Religious beliefs involved in Oregon pesticide dispute

[rug]

Religious beliefs involving the use of pesticides are part of a dispute over noxious weeds on a 2,000-acre organic farm in north-central Oregon that has attracted the attention of organic food supporters.

Originally published May 16, 2017 at 2:49 pm
Updated May 16, 2017 at 3:18 pm
By The Associated Press

MORO, Ore. — Religious beliefs involving the use of pesticides are part of a dispute over noxious weeds on a 2,000-acre organic farm in Oregon that has attracted the attention of organic food supporters.

Sherman County may order the owners of Azure Farms, near Moro, to spray to control the weeds if the farm doesn’t come up with a weed management plan by next week.

The county said in a letter it also might do the spraying itself then bill the farm owned by Ecclesia of Sinai.

The farm, which is operated by a major supplier of organic products called Azure Standard, would lose its organic certification if herbicides are applied, the Capital Press reported Tuesday.

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/religious-beliefs-involved-in-oregon-pesticide-dispute/

https://www.azurestandard.com/

[DetlefK]

1. Why would it be the county's business what grows on that farm???

And if they decided to grow nothing but thistles and dandelions, it still would be nobody else's business. The farm is not responsible for weed that grows on somebody else's farm.

[rug]

2. Looks like the neighboring farms are complaining they're at risk of being "contaminated" by weeds.

Neighboring farmers who don’t use organic methods have complained that the weeds pose a risk to their crops if they aren’t contained.

Growers of certified wheat seed, for example, say their crop could be contaminated by rush skeleton weed, Canada thistle, morning glory and white top, the newspaper reported.

The article doesn't exactly spell out the "risk".

Doubtless, it will cost them money to mitigate the weeds but that doesn't sound like contamination to me.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. The seed company is saying that seeds from weeds will become mixed

with the wheat seeds, thereby destroying the use of the wheat seeds. You can't plant a wheat crop and then have half of it be weeds.

[rug]

4. Sounds like a commercial issue not an ecological one.

If they can prove it they can sue the farm for maintaining a nuisance or seek an injunction. It;s not a health hazard or food purity issue requiring county emergency measures.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. True. The county seems to be taking sides in a commercial dispute.