Study to Examine Why Farm Children Are Healthier Than City Kids

Aug 15, 2013

Study to Examine Why Farm Children Are Healthier Than City Kids

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

A new study researched childhood exposures with farm environments, to find out why farm kids seem to be healthier compared to their city counterparts.

The American Farm Bureau said the study will examine environments, which promote immunologic safeguards that may limit the severity of certain child allergic diseases including asthma.

The study is to be conducted by the National Farm Medicine Centre in partnership with the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The study involves researching 200 babies in the Marshfield, Wisconsin area over the span of two years. Half of the babies will be born from farm families, while the other half from families living in rural towns but not on farms.

Results from a similar study last year, found that children who grow up on farms, which have regular exposure to elements such as dust, pollen and manure, have stronger immune systems as a result. The same study found farm kids are 30 to 50 percent less likely to develop allergies than children who live in the city.

The $5-million study is being funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.