Page 49 - Grapevine July-Aug 2020
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Around The Vineyard

















































               Liability Coverage for








               Chemical Drift
               P      rotecting your vineyard from damaging         to litigation. In certain instances, liability insurance

                                                                    specifically designed for chemical spray drift may
                      pests and grapevine diseases with pesti-
                      cides may be an essential part of your vine-
               yard management.  Keeping these chemicals on         allow you to mitigate this risk.
               your property can be challenging even if you have      You have seen examples of herbicide and pesti-
               followed all the required procedures.  Nationwide,   cide drift from agricultural application in the news
               the EPA estimates up to 70 million pounds of pes-    recently.  Stories abound of alleged damage to
               ticides valued up to $640 million are lost to drift   neighboring crops, communities, and even bird
               each year .  Drift is the movement of chemicals      habitats. If you are growing the same crop as your
               off your vineyard, through the air away from the     neighbor is on their vineyard, you may have limited
               intended target, and can be in the form of liquid    or no impact. However, in certain instances there
               droplets, vapors, and particles.  You have reason    can be a more substantial impact when your neigh-
               to want to limit drift simply because of the eco-    bors are raising other crops or livestock, operating
               nomic consequences, and these chemicals are too      an organic farm, or you are adjacent to other sus-
               expensive to just blow in the wind.  Furthermore,    ceptible properties like a golf course, an apiary, or a
               drift that damages a neighbor’s property may lead    residential community.  Damage has occurred miles

               877-892-5332                       The Grapevine • July - August 2020                            Page 47





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