Viewpoint: ‘I’m a mom and a farmer. Here’s why it’s safe to use pesticides

 In addition to the title of mom, I also have the title of farmer, giving me firsthand experiences and understanding of why farmers utilize tools like pesticides when growing their crops.

Pesticide use is a science, backed up by years of research, that allows farmers to protect their crops, preserve yields and keep food prices stable. Farmers take special care to ensure they calculate accurate application rates; this not only protects the land and water, but also ensures no product is wasted, keeping more money in the farmer’s pocket and your food prices low.

Pesticides are not something to fear; they are tools that farmers use to protect corn plants, minimizing the risk of pest damage. These crops are crucial to farmers as they provide feed for livestock, fuel for vehicles and 4,000 other everyday products used by my family and yours.

Related on the SLP

No, farmers who use agricultural chemicals do not have higher cancer rates Viewpoint: Challenging the agricultural misinformation zealots—Sustainable agriculture requires judicious weed management and crop chemicals

Viewpoint: Democratic tsunami: As the red tide recedes, here are the most likely shifts in food and agricultural policy

$7.35 billion PFAS settlement: 3M to pay people who blame health problems on ‘forever chemicals’ phased out of firefighting foam for more than 20 years

Collagen supplements are not a wrinkle-reducing silver bullet, but they sure cost a lot

Farmers are parents, and we want the same things every other parent wants. … I am proud of the choices that I am making ….

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here