Contaminated Manure

Saturday October 03, 2009 09:33

by Tony Adams - Cork Food Web

Gardeners and growers take note

I am writing this article to draw attention to the fact that vegetable growers can no longer be sure that farmyard manure, (including horse manure), is safe to use. There have been huge problems since last year where contaminated manure has led to stunted and grossly deformed vegetables in thousands of gardens, allotments and farms across the UK and the US, and now Irish gardeners are starting to be affected too. Potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, carrots and salad vegetables are all vulnerable, and there have been reports of damage to onions, leeks, raspberries and even a newly-planted tree; though, worryingly, some vegetables such as courgettes appear unaffected when grown on the same contaminated manure.

The cause is a new, hormone-based weedkiller: aminopyralid, which is most commonly sold under the trade-names Forefront and Pharaoh. It is used to kill thistles, docks and other broad-leaved weeds growing in grassland without killing the grass too. It seems that what happens is this: the herbicide is sprayed onto grassland; the grass is later cut for hay or silage; this is then fed to cattle or horses; and the chemical remains active right through their guts and into their manure. This means that even if a farmer never uses this weedkiller the manure from his/her animals might still be contaminated if hay or silage was bought in from another farmer who did use it. Straw might also be affected if this herbicide is used on a cereal crop.

Dow AgriSciences, which manufactures aminopyralid, has posted advice to allotment holders and gardeners on its website: “As a general rule, we suggest damaged produce (however this is caused) should not be consumed.” Those who have already used contaminated manure are advised not to replant on the affected soil for at least a year. Also, stacked manure may remain toxic for years, as the herbicide only really starts to break down when it comes into contact with the soil.

Following a huge outcry in the UK, Dow voluntarily withdrew aminopyralid from sale there, although there have since been moves to reintroduce it. It was first licenced for use in Ireland in August 2007 and has not been withdrawn here; as I write Forefront is for sale in my local farm-supply store as it may well be in yours.

I have raised these concerns with Minister Brendan Smith at the Department of Agriculture and also with our so-called “Green” Minister for Food Trevor Sargent. Interestingly, their replies, although written months apart, both use the industry-preferred and rather Orwellian phrase “plant protection product” for “herbicide”, and both include, word for word, the same assurance: [I am…] “satisfied that, when this product is used in accordance with label instructions, it can be a very useful tool in the control of weeds (including noxious weeds) without any negative consequences for man, animals or for the environment.” T’would make you wonder who the ventriloquist might be….

Further information can be had by typing “aminopyralid” into your favourite search-engine. Some of the personal stories related by gardeners affected by this are quite heart-rending. Also, please spread the word amongst any gardeners you know, it’s no use waiting for the mainstream media to do so. And don’t even start to think about the milk…

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Comments (5 of 5)

Dow chemical

by old codger - pensioner

Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:09

This company is responsible for many deaths and many children being born with deformities in Vietnam. Dow is the creator of AGENT ORANGE wich was sprayed in abundance by the American Military. To this day vast areas of Vietnam are still contaminated, as the chemical has entered the water tables and soil, fish and vegetables are still poisonous.

The Courgette anamoly is striking isn't it?

by hmmm - (iosaf)

Sat Oct 03, 2009 13:56

Why are Tony's Courgettes that is to say Mr Adams Zucchinni not being affected by the contaminated manure? Before launching myself off on a quickish internet background search, I must admit all sorts of theories crossed my mind to be quickly dismissed as the evidence was considered. Could it be the other victim veggies grew underground like carrots and potatoes? Ah! but Tony listed tomatos and beans amongst the vulnerable. Could it be the courgette plant has a different or peculiar kind of veggie metabolism when compared to the others? Hmmmm, well both the courgette & tomato are swollen ovaries of the kind of plants which many a generation of the curious in general and toddler in aspect have pondered (often loudly, persistently & without satisfying reply) to be vegetable or fruit. For in truth they share aspects of the one and appearances of the other. Indeed the ambiguity also includes cucumbers and aubergines & stretches even in this day far beyond the inquisitive intellect to the hard realities of fiscal policy & international trade tariff aplications. A tomato when whole is a veggie when squeezed into a can it is still a veggie yet when squeezed into a carton it is juice and juice doth not come forth from veggies. Or at least that's how the matter is seen in many parts of the USA, where probably evolution is unpopular and they round pi off to 3.1 and leave it that. Closer to the home of civilisation we know that squeezed tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes can coexist quite tastily in the same carton and get called cold soup such as gazpacho & never be thought of as juice.

Anyway, before I went and google and wolfram searched for aminopyralid I had come to the dangerous obstinate state of the "near set idea" & decided Tony Adam's courgettes weren't anamolous but somehow most of the evil shite had been absorbed from the manure by the other foodstuff before his zuchinni had a chance to swell their ovaries. On the net I found an illustration of one gardener's courgette patch which as you can see shows the damage caused by aminopyralid to that plant. I also found a petition taken up by those concerned with the UK's government approach to the problem of this chemical which was withdrawn from the market yet thanks to the lobbyists might appear again in the future. The campaign is live and it seems been building steam since summer 2009
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/aminopyralidban/

not all courgettes were as a lucky as Tony's. Aminopyralid kills. Fruit, Veggies & no doubt is bad for humans.

Don't be hungry, take control

by John B - Cork Foodweb

Sun Oct 04, 2009 22:37

Yep, that's why we all need to invest time in gaining access to land and learning/teaching basic and vital skills in growing food and working within our ecosystems including compost making, seed-saving, plant identification and bio-remediation (using living organisms to detoxify our environment).
Running alongside that we have to be making links within our neighbourhoods and communities, growing trust and understanding and maintaining a positive attitude and a sense of where we're going so that no matter what gets thrown at us we have the resilience and resourcefulness to rise to the challenges.
The people behind the GM/Codex agendas want to appear all powerful to us. They are if we give them that power. It's important to be aware what they're up to but spending too much time looking at their side of things can, in my experience, have a hypnotic effect that distracts us from the practical and above all joyful work of creating our own versions of events.

For example

Sun Oct 04, 2009 22:39

Check this link and meet many people creating the alternatives

Manure problem

by Sue

Sun Jun 06, 2010 13:27

I notice that you mentioned the problem of contaminated manure on your website .My website http://glallotments.co.uk has collated lots of information on this subject with manure pages linked from http://glallotments.co.uk/ACManure.aspx just wanted to update you with the fact that the problem is still affecting gardeners this year. I have added details of reports sent to my website on this page http://glallotments.co.uk/Manureistheproblemback.aspx

As this problem is likely to be with us in hopefully lessening degrees it is very important that as many of us as possible keep reminding gardeners of the need to be cautious when obtaining manure to try and avoid as many gardeners as possible from the heartache of losing their crops and ornamental plants.

I hope you will help keep the problem in gardeners minds

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Comments (5 of 5)