Emerald Valley Ranches of Caribou was recently ordered to destroy much of its crop after state laboratory tests discovered the presence of an illegal pesticide on produce samples. Chlorpyrifos, used on farms for decades, was banned by Maine and then the nation in 2021.
Emerald Valley admitted using the banned chemical, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Emily Smith of Smith’s Farm, which grows 4,000 acres of broccoli from Maine to Florida: “We wouldn’t wish ill to anyone, but it’s disappointing and disheartening if someone would jeopardize Maine broccoli. “If people decide not to eat broccoli because [a farm] did that, then our crop is in jeopardy when we didn’t do that.”
Smith added that chlorpyrifos has been discussed for years, and the farm stopped using it several years ago. Licensed pesticide applicators would have known it was banned, she said.
The Board of Pesticides Control will continue to conduct routine inspections and those prompted by complaints.
Source: thecounty.me
