Question from a UM
N Extension Master Gardener : I've been working
with a community garden group in Southern MN since March. They've
carried their dreams and plans forward and have created working garden
plots this year. I visited the garden site a couple of weeks ago
and noticed that the plots border (within about 10-20 feet) a farm
field--corn in it this year. I asked one of the garden coordinators if
the farm had received a pest/herbicide application this year, and she
said yes. As I recall, the application had been done by plane. I don't
recall the specific timing (in relation to garden planting/emergence). Because of the very close
proximity of garden to active field, I encouraged the coordinator to
keep in touch with the farmer to ask that great care be used in the
future to protect the garden plants--in terms of timing of application,
wind direction, notification of garden group, etc.Before I communicate again with the garden group on the matter, I'm wondering if you have additional information for me to share and/or research.
Answer from Dean Herzfeld, Ph.D., Coordinator - Pesticide Safety & Environmental Education for University of Minnesota Extension:
You are already doing the most important thing - contacting the
farmer to have good, positive, constructive and open communications. Pre
notification is not required under state law, but the farmer or aerial
applicator might be willing to do so for the community garden. Also, it
is not legal for some one to make a pesticide application that results
in drift or off site movement.
For the Master Gardeners, let them know you are in communication with the neighboring farmer. Also let Master Gardeners know:
- The neighboring land is private land and no one should enter it without the direct permission of the landowner. This is both a legal matter of trespass and a health matter (to avoid exposure to pesticides that may have been recently applied).
- If people working in the garden see an aerial or ground applicator applying pesticide to the adjacent field they should take the common sense precautions of moving away from where the application is being made and taking all their items with them (tools, clothing, chairs, toys etc.). There is no set distance, but with aerial application it definitely is far more than 10 to 20 feet. If it is clear there is no drift, then they can return as soon as the application is completed.
You don't say if any pesticides are used in
the community garden. Keep in mind there a growing number of organic
pesticides and they, like all pesticides, must follow all state and
federal pesticide laws. Care should be taken that pesticides used in the
garden (organic or otherwise) do not drift or move off site into the
farmer's field or other garden plots in the community garden.
Response from Master Gardener who asked the original question:
Thank you so much, Dean, for your insights and suggestions. I will share them with the garden group at the next meeting, and I will inquire as to the relationship between the adjacent farmer and the garden group as a whole.
In the ethics classes I teach, we discuss the relationship between law and ethics, and here you aptly note law-related aspects of this case. For example, we might say that while pre-notification is not required, it might be morally encouraged, and maybe even morally required (i.e., expected), and not merely morally praiseworthy. And when we talk about ethics, we discuss, among other things, a) the importance of justifying our actions/decisions publicly and b) the fact our goal in life seems to be to live well (individually & together).
There's no shortage of importance or complexity in community garden contexts--between an organization and neighboring farmers/landowners (and other relevant parties, including pesticide applicators, for example), and between community gardeners themselves, who may employ diverse agricultural practices, all in the context of laws and garden rules. If we can trust that everyone else is doing his/her best regarding a and b above, it seems our chances of flourishing are strong (but not guaranteed).
There seems good reason to highlight/emphasize ethics-related matters & cases in MG education and Extension communication--not just ethics in the sense of a set of rules, but also in the sense of studying and promoting human flourishing.
Response from Master Gardener who asked the original question:
Thank you so much, Dean, for your insights and suggestions. I will share them with the garden group at the next meeting, and I will inquire as to the relationship between the adjacent farmer and the garden group as a whole.
In the ethics classes I teach, we discuss the relationship between law and ethics, and here you aptly note law-related aspects of this case. For example, we might say that while pre-notification is not required, it might be morally encouraged, and maybe even morally required (i.e., expected), and not merely morally praiseworthy. And when we talk about ethics, we discuss, among other things, a) the importance of justifying our actions/decisions publicly and b) the fact our goal in life seems to be to live well (individually & together).
There's no shortage of importance or complexity in community garden contexts--between an organization and neighboring farmers/landowners (and other relevant parties, including pesticide applicators, for example), and between community gardeners themselves, who may employ diverse agricultural practices, all in the context of laws and garden rules. If we can trust that everyone else is doing his/her best regarding a and b above, it seems our chances of flourishing are strong (but not guaranteed).
There seems good reason to highlight/emphasize ethics-related matters & cases in MG education and Extension communication--not just ethics in the sense of a set of rules, but also in the sense of studying and promoting human flourishing.
