Home Grown: Chemical Misconceptions

In this week’s Home Grown we learn about some of the main misconceptions people have about chemicals used on crops.

Phil Townsend started working for Sunland Chemical Company in 1981. Three years later he bought Sunland Chemical and today it’s a family owned and operated business in Yuma, Arizona.

“My son and I go into the fields, we check the crops, make recommendations to the grower and provide them with crop protection chemicals that are necessary for whatever the situation may be whether it’s insect pest, disease pest, weed control, those types of things,” Townsend told 13 On Your Side’s Caitlin Slater in an interview.

While Townsend works as a pieve to a big puzzle bringing safe food to people all over the world, he shares that what many people think of chemicals are actually big misconceptions.

“There is a lot of misconceptions. Probably some of the biggest ones are the amount of pesticides we use. Pesticides are expensive so we try to only apply when it is completely necessary,” he said. “Number two is we are concerned about the exposure. There are things we have to abide by,” he added.

Townsend provides the state with a record of all pesticide applications doje on the crops. He explains to 13 On Your Side what some of the other rules he must abide by are.

“Every pesticide has a re-entry time before anyone can re-enter the field after the pesticides have been applied. It has a pre-harvest interval which means so many days have to lapse after the application before that crop can be harvested,” Townsend shared.

Little do people know that just because something says organic, it doesn’t mean that it’s pesticide free.

“That’s correct, that’s another big misconception. Just because it’s labeled organic doesn’t mean there have been no pesticides used on it. It just means the pesticides used have been labeled for organic use by the FDA,” he said.

Townsend shares what he loves most about his job.

“Getting up every morning and having the freedom to be out in the outdoors with the growers I work with. I have some of the best customers in the world I cherish every one of them. They are not only my customers but my friends,” he said.