When pesticides are applied, they can move through the air to other areas not intended to be sprayed. Drift may appear as a cloud of spray droplets, as dust during application, or as a lingering unpleasant odor. Health problems resulting from drift exposure, or any pesticide exposure, can be immediate—as in the case of an acute poisoning—or long-term, resulting in illnesses like cancer, or reproductive and developmental harms. NCAP partnered with Pesticide Action Network to release new Spanish language resources for farm workers and their families with information on what to do in case of exposure to drift (see Spanish versions further down). Continue reading

NCAP is thrilled to announce that as of October 1, 2021, we have adopted a Co-Director shared leadership structure. Staff members Ashley Chesser and Dominica Navarro Martinez are now NCAP’s Co-Directors, responsible for leading the areas where they are most skilled (more details below). The NCAP staff and board are excited to move forward together using this leadership model, confident that change and growth will help move us closer to realizing our vision for a world that is free from toxic pesticides. Continue reading

(By Ashley Chesser, Executive Director) Though I dabbled with growing flowers and veggies in a community garden plot in college, I didn’t start gardening in earnest until about eight years ago when I moved into a house with a yard. In the first several years, I added raised beds and planted a mixture of vegetables, berries, flowers, and ornamental plants. I brought in healthy, organic soil and had successful growing seasons with plump veggies and vibrant blooms. But by the third year, many plants weren’t looking so happy. Continue reading

(By Dominica Navarro, Healthy People & Communities Program Manager) Above, left: Dominica and Ana at a PPE distribution event in Hermiston, OR. | Right: Informational materials to help spread the word. ¡Léelo en español! In collaboration with partners and community leaders, NCAP is launching a series of participatory events this winter for Spanish-speaking farm workers and landscapers across six counties in Oregon. Our goal is to help reduce the harms of pesticide use in the workplace by providing tools for workers to champion safety.  By working alongside community leaders, such as Ana Elisa Wilson, we are able to address the true needs of our communities.  Continue reading

(By Sharalyn Peterson, Healthy Wildlife & Water Program Manager) As I look out over the fields of wilted flowers and vegetable crops on my farm, I reflect on the record temperatures we’ve experienced across the Pacific Northwest this summer. Historic heat wave and drought events are becoming more common with the warming of our climate. The Northwest has warmed substantially, nearly 2°F since 1900.1 Higher temperatures create imbalances in natural systems, causing more outbreaks and damage from unwanted pests and weeds. This leads to increased pesticide use as there are more pests to manage.2 Our new Pesticides and the Climate Crisis infographic (and in Spanish) shows the relationship between pesticide use and climate change, and its effects on environmental decline and human health problems. Continue reading