maybe they should just never go out during that time?  And, what about us?  What sorts of physical issues are we creating for ourselves because we chose to do the work that we do?

As I face the loss of my left kidney to renal cancer, I am left to ask if I did this to myself.  Has the cumulative exposure to these various pesticides over time contributed to this problem?  It is unlikely anyone can prove or disprove a specific cause, because such things are rarely simple and are part of a whole set of circumstances.  But, should I even have to be asking this question of myself?  Why should it be my fault when I wasn't the one putting these chemicals into the air I breathe and onto the surfaces I might touch?

On better days, I get angry and I want to see change.  I want to see more meadowlarks and tiger swallowtails.  I want to see the skill and art of farming return with the use of a bigger toolbox than the one provided by application from a sprayer boom.  I want to see dragonflies darting around me as I walk behind a wheel hoe amid the broccoli and onion rows.

What do you want? 

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A first effort on this topic appeared on this blog on March 14, 2018.  As part of the throwback post series that shows up on Thursdays, I selected this for a re-write and an update. 

If there are take-aways I hope you have after reading this, they might be as follows:

1. We rely far too much on pesticides in our world right now.  Pesticides are a dangerous tool that requires a cautious approach to their use.  We are failing to treat this tool with respect.
2. If we fail to use pesticides with great care and appropriate precautions, we harm others.
3. We need to make changes.