Shown is a screenshot of a mapped area roughly bounded by SR 15 on the west, the Indiana-Michigan state line to the north, SR 327 to the east and US 6 to the south. Each of those “pins” in the map represent an entry in DriftWatch. As you can see, specialty crops and bees have a large presence locally on this DriftWatch map. Image provided by Jeff Burbrink, Purdue Extension LaGrange County.

By Jeff Burbrink
Ag & Natural Resources Extension Educator, Purdue Extension LaGrange County

LAGRANGE – I will be one of several thousand people attending the Northern Indiana Grazing Conference at the Michiana Event Center in Shipshewana Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7.

One of the things I do at the grazing conference is help specialty crop growers sign up for DriftWatch.

DriftWatch is a free, online mapping tool for people who raise sensitive crops — things like fruits and vegetables, organic grains, pasture and hay, and bees. At its core, DriftWatch is a communication tool. It helps pesticide applicators know where sensitive crops are located near their fields, so everyone can do their work with fewer unintended consequences. It’s not a regulation, and it’s not about enforcement. It does not take away liability for errors made while applying pesticides, but it may help an applicator know the locations of nearby sensitive crops and avoid a serious, costly mistake. It’s simply about awareness.

When I say “specialty crops,” I am talking about a wide range of operations: Christmas trees, greenhouses, vegetables, tree fruit, grapes, hardwood trees, herbs, certified organic fields and land transitioning to organic, nursery crops, honey bees and even fish farms. In northern Indiana, many of the fields mapped on DriftWatch are organic hay and pasture – ground that supports organic dairy cows, beef cattle or sheep. These acres can be worth thousands of dollars, and a single drift event can undo years of careful management.

Both growers and pesticide applicators can sign up at DriftWatch.org at no cost. Setting up an account requires basic contact information. Those with email can receive notifications when new sensitive crops are mapped nearby. For those without internet access, extension offices can help create entries.

Once registered, producers can map their fields using a system that looks and feels a lot like Google Maps. It’s straightforward.

Applicators visiting the site can see where they plan to spray and identify sensitive areas nearby before they begin.

Pesticide applicators don’t need an account to use DriftWatch, but many choose to create one so they receive updates. During spray season, some operations keep DriftWatch open on their computer screens all day and require staff to check the map before spraying. It becomes part of the routine.

Every entry submitted to DriftWatch is reviewed by a steward before it appears on the map. The boundaries shown aren’t property lines; they’re user-submitted sensitive areas. Home gardens and sites smaller than half an acre aren’t included, and those entries are removed.

Mapped entries are valid for three years. If they aren’t renewed, they drop off the map. If you are not sure what your DriftWatch status is, stop by our table at grazing conference and we can check it for you.

For anyone without internet access who wants to map sensitive crops or beehives, the local extension office can help. It takes about 10 minutes, and it needs to be done in person to ensure accuracy. It’s a small investment of time, but one that can save crops, relationships and livelihoods when the sprayers roll.

We will be enrolling farms at grazing conference, or you can call me at the Purdue Extension LaGrange Office (260) 499-6334 to set up a time to map your farm.