How & Why to Avoid Toxic Pesticides
Widely used pesticides in agriculture and landscaping are connected with serious health issues
Kathleen Hallal became a tireless researcher on the subject of toxic pesticides when her children were experiencing health problems, namely autoimmune disorders. She switched her family to an organic diet, which eliminated trips to the pediatrician.
Then she discovered how many schools and parks in her home of Irvine, California were spraying with toxic pesticides. So she successfully campaigned in her community to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides. In that journey, she co-founded a nonprofit called Nontoxic Communities (online at nontoxiccommunities dot com).
Kathleen found that landscapers needed a nontoxic herbicide as an alternative to the toxic herbicides that are readily available on the market. Due to the limited availability of safe and effective nontoxic herbicides, she had to find a product that was not yet on the market and start her own company, in conjunction with business partners. She now works with a startup called Contact Organics, that provides a nontoxic herbicide by the same name.
This video is a far ranging conversation between two people who are passionate about restoring our health and restoring our ecosystems by avoiding toxic pesticides and nurturing healthy soils in our landscapes and on the farms where we raise our food.
The Board of Directors of Contact Organics now includes legendary farmers and soil health experts Gabe Brown (author of top-selling agricultural book "Dirt to Soil") and Ray "The Soil Guy" Archuleta, who as a federal employee tirelessly crusades for farmers to ditch conventional farming methods and nurture healthy soils.
Kathleen Hallal is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional (AOLCP) with the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA).