By Anne Patterson

This spring, I will walk out my door and become even more vigilant about what is happening on my small bio-diverse farm. I’m a little nervous about this upcoming growing year. Normally, I am not.

Why can’t I believe it’s good for our community that the Environmental Protection Agency approved Enlist Duo herbicide, a new mix of glyphosate [the main ingredient in Roundup] and 2,4-D? It will be available this season for Illinois farmers to spray on newly approved genetically engineered corn and soybeans.

I should be glad for my neighbors who have a new way of killing glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed, water hemp and palmer amaranth. Some of those weeds can grow 6 inches in a week and take over a field faster than a farmer can drive by in a truck. Instead, I wonder if I can secure a giant protective bubble for my farm, or should I become a farmer refugee?

U.S. EPA Scientific Integrity Policy states science is the backbone of the EPA’s decision making. Really? EPA received hundreds of thousands of comments requesting the agency refuse the new herbicide combination. Thirty-five scientists, doctors and researchers – and I’m not talking Dr. Oz – signed a letter stating their reasons why they opposed the new herbicide. One of those signers was Phillip Landrigan, M.D., pediatrician and epidemiologist, Children’s Environmental Health Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center. He played a key role in getting lead paint banned. He also did a five-year study at the National Academy of Sciences that showed children are uniquely susceptible to pesticide harm. Acceptable amounts of chemicals for adults don’t translate to acceptable levels for unborn, newborn and young children.

Neither the manufacturer nor anyone at EPA conducted any toxicity tests for the “combined” exposure to the mix of 2,4-D, choline salt, glyphosate and inert substances in the formula. Even the EPA says “there could be additional toxicological effects because of the presence of two herbicides.”

EPA reviewed the two key chemicals individually. They ignored the fact 2,4-D is linked to adverse health effects of the thyroid, increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lower sperm count and greater risk of Parkinson’s disease.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates at least a tripling use of 2,4-D/glyphosate by 2020. Even with the best intentions, technology, equipment, application recommendations to prevent weed resistance and drift, there is just going to be a lot of this chemical out there. The responsibility of farmers is to know weather conditions such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature and relative humidity and have an awareness of nearby sensitive crops like trees, tomatoes, grapes, lettuces and non-genetically grown corn to name a few. Sorry, home and school gardeners, it doesn’t mention you in the Dow Agro Sciences Enlist Duo management resource.

Anyone who has farmed or even grown a family garden knows what it’s like to look up and see thunderstorms coming your way with a task you need to complete before that rain arrives or the wind picks up. Now imagine that pressure if you farm 3,000 acres . . . just one more round before it rains even if that wind is over 15 miles per hour. It happens more than we want to admit.

Anne Patterson is a central Illinois farmer, registered dietitian and adjunct faculty member at ICC Culinary Arts Institute.