Atrazine Settlement Provides Millions to Water Utilities

A class action lawsuit alleging that the herbicide Atrazine contaminated various Midwestern water supplies has been settled. As part of the settlement, Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. (Syngenta), the maker of Atrazine, has agreed to pay $105 million to over 1100 class members, consisting of water utilities across the Midwest.  (Indianapolis will reportedly receive $1 million).

A Tribute to a Dutch Dairywoman

Indiana’s dairy industry lost one of its own this week, Leontien Van de Laar Oostdijck.  Anyone who ever met Leontien knows what a huge loss this is for us all.

Leontien was part of waive of Dutch immigrant farmers who sold their farms in Europe to move to Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana in latter part of the 20th century.  After investing their life savings and relocating to the Midwest, farmers like Leontien worked hard to make ends meet in their new country. Coming from a family of Dutch immigrants, I loved watching the “American dream” unfold before my very eyes.