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Tainted hay
suspected cause
of Waterpenny
crop damage
By Kevin Allen
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
As of a couple weeks ago, Rachel Bynum’s and Erik Plaksin’s crops at Waterpenny Fann seemed to be coming along according to schedule. Despite a dry spring, fruits and vegetables at the organic farm east of Sperryville were sprouting and growing as expected.
But things changed after Rappahannock County was deluged by heavy rains starting in early June.
All of a sudden, die farm’s zucchinis appeared as if they were waterstressed. Leaves on the tomato plants were curling like clenched fists, though there was no sign of pests. And the green squash was just plain funny looking.
As the rain continued to fall, the problems worsened.
Experts called it a text-book case of herbicide damage. But Waterpenny is an organic farm. How would an herbicide make its way onto its fields?
Bynum and Plaksin began to look at their mulch, which is made from locally grown hay.
Although official laboratory results are not yet in, Bynum and Plaksin are pretty sure the culprit is an herbicide
See HAY, Page A3
Rappahannock News
P.O. Box 59
Washington, Va. 22747
(540) 675-3338
(540) 675-3088 (fax)
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