GRINNELL, Iowa — The Iowa Farmers Union (IFU) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN), are requesting the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) amend the state’s current pesticide rules to improve the reporting, response process and agency support available to organic farmers who suffer crop losses from pesticide drift.

“Pesticide drift from nearby fields is a very real problem for farmers in Iowa,” said Jordan Scheibel, a Grinnell area diversified vegetable farmer. “Not only can pesticide drift delay or cause a farm to lose its organic certification, it results in products that farmers – certified organic or not – may not be able to sell legally, safely or in good conscience, and it exposes the farmers and their workers to potentially harmful pesticides.”

According to the Ames-based IFU, pesticide drift is a growing concern among Iowa farmers. A recent report to IDALS from the Practical Farmers of Iowa highlighted several reported pesticide drift violations across the state between 2008-12, with fines issued in fewer than 20 percent of the cases.

Jana Linderman, IFU president, said current administrative rules designed to prevent pesticide drift and assist farmers who experience losses from drift are “inadequate.”

“We have proposed several rule changes to the IDALS through a recently filed petition for rule-making,” she added. “We are attempting to improve the relationship between the IDALS and impacted farmers when it comes to dealing with damages caused by pesticide drift.”

The IFU petition for rule-making requests:

•IDALS provide information in writing and via its website to farmers and others who have come into contact with or suffered losses from pesticide drift regarding the details of the agency process, as well as their rights and available remedies under the law

•IDALS provide information on the potential financial impacts of pesticide drift as part of the certification and continuing education process for commercial pesticide applicators

•IDALS maintains a public database of the evidence of financial responsibility required to be filed with the agency by certified commercial pesticide applicators

•Commercial pesticide applicators be required to provide IDALS with monthly reports of pesticide applications, and that spray drift incident reports involving contact with a human, sensitive crop or bee apiary be made available in a public database

•Commercial pesticide applicators be required to provide notice to individuals who are on the sensitive crop or bee registries and who are within a five-mile radius of the application site at least 48 hours prior to spraying

•The rules be updated to provide for increased fines for serious or habitual violations of the rules governing pesticide application

Kate Mendenhall, policy organizer for Minneapolis-based PAN and beginning organic farmer in Spirit Lake, Iowa, said “farmers should be able to control what comes onto their farms.

“We’re not only concerned about the well-documented crop damage from spray drift, but also the potential health harm to farmers, farm workers and rural communities,” she said.

In addition, the IFU and PAN are asking the Iowa legislature to establish an indemnity fund to improve the testing time for crops damaged by pesticide drift, as well as to fund work to upgrade and improve the IDALS Pesticide Bureau website, and to increase the amount of insurance coverage carried by commercial pesticide applicators.

“Significant financial losses from pesticide drift can threaten the viability of family farms and put the diversity and safety of our food system at risk,” Linderman said. “The modest improvements we are seeking can provide important safeguards for family farmers who are working hard to build their businesses, and provide safe and healthy food to consumers.”

An IDALS spokesperson said officials recently met with the group and are considering the request.