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I'm looking at possibly buying a house in an agricultural area in Miami FL. It's a great house (1 acre lot, very quiet, nice inside, etc) but it is in an agricultural area. My family has an 153 acre organic farm in the northeast, but it's not in an area where there is true big business agriculture that uses crop dusters, widespread pesticides, chemicals, etc. I'm not sure how bad this area in FL is, as I have only lived in apartments here. From always growing organic vegetables with my family I am certainty be concerned about the effect of these chemicals on our health. Should I reject a house over this? My family basically said if there's no crop dusting within 1/2 mile and the well is over 25 feet deep I would be OK, I don't need to worry about people just spraying the plants. I'm sure there's more contaminants in city living, right? Any advice would be appreciated!!
Get a soil sample tested for the common chemical and see what it shows. I have walked into a field and took a sample since thats where the most chemicals would be. You really can't assume what is what without some hard data and nothing worlks as good as sample testing.
I'd listen to my family if I were you. Also, you never know what chemicals might be used next time the farmers in the area change crops. You gotta think long term when looking at a home. Good luck on your search.
Last edited by JanND; 01-09-2013 at 05:42 AM..
Reason: added text
I'm looking at possibly buying a house in an agricultural area in Miami FL. It's a great house (1 acre lot, very quiet, nice inside, etc) but it is in an agricultural area. My family has an 153 acre organic farm in the northeast, but it's not in an area where there is true big business agriculture that uses crop dusters, widespread pesticides, chemicals, etc. I'm not sure how bad this area in FL is, as I have only lived in apartments here. From always growing organic vegetables with my family I am certainty be concerned about the effect of these chemicals on our health. Should I reject a house over this? My family basically said if there's no crop dusting within 1/2 mile and the well is over 25 feet deep I would be OK, I don't need to worry about people just spraying the plants. I'm sure there's more contaminants in city living, right? Any advice would be appreciated!!
Most of the agricultural crops are using genetically modified seeds...the GM seeds allow the use of roundup that will kill off everything except the crop (and some round up resistant crops)..it differs from GM infused seed.
The best way to know what is in the dirt is a soil sample, but Roundup is the most likely culprit and it has a VERY short half life....not only that it is 100% soluble in water, so it dilutes to the point of nothing quickly. All of the stuff you hear on the news about cancer from genetically modified crops is from the round up ready GM crops that actually infuse round up into the crop itself - this is VERY different than the process of modifying the crops DNA to make it immune to round up. In one seed the round up is sprayed on and can be washed off, in the other it is actually a part of the crops make up...The DNA modified crop is the safe one, and the infused one - Even I do not eat - and I do not buy into the Organic is the only safe BS.
Nitrogen is not a big problem like it used to be 10 years ago (unless your neighbors are chicken farmers)...it has gotten so expensive to buy Nitrogen that most farmers are extremely conscious about how much goes out crop/crop. Modern agriculture is extremely efficient and way over regulated....I would not worry much, but I would always do a soil sample...I do soil samples on in town lots too...you never what could have been dumped there.
Never buy a place on well water without having the well tested for quality and flow rate.
Agricultural chemicals cost money, so your neighboring farmers are not going to spray your property just for the fun of it. They keep their expensive chemicals on their own property and expect you to buy your own if you want them.
You could always walk around the neighborhood and speak to all the neighbors and see what they say about the farm next door. However, if you buy next to a farm, there is going to be farming going on.
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