I thought it might be useful to mention that a one-time source of funding has emerged that a Wisconsin coalition is using for pesticide reduction work and that some of those funds MAY still be available to organizers in your state.

A very broad-based coalition of farm, rural and crop commodity groups, together representing most Wisconsin farmers, are launching this spring a multi-year program to assist farmers in finding alternatives to pesticides likely to be restricted under the Food Quality Protection Act. The FQPA, passed in 1996, establishes new, health risk-based standards for pesticides. The Act is likely to mean new restrictions on or withdrawals of pesticides, including many that are commonly used in Wisconsin.

Core funding for the Pesticide Use and Risk Reduction Project, nearly half a million dollars, arises from the settlement of two lawsuits against two chemical companies for irregular pricing practices. Wisconsin's Department of Justice, a party to the lawsuits along with a number of other states, offered all of its settlements, after attorneys fees and administrative costs, "to benefit the state's agricultural community." Other states doing the same for one or both of the settlements include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. Although these settlements occurred in the first half of 1997, it may still be worth exploring whether funds are still available and could be used for pesticide or other sustainable agriculture work.

The coalition for the Wisconsin Project includes the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, the Wisconsin Rural Development Center, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Organization of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Ginseng Growers Association, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. The project will be administered by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, and coalition participants will serve as a steering committee. Each participating organization will contribute in-kind resources expected to at least double the settlement dollars.

The Pesticide project has three phases. The first entails an analysis of pesticides important in producing Wisconsin crops that are likely to be restricted by FQPA implementation. The second phase will identifying various profitable alternatives to FQPA-regulated pesticides. The final phase will be the delivery of information about those alternatives.

As I said above, it's probably getting pretty late to pursue these funds. But if you were to want to at least try it in your state, you would go to your state Department of Justice. In our case, the lawsuits and settlements were handled by the Assistant Attorney General handling antitrust matters. Good luck!

Margaret Krome
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
East Troy, WI

4/29/98