Ohio vineyard owner relied on toxic weed killer. Now facing Parkinson’s, he wants it banned

Dave Jilbert, who always dreamed of being a farmer, is now battling Parkinson's disease and campaigning to ban a weed killer he believes is responsible. Jilbert attended agricultural school, established a homestead, started a winery, and eventually acquired 16 acres of farmland in Ohio's central valley. After about five years of growing grapes, he began to experience a decline in his physical abilities.

Soon after, the tremors began. In 2021, at the age of 61, Jilbert received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Jilbert asserts a connection between his Parkinson's diagnosis and his use of paraquat. He is now part of a growing movement to ban the herbicide.

Paraquat has been banned in dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom and China, where it is manufactured. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Syngenta, a subsidiary of a company owned by the Chinese government, continued to sell paraquat in the United States and other countries that have not banned it as of last year.

As Jilbert researched weed control when he first started growing grapes, he learned about the need to manage suckers, which are shoots that emerge at the base of the vine and impede fruit production. Removing these suckers by hand would take weeks, but spraying Gramoxone, a paraquat product made by Syngenta, only took a couple of days.

Jilbert said it was an effective herbicide.

From 2014 to 2018, Jilbert used a 50-gallon sprayer attached to his tractor to apply Gramoxone to the vineyard's seed bed. To purchase the product from a farming co-op, he needed a license. At the time, the required safety measures included wearing rubber gloves, a heavy shirt, and goggles. Current regulations now mandate respirators and enclosed cabs, among other precautions.

By 2020, Jilbert noticed stiffness in his hands while changing his tractor's oil, which he initially attributed to aging. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. when tremors began, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain condition.

Parkinson's disease arises when brain cells responsible for producing dopamine, a chemical that regulates movement, cease functioning or die. It is the world's fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease, with U.S. cases having increased by 50%, according to Parkinson's Foundation research.

Neurologist Ray Dorsey states that Parkinson's disease is largely preventable, noting that research indicates 87% of those diagnosed have no genetic risk factors. He suggests the cause is environmental.

Before starting medication, Jilbert struggled with everyday tasks like buttoning shirts and tying shoes. He then underwent a DaTscan of his brain as part of a research trial. The doctor explained that a healthy scan shows two bright commas, while a scan of someone with Parkinson's shows two periods. Jilbert's scan revealed two periods.

Almost five years later, Jilbert takes 11 pills daily. While his movement has improved, he experiences head bobbing and fluctuates between good and bad days.

Jilbert joined a mass action lawsuit against Syngenta and Chevron USA in 2021 after learning more about paraquat. He is one of thousands alleging that the chemical manufacturers were aware of paraquat's dangers but continued to sell it.

The lawsuit argues that the manufacturers should have known that paraquat was a highly toxic substance that could cause severe neurological injuries and should have taken steps to prevent harm from paraquat use.

Jilbert's lawsuit claims that he was exposed to paraquat while mixing, loading, and spraying it in his vineyard, inhaling small droplets of the pesticide. The suit also claims that the paraquat entered his bloodstream, attacked his nervous system, and was a substantial factor in causing his Parkinson's disease.

Jilbert has refrained from commenting on the pending litigation. A settlement agreement was reached earlier this year to resolve thousands of cases in Illinois, but negotiations are ongoing. If a settlement is not reached, the case could go to trial in 2026.

Syngenta maintains that settling does not mean paraquat causes Parkinson's disease, noting that litigation can be costly and distracting. The company stands by the safety of paraquat.

Syngenta also rejects the claims, stating that despite decades of investigation and over 1,200 epidemiological and laboratory studies of paraquat, no scientist or doctor has ever concluded in a peer-reviewed scientific analysis that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease. Chevron, which has not manufactured paraquat since 1986, also disputes the claims.

Paraquat has been banned in over 70 countries due to its risks to human health.

That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re-registered paraquat for another 15 years after determining there was no clear link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease, so its use is still permitted and widespread in the United States. Several advocacy groups have sued the EPA over this decision.

Since his Parkinson's diagnosis, Jilbert has joined the growing movement to ban paraquat and has lobbied lawmakers in Washington D.C. twice.

Democratic U.S. lawmakers, expressing grave concern, also urged the EPA last year to ban paraquat. Legislation has also been proposed in California and Pennsylvania that would prohibit it at the state level.

Jilbert retired from winemaking this summer. While his future with Parkinson's feels uncertain, he intends to spend his remaining time with his wife of 37 years. He is focused on what's to come.