FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Linda Jones Zabik
August 17, 2009 Kalamazoo Conservation District
Pesticide Container Recycling and Clean Sweep Event
Kalamazoo MI – The Kalamazoo Conservation District has teamed with Kalamazoo County Household Hazardous Waste to hold a one day event to collect pesticide containers. Since the event will be held at the Kalamazoo County Household Hazardous Waste Center, 1301 Lamont Ave., Kalamazoo (adjacent to the fairgrounds), unused pesticides will also be accepted as part of the Clean Sweep Program. This event will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2009 between 8:30 and 12:30. It is free of charge and confidential. Farm Bureau Young Farmers will also be assisting at the event and coordinating pesticide container recycling efforts.
Pesticide Container Recycling Event
Producers that have been collecting triple-rinsed pesticide containers will have a convenient option for recycling. Pesticide containers up to 55-gallon (plastic) drums will be accepted. All pesticide containers must either be triple rinsed or pressure rinsed with caps and (loose leaf) labels removed. All containers 5 gallons and smaller must be in provided bags for recycling. Each bag can hold approximately 50 2.5-gallon containers or approximately 60 pounds of smaller sizes. Containers over 5-gallons do not need to be bagged.
Producers may pick up recycling bags and instructions at several locations in the county:
• Kalamazoo Conservation District, 1911 W. Centre Ave., Portage;
• Farm Bureau office, 5950 Portage Rd., Suite. A, Portage;
• MSU Extension office; 3299 Gull Rd., Wing 2, Rm. 410, Kalamazoo;
• Battle Creek Farm Bureau, 14325 OP Ave., Climax;
• Co-Alliance, 16721 US 131, Schoolcraft;
• MDOT, 6345 American Ave., Portage; and,
• Johansen Farms, 51609 US-131, Three Rivers.
Clean Sweep Event
Clean sweep is a free disposal program for pesticides. Unwanted, out-of-date, unusable or banned pesticides are accepted. Any Michigan homeowner, farm, greenhouse, nursery, golf course, or other end-user of pesticides can use this service. Please note that fertilizer, crop oil and spray adjuvants are NOT accepted. If you have questions about what chemicals you can bring, please call Cindy Foster, HHW Specialist, at 383-8742. Although this is a one-time event for the collection of clean pesticide containers, the Clean Sweep program is available when the Household Hazardous Waste Center is open.
Greenhouse MAEAP Verification Event
Mark Elzinga accepting the MAEAP Verification from Don Koivisto,
Michigan Department of Agriculture director.
From: MDA-NewsRelease MDA-NewsRelease [MDA-NewsRelease@michigan.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 4:30 PM
To: MDA-NewsRelease MDA-NewsRelease
Subject: News Release - Environmental Assurance Program Verifies FirstGreenhouse
For Immediate Release - May 28 2008
Contacts:
Heather Throne, Michigan Department of Agriculture
517-373-1085 or throneh@michigan.gov
Natalie Ebig Scott, Project GREEEN at Michigan State University
517-432-1555, ext. 157, or scottna@anr.msu.edu
Environmental Assurance Program Verifies First Greenhouse
Kalamazoo County operation recognized by program
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Michigan State University (MSU) today applauded Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses for taking the lead in environmental responsibility by becoming Michigan’s first greenhouse operation to become verified by the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The program assists farmers in complying with state and federal environmental regulations as well as right-to-farm practices.
“MAEAP is designed to be one of the most effective and feasible ways for producers to position their farms to safeguard both the environment and the long-term economic viability of their farm,” said Don Koivisto, Michigan Department of Agriculture director. “By sharing technological information as well as monitoring and recording changes in
the way producers manage problems, MAEAP helps farmers find solutions for potential pollution issues.”
More than 500 Michigan farms are MAEAP-verified, but Elzinga & Hoeksema is the first greenhouse to complete the comprehensive Greenhouse*A*Syst risk assessment, which pinpoints best practices in water, fertilizer and
pesticide use.
Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative housed at Michigan State University, funded the development and promotion of the Greenhouse*A*Syst risk assessment tool. Technical assistance was provided by Linda Zabik of the Kalamazoo Conservation District in partnership with Jeanne Himmelein, MSU Extension (MSUE) commercial horticulture educator.
“Since 1997, Project GREEEN has funded research and extension projects according to what plant commodity groups tell us are their most pressing issues,” said Doug Buhler, associate director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and Project GREEEN coordinator. “This interagency, interdisciplinary team really made Project GREEEN’s
investment go a long way in fulfilling our mission of meeting industry needs and protecting and preserving the quality of the environment.”
Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses is one of southwestern Michigan’s largest greenhouse operations, with five locations and more than 30 acres of product. The East O Avenue greenhouse features energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy sources such as wind turbines in addition to the largest solar thermal system in the Midwest.
Outside the greenhouse is a large heat pump, 200 four-feet-wide by 10-feet long solar energy collectors, a 60,000-gallon insulated water tank, and 23 miles of tubing sunk in 200 wells, each 300 feet deep. This system provides 80 percent of the greenhouses’ heating needs; the other 20 percent is met by high efficiency boilers.
“With the assistance, guidance and cooperation from both MSUE and the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, we have been able to successfully navigate a path for achieving our goal of responsible stewardship and accountable sustainability,” said Mark Elzinga, President of Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses. “The Greenhouse*A*Syst
tool provided a clear route to MAEAP verification, which validated our efforts.”
To become MAEAP-verified, farmers must complete three comprehensive steps: educational seminars, a thorough on-farm risk assessment, and development and implementation of an action plan addressing potential
environmental risks. The MDA conducts an on-farm inspection to verify program requirements related to applicable state and federal environmental regulations, Michigan Right-to-Farm Act guidelines and adherence to an action plan. When the inspection is completed, the producer receives a certificate of environmental assurance. To retain
MAEAP verification, a farm must be inspected every three years and implement any required changes.
MAEAP is a multiyear program that allows producers to meet personal objectives while managing time and resources effectively. The program encompasses three systems-livestock, farmstead and cropping- to help producers evaluate the environmental risks of their operation. Verified greenhouses meet all requirements in both the farmstead and cropping systems.
The MAEAP is a collaborative effort of producers, the MDA, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, MSU, Michigan Farm Bureau, commodity organizations, conservation groups and other state and federal agencies. More than 150 local coordinators and technical service providers are available to assist farmers as they move through the MAEAP
process toward verification. To date, approximately 5,500 farmers have attended educational programs, and more than 500 have been verified.
For more information, visit the MAEAP Web site at www.maeap.org or contact Jan Wilford, MDA Environmental Stewardship Division, at 517-241-4730.
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May 28, 2008 at 10:00