Combat Zone

It is the last week of July and, once again, we feel like we are living in a combat zone with the number of spray planes diving around the fields in our area.  I have to admit that, thus far, things have not been as concentrated as it has been some years.  This is, in part, due to a much larger window of decent weather than we sometimes have for optimal application conditions.

I find that I have had lots of trouble concentrating on my own work because I still react very badly to the sound and/or sight of a crop duster.  I hate calling it PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome) because it feels like I belittle the experiences people who have dealt with survival in actual war zones.  But, the description is so accurate for how I feel and how I react that I find it an apt and accurate description to try and get others to understand why I react the way I do.

While we have not been in the farm all that long compared to many folks who have lived in the area all their lives, we have noticed changes over the years.  When we first moved here, aerial application of insecticides was the exception, rather than the rule.  But, that rapidly changed and now two things are much more common than they used to be.

1. Aerial application this time of year is the rule rather than the exception

2. Fungicides are applied much more regularly than they used to be - even though it can be argued that fungicide application most years will not "pencil out" as being a reasonable investment for row crop farmers.

Reasons for Frustration

There have been moments when I revisit the idea of anti-aircraft guns for the farm this week.  Perhaps more practical is Tammy's idea of getting some larger balloons and tying them to the borders of our farm.  Why?  Well, we have one flyer who apparently gets their giggles by buzzing over our farm as low as they can go. It's certainly not every flyer.  But, it is pretty obvious that this one person has made us a target.

No, they aren't spraying anything as they fly over.  And, no, I don't get a thrill out of their daring-do as they zoom by.  And, no, I don't care much for the point they might be trying to make either.

On a more philosophical note - I struggle with the farming system we support with governmental funds and programs that rewards larger fields with single crops.  This type of farming almost forces farmers to use pesticides and seems to punish them for any sort of alternative crop or cultivation techniques.  I am also frustrated by how much power this system gives to those who sell pesticide products and how little is left for those who wish to be stewards of the land and growers of good food. 

I am also frustrated that the highly visible spraying of insecticides/fungicides in late July through early August often overshadows the real problems we also have with herbicides and synthetic fertilizers earlier in the year.  Have you noticed how many of our trees in Iowa are showing signs of weakness or illness?  Have you noticed that many of the bush lines, including many that were planted to provide snow-catching windbreaks near highways, are struggling?  

If you are wondering why that might be, let me remind you that everything in nature has to fight through disease and pests.  So, healthy trees, plants and animals will still feel pressure from these natural phenomena.  However, if you begin to tilt the playing field against these living things by, for example, applying pesticides liberally, they are more likely to succumb to the combined attacks of disease, natural stresses, and pesticides.  It's a simple equation - but we don't seem to understand it very well.

And finally, I am frustrated because I am, again, noticing lower numbers of butterflies (for example) on the farm.  And, we have been watching a very strong batch of baby birds fledging in recent weeks. Adding more pesticides into the surrounding environs certainly does not help either population.  And I find that troubling.

Reasons for Hope

But, I still have reasons to hope and motivation to keep trying to make a difference.  For example, we have a newer, neighboring, young farmers who have been texting us to let us know when they hope to make a pesticide application and they give us some idea as to what they intend to do.  They also voluntarily provided a buffer zone next to our farm where they did NOT spray herbicides.

It was almost enough to make me cry.  

The good news is that the buffer zone does not appear to be having terrible weed pressure except for, perhaps, the row right by the edge.  I am very invested in seeing that this move be rewarded, so I've actually walked out to cut down a few taller weeds without being asked.

The other thing that gives me hope is an odd one.  It's the fact that we have observed things changing to include more flyers for pesticide application over the years and we have noticed increased use of fungicides.  They both seem like a negative from my perspective until I realize something important...

It illustrates to me that farming can change dramatically over a fairly short period of time.

It can change for the bad.

And it can change for the good.

And, that, my friends, is what I will hold on to.