Jennifer Weisbrod and Gregory Puckett from the University of Nebraska Pesticide Safety Education Program joined me in this episode to talk all pesticide issues and ideas in Nebraska. We covered what they are currently working on which is fulfilling applicators needs. They are trying to create a new consumer public outreach program, similar to our new launch of Be Pesticide Smart https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/using-pesticides-safely-starts-reading-label A big issue they are trying to cope with is that broadband internet access is not widespread throughout the whole state so some applicators struggle with getting new information and finding the right resources because they may not have access to internet. Another big issue is that they do not have a hazardous waste disposal program so applicators really struggle with trying to correctly and safely dispose of their hazardous waste materials. Something that I have heard throughout my internship and again in meeting with them is label language confusion. As labels get longer, they are more confusing to understand which makes it hard for the applicators to follow the label and do the right thing. An overarching issue that is probably true across the board is the disconnect between the public and pesticide applicators. There is a lack of understanding of what pesticide applicators are doing, what pesticide safety educations are doing, and why the education is important. They are trying to bridge that gap, and so am I with my various communication projects. They offer a wide range of in person and online classes, workshops, exams, etc. to try to fit and fulfill a range of people's needs. Some of their successes are their field watch and drift watch program, on farm research, pesticide container recycling program, and new emerging technologies that help applicators. We talked about the philosophy behind pesticide safety education because it goes beyond just getting applicators certified to apply. Jennifer stated that their mission, and this may be nation wide with PSEP, is to reduce the amount and quantity of pesticides used, to increase safer applications to protect human, animal, and environmental health. Like I mentioned earlier, Greg stated that he got into this work because he wanted to bridge the gap of understanding between the public and applicators, urban and rural populations. We dove into why people should care about pesticide safety education and their response is because it safeguards your life, health, income, and the environment. When talking about the importance of reading and understanding the pesticide label, Greg stated that they are legal documents that are based on the EPAs risk assessment. It protects you if you follow it correctly. Jennifer stated that you should never transfer pesticides out of their original containers because children continue to die from accidentally drinking them. One of the main points about organic farming is that it does not mean pesticide free. Organic farming can still use pesticides, they just have to be natural and not synthetic. Greg emphasized that organic farming takes a lot of effort, labor, and time to do so be cautious and aware of off target drift as this can negatively affect their operations. Overall, I learned a great deal in my conversation with Jennifer and Greg and I hope you will too!
