Ontario Pesticide Education Program

Farmers must use Domestic pesticide products in Class D to manage weeds, insects and plant diseases affecting lawns and gardens around their home.  Before using a pesticide, farmers should consider using alternative control methods such as cutting/mowing of vegetation. Farmers are not allowed to use Class B or C pesticides for cosmetic purposes such as for maintaining lawns and gardens around the farm house, vegetation control on paths, driveways and parking areas which are not part of an agricultural operation.   Class D pesticides are available for purchase from home and garden retail stores.

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks:  Pesticides Specialist Offices Region Field Offices Telephone Central 5775 Yonge St, 8th Floor Toronto    M2M 4J1 1-800-810-8048 416-326-6700 West-Central Ontario Gov't. Bldg., 119 King St. W., 12 th Flr Hamilton    L8P 4Y7 1-800-668-4557 905-521-7640 Eastern 1259 Gardiners Road, Unit 3 Kingston    K7P 3J6 1-800-267-0974 613-549-4000 Southwestern 733 Exeter Rd., London    N6E 1L3 1-800-265-7672 519-873-5000 Northern 199 Larch Street, Suite 1201 Sudbury    P3E 5P9 1-800-890-8516 705-564-3237 Ontario Gov’t Bldg., 435 James St. South Suite 331, 3 rd Floor Thunder Bay    P7E 6S7 1-800-875-7772 807-475-1205 Technical Assessment and Standards Development Branch ...

A high tunnel is a single or multi-bay walk-in structure without a foundation, typically covered with impermeable material and set over crops in a field. This is different from a greenhouse. A greenhouse is a permanent, enclosed, walk-in structure where crops grow in a media on elevated benches, containers or troughs placed on the ground. Farmers control the environment, such as temperature, humidity and ventilation, and pesticide drift stays inside the greenhouse. Pesticide labels don’t have specific directions for use in high tunnels. You may use pesticides with directions for either greenhouse or field uses for a specific pest and crop. If possible, choose a pesticide that has directions for both field and greenhouse uses. A high tunnel environment is unique. It is neither a greenhouse nor a field.  When using pesticides inside high tunnels, remember that: pesticide residues could breakdown more slowly, crops could be injured more easily, and Certified Farmer...

Groundhog Control Groundhogs or woodchucks are present throughout Ontario and may require control in some cases. Fumigants that contain aluminum phosphide are sold in Ontario to control groundhogs.  These fumigants release a highly poisonous and flammable gas when moisture is present.  Read the label completely, follow all safety precautions, and prepare a fumigation management plan before you use these pesticides. A Certified Farmer can fumigate a groundhog borrow using aluminum phosphide on his/her own agriculture operation if she/he follows these requirements and rules: Requirements You must have adequate respiratory equipment on your person at all times during the fumigation and use the equipment as required by the pesticide label. Rules Ontario Regulations under the Pesticides Act require that the Certified Farmer must make sure that: •   burrows open to the outside, not into a building, •   all groundhog burrow entrance holes are ...

Farmer Assistants who use Class B or C pesticides on farms must be trained. Certified Farmers are responsible for all pesticide use and handling on their farms including the use and handling of Class B or C pesticides by Farmer Assistants supervised by Certified Farmers.  Farmer Assistants could be family members, farm employees or seasonal workers.   Farmer Assistants must: Be 16 years of age or older Work on a farm under the supervision of a Certified Farmer have basic pesticide safety training recognized by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks before they handle or use Class 2 or 3 pesticides re-train every 5 years.   There are two ways for Farmer Assistants to get the training they need.   They can: participate in a Grower Pesticide Safety Course (no test required), or participate in a training session presented by an On-Farm Instructor . On-Farm Instructors   The Ontario Pesticide Education Program offers half day sessions ...

Mike Cowbrough thinks resistance prevention is an oxymoron.  “If you are using chemical weed control there is no such thing as resistance prevention, growers need to focus on resistance management ,” says Cowbrough, the provincial weed specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Cowbrough says the agricultural industry has been talking about resistance management in weeds for years.  “And what conclusions have we come to?” he asks.  There are many cases of resistant weeds, but most growers only think about it when the problem happens on their farm. “I understand why growers make decisions the way they do- it’s necessary to deal with what is in front of them at the time,” says Cowbrough.  “But what they need to remember is what we have learned historically – a lot can change in five or six years. Cowbrough encourages growers to think strategically about the reality of weed resistance developing on their farm.  Imagine you hav...

Do I have insurance coverage, when I apply pesticides to the property that I own IF  ... I damage my land or I am required to “clean up” the land . . . 1. Does it make a difference if the damage comes from one identifiable incident or if the damage is the cumulative effect of years of pesticide application? 2. Is this coverage available from my current insurer? 3. Does the likelihood of that happening warrant the additional premium? I am injured or a family member or an employee is injured . . . 1.  W hat about accident insurance?  Workers compensation?   Employer’s liability endorsement? 2. Does my liability insurance coverage have an environmental damage exclusion? 3. Will my liability insurance coverage respond if the damage to the third party is a result of my “illegal act”? 4. What is the difference between my occurrence limit and my aggregate limit? 5. What if I am on the road and a spill happens? A neighboring property is ...

Pesticide Safety for Farmer Assistants Assistants who use Class B or C pesticides on farms must be trained. Certified Farmers are responsible for all pesticide use and handling on their farms including the use and handling of Class B or C pesticides by Farmer Assistants supervised by Certified Farmers.  Assistants could be family members, farm employees or seasonal workers.   Farmer Assistants must: ·   be 16 years of age or older ·   w ork on a farm under the supervision of a Certified Farmer ·   be trained in pesticide safety ·   re-train every five years. There are two ways for assistants to get the pesticide safety training they need.   They can: ·   participate in a Grower Pesticide Safety Course (no written test), or ·   p articipate in Pesticide Safety for Farmer Assistants training presented by a On-Farm Instructor.   On Farm Pesticide Safety Instructors An On-Farm Pesticide Safety Instructor must have val...

Emergency Numbers 9-1-1 Spills Action Centre: 1-800-268-6060 Ontario Poison Centre: 1-800-268-9017 Transport Emergencies: *666 (cell) 1-888-CANUTEC 1-888-226-8832 Farm Information Contact Person: Phone: 9-1-1 Address: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: -      Regional Office: -       District Office: Pesticide Vendor: Insurance Agent: Pest Management Regulatory Agency:                              1-800-267-6315 Ontario Ministr...