While pesticide spray drift incidents are dramatically down in Kern County, area farm interests continue to meet and discuss ways to further enhance safety.
Farmers, pest control advisors and applicators who have an interest in ensuring pesticide spraying safety are holding their tenth annual SpraySafe event on February 5, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kern County Fairgrounds. In honor of the tenth year, The Kern County Ag Community will be hosting a Trade Show that begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 9:30 a.m. The SpraySafe program was born in Kern County and created by a group of Kern County farmers to reduce spray drift, enhance worker safety, and protect public health through more effective communications.
All members of Kern County agriculture are encouraged to attend this year’s event to hear presentations from representatives of the Kern County Agricultural Community, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and more about the importance of SpraySafe and its objective to protect farm workers and the public from pesticide exposure. The meeting will also include circuit presentations on a number of safety issues and is available in Spanish, as well as English.
The SpraySafe program was initiated in Kern County and because of its success, has been implemented in other counties throughout the state “SpraySafe is a program that encourages farmers to communicate with each other and to be vigilant to help reduce incidents of spray drift,” said Dale Nicol, Spraysafe Committee member, who noted the annual SpraySafe event is an additional measure to provide continuing education on new and improved practices, technologies and precautions to improve farm safety.
“Kern County has shown that through an industry initiative like SpraySafe improvements can occur voluntarily, therefore reducing the need for formal regulatory actions by DPR,” said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, former Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, which awarded a grant in the amount of $50,000 to assist other counties in adopting SpraySafe
This year’s SpraySafe event in Kern County is once again being sponsored by members of the local farming community, local farm associations and local enforcement agencies which currently includes: Kern County Farm Bureau, California Safety Training Corporation, Sunrise Sprayers, Almendros, Lehr Bros Inc., State Compensation Insurance Fund, Crop Production Services Inc., Grimmway Enterprises Inc. and CFSLP.
The event is free of charge to attend and includes lunch. For more information on SpraySafe, or to register to attend the event, please send an email to kspence@kerncfb.com or call 661-397-9635.