By Bethany Creaser, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
Each state’s pesticide rules are different. These differences can include the applicator categories offered by a state. The Pesticide Certification and Training Program at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has developed guidance tool to help pesticide companies and prospective pesticide applicators understand the Vermont applicator categories and which may align with a company’s work or an applicator’s intended pesticide usage in Vermont.
Typically, farmers are considered private applicators when
- farmers or their employees using pesticides on property/land owned or leased by the farm to produce an agricultural commodity.
- the farm wishes to use Class A (restricted use) pesticides or be able to train their own workers and handlers for the federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS).
If a farmer wishes to use a restricted-use pesticide on their property and it is not for agricultural use, then they would be treated as a non-commercial applicator and need to become certified as such or hire a certified commercial applicator with a certification in the correct category. Additionally, if a farmer is a commercial certified applicator in Category 1 and wishes to use restricted use pesticides on their own farm, they must obtain a private applicators certification. Private applicators who wish to apply pesticides aerially, or for soil or non-soil fumigation must also become certified in the respective sub-category.
Categories for Commercial, Non-commercial and Government applicators are for those who use or supervise the use of a pesticide. For information about the difference between commercial and non-commercial applicator, please visit: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/public-health-agricultural-resource-managementdivision/pesticide-programs/applicator-types
The goal of this guidance tool is to help you make the choice that fits best for the type of work you do. If you remain uncertain of which category you should obtain, please reach out to agr.pest@vermont.gov.