(By Christina Stucker-Gassi, Healthy Food and Farms Program Manager) I come from an Idaho farm family and have become a US pesticide policy expert. It is my job to lay bare the industry motives behind House Bill 653 and urge our supporters to actively oppose it.This bill would shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits when users of their products are injured. Legislation like this is popping up around the country and is unfair to people who have been harmed, despite their compliance with product labels.   Continue reading

(By Sharalyn Peterson, Healthy Wildlife & Water Program Manager) The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP), under contract with the City of Gresham and Oregon Metro, are conducting professionally led landscaper workshops. Working with 8 Latinx landscaping businesses, these workshops promote best practices for pesticide reduction, and the education of human and environmental pesticide risks in Multnomah and Clackamas County. Continue reading

(By Alisa Howell-Smith, Communications Manager) We have started experiencing some treacherous winter weather here in the Pacific Northwest, which means we are finding ways to combat snow and ice. Your first instinct might be to use salt to help defrost the ice in your driveway. But what about pickle juice? Because although salt may seem harmless, you may not be aware of the harm it could do to your pets, our water, and especially the environment. In this post we will go over the damage done by salt and environmentally friendly de-icing alternatives. Continue reading

(By Tommy Diaz, Healthy People and Communities Program Manager) With Hispanic Heritage Month in the rear view mirror, we at NCAP have important updates and lots of work to do regarding our Latine-serving programs. Continue reading

Photo by: Ruth Hartnup By Teresa Joaquim It is a common misconception that when we see the label "organic" on fresh produce that it is free of chemical pesticides. However, the term "organic" does not necessarily mean "pesticide-free". Organic produce can have pesticide residue from organic pesticides used in their cultivation. Continue reading