Addressing Spray Season

Andy Dunham of Grinnell Heritage Farm and Rob Faux of Genuine Faux Farm helped to compose this letter with Linda Wells of the Pesticide Action Network.  We sent this, along with a cover letter to every known CSA in the state of Iowa in hopes that they would also share this with their CSA members.  If you think that this is not an issue, consider this - we have already been called by FOUR different growers in the Cedar Valley area who have experienced spray drift and misapplication issues this year.  In two cases, crops were damaged by herbicides and are a complete loss.  In another, a person was hit with spray and had to deal with some physical issues.  Please consider following up on this.

Dear CSA members and other people interested in the Genuine Faux Farm,

I would like to share with you an issue that is very important to our farm.  Growing healthy food for our community isn't always easy when we are surrounded by other farms that regularly apply agricultural chemicals – including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides - many of which travel through air and water. Pesticide drift is often a worry for our farm, and this year we are especially nervous about drift, given an estimated increase in the use of the herbicide 2-4, D. The Iowa Farmers Union with other supporting organizations has introduced very important legislation that would help prevent pesticide drift in our state.

Before the next session (Jan 2016), we have to gain additional support for  legislation, which is why we need you to talk to your local senator and representative on the need for tighter pesticide drift protections. Please call your local legislator and ask him/her to sponsor and support the pesticide drift bills being re-drafted this summer.

●      To find your legislator's contact information & for a sample call script visit: http://www.panna.org/issues/related-actions/tell-iowa-policymakers-you-care-about-drift

●      To sign up to receive future updates about the Iowa Pesticide Drift Campaign, go to http://eepurl.com/blvuHX

●      For more information about pesticide drift in Iowa visit:  http://www.panna.org/current-campaigns/iowa

Thank you for your support of continued local healthy food in Iowa.  We appreciate your commitment to our farm and sustainable agriculture.

Sincerely,

Rob and Tammy Faux

SAMPLE CALL SCRIPT:

Hi/Dear Representative/Senator _________,

My name is _____________ and I am a constituent from your district. I am a <> and I support the growth of local foods in Iowa. I would like to ask you to support upcoming pesticide drift legislation that the Iowa Farmers Union is working on. I am concerned with the increase of pesticide drift in Iowa because <> 

Please protect Iowa rural health and our farmers' ability to farm local foods by supporting 2016 legislation that will prevent illegal pesticide drift. Thank you.