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Cleaning the farm shop

As the farm grows, so do the amount of odds and ends acquired in the expansion.

Bern Kroupa farms just north of Traverse City with his wife at the Old Mission Fruit Company.  He says over the years they’ve bought a few farms that have brought with them chemicals and fertilizers which need to be properly stored.

Kroupa says his Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) verification helped him protect surface and ground water by installing containment areas.

“You find in certain outbuildings a little bit of this product that hasn’t been used for years and a little bit of that product that hasn’t been used for years.”  He tells Brownfield, “Well, that’s in a lighted area with sealed floors and in one place.”

Kroupa says his chemical containment building was built 1,100 feet from a well, as recommended by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

MAEAP verification also helped Kroupa communicate with his local fire department about potential hazards on the farm.

“If we ever God forbid have a fire emergency for example, everything is contained.”  He says, “We know where it is, the emergency responders know where it is.”

Kruopa says he’s also used the department’s Clean Sweep program to properly dispose of any unwanted or outdated pesticides.

AUDIO: Bern Kroupa (6:01 mp3):