LP Gas, July 2012
WEED CONTROL The FIGHT FIGHTfor for flame weeding An Arizona farmers ability to overcome regulations signals new opportunity for propane marketers in agriculture BY KEVIN YANIK Managing Editor T he moment was one for which Bob Berglund had waited nearly a year Now that the moment had arrived he wasnt quite ready to embrace it Sitting atop a tractor Berglund was preparing to let up on the clutch and drive into his cornfield to demonstrate how his brand new flameweeding equipment worked At the time Berglund had waited eight months for the Maricopa County Air Quality Department to rewrite a law that would allow him to actually use the propane powered equipment on Grandmas Farm in Phoenix Through the process of having the law rewritten Berglunds desire to use flame weeding technology caught the interest of air quality officials at the city county state and federal levels On this particular day Berglund had invited those officials as well as representatives from the equipment manufacturer to Grandmas Farm for a demonstration But now that demo time had arrived Berglund feared he might set his cornfield on fire and lose favor for the flame weeding equipment hed fought tirelessly to use Here I am with two acres of corn and Im scared to death to put the flames to it Berglund says The hardest thing Ive done in my entire life was go through that cornfield on the tractor the first time My leg did not want to let up on the clutch Eventually Berglund struck up the nerve to drive Flame weeding as seen above is poised to make a comeback because of environmental concerns with spraying chemicals Continued on page 24 www LPGasmagazine com July 2012 LPGas 23 COURTESY OF FLAME ENGINEERING
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