Dicamba isn’t a “farm-only” issue. It’s a landscape issue.

In this mini rant, I break down why dicamba has become one of the most controversial herbicides in modern agriculture—because it can move off-target and damage broadleaf plants that were never meant to be exposed. This isn’t just about a sprayer on a windy day. Dicamba can also “fume off” after application and travel, which means gardens, orchards, native plants, and even restoration projects can be impacted without warning.

You’ll hear:

• Where dicamba shows up across the landscape (not just row crops—also turf, forestry, golf courses, and managed recreation areas)

• What “drift” and “vapor movement” look like in real life

• Examples of broadleaf plants that can show injury—tomatoes, grapes, beans, cucurbits, apples, ornamentals, and native broadleaf species

• Why “follow the label” is not the same as “it will stay where you put it”

• Why I reject the phrase “acceptable risk” when the people living with the consequences never consented

Then I connect this to a pattern rural communities know too well: PFAS and the legacy of “safe” decisions that weren’t safe—especially when contamination shows up years later and the burden lands on farmers, families, and neighbors.

If you’re buying land for a certified organic farm (or you’re already trying to protect one), I’ll also share my “what-if” checklist: you don’t just evaluate the parcel—you evaluate what’s being used around it. I’d check next door… and honestly, I’d check a 10-mile radius.

This episode will ruffle feathers. That’s the point.

Is our food system making us sick—or are we just finally diagnosing what was always there?
In this episode, we use history as a diagnostic tool and put famous rulers under the lens to test a modern claim: “Those diseases didn’t exist back then.”

I’m Casey, your host—environmental conservationist and sustainable food systems scientist—and around here, we don’t do hype. We do cause and effect: scientist, detective, historian style.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why we can’t time-travel with definitive diagnoses—only weigh evidence from imperfect records

• What the “case files” of royalty suggest about chronic illness long before modern labels

  • King Alfred the Great and the long-running gut illness debate

  • Henry VIII and how stacked stressors can drive systemic decline

  • Queen Anne and disease clusters that look very modern

  • Emperor Charles V and the “disease of abundance” pattern

• The big pivot: the palace pantry went global
  “Rich food” used to be rare. Now industrial versions of it are everywhere—constant access, engineered convenience, and ultra-processing.

• Why two things can be true at once: better diagnosis and a changed environment (including chemical exposures like PFAS, chronic stress, and modern dietary patterns)

Takeaway: The diseases weren’t new. The environment is. And now we finally have the tools to diagnose what we used to misname—or miss entirely.

Next up:
Mini episode: Dicamba Drift: The Herbicide Problem Most People Don’t See Until It’s Too Late
Full episode: Soil 101 for Beginners

Milk jug winter sowing sounds like a perfect eco-hack—but it’s not as safe as you might think. HDPE #2 is made for cold milk indoors, not UV sun, freeze-thaw, constant moisture, and wet soil.

In this quick mini ramble, I break down what happens to plastic outdoors, why brittle jugs can become a microplastic issue, and safer alternatives for winter sowing.

Amazon Affiliate Note:

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. These links may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Heavy Duty 1020 Trays

https://amzn.to/49FBPQf

Low Humidity Domes

https://amzn.to/4qzQ7JG

Plastic Cloches

https://amzn.to/3NmeQSZ

Vented Humidity Domes

https://amzn.to/3LKUeDc

10-pack Garden Cloches

https://amzn.to/4qYkNUs

Cold Frame

https://amzn.to/4qocPnH

https://amzn.to/3Ns4QHI

https://amzn.to/4qtqvhq

Greenhouse

https://amzn.to/4bzfoig

Grow Tunnel

https://amzn.to/4baQlC9

Polycarbonate Greenhouse

https://amzn.to/49scZof

Cedar Cold Frame

https://amzn.to/4b1schf

Cold Frame/Greenhouse Window Vent Opener

https://amzn.to/45dTr4r