Safe Lawns
The Glenstone Model: A Landscape Plan for Businesses, Municipalities Everywhere
Make it a Point to Visit Maryland Museum in 2012
At the core of transformative learning theory, according to Wikipedia, is the process of “perspective transformation” with three dimensions: psychological, convictional and behavioral. True transformation in this world, according to many sources, is rare.
It has taken place, however, at a magnificent facility known as Glenstone, an art museum in Potomac, Md.
Prior to a phone call to SafeLawns in the early summer of 2010, the 150-acre facility with 16-acres of manicured lawn, functioned on the premise of IPM, known as integrated pest management in everyday landscape vernacular — or “instant pesticide manipulation” to the skeptics. Tasked with keeping the facility as emerald green and weed free as possible, Glenstone groundskeepers fertilized with synthetic chemicals, sprayed weeds and dealt with insects and fungal diseases with chemicals. They also hired outside contractors to spray plants just in case something might happen in the future.
All that stopped in July of 2010. The organization’s founders provided the psychological and convictional impetus that led to a behavioral change among the grounds crew.
It was such a major and sudden shift, I can admit to holding my own breath at times. The conventional wisdom, even among some organically oriented landscape professionals, is that the transition to organics takes three to five years. Many believe going organic is inherently “going ugly,” at least for a while.
Although it was never stated to me, part of me felt like if we did fail to deliver a beautiful landscape at any point in time then maybe that conviction to stay the organic course would be tested. Maybe the facility would revert to IPM, which may often loosely be defined as: “it’s OK to use pesticides as a last resort when nothing else is working.”
Eighteen months into one of the largest organic lawn care transformations anywhere in North America the grounds crew has never even had to consider going back. Given the true convictional transformation that has occurred — among the residents, the staff and the landscape crew — I can’t imagine synthetic chemicals will ever be openly sprayed again.
Just a few highlights of the results:
1) The grass has been green and lush, even in times of drought;
2) The lawn is fertilized with only compost top-dressings and sprays of compost tea, with only a single pound of organic nitrogen (alfalfa-based) fertilizer applied each year (per thousand square feet);
3) The limited weed pressure has been dealt with by spot spraying of Fiesta and other organic products, or by hand pulling;
4) The facility has SAVED MONEY on products and labor due to . . .
5) Vastly reduced mowing and watering, as well as elimination of all pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
The greatest thing about Glenstone from my perspective has been the facility’s willingness, even desire, to share what it’s learning with the world at large. We have hosted group tours with national horticultural dignitaries, held public events for local citizens and, just yesterday, hosted a VIP Open House for the greater DC environmental community. Enthralled attendees reached a unanimous conclusion: Glenstone’s beautiful, sustainable grounds serve as the model for the New American Landscape — where aesthetics and safety can co-exist.
Glenstone is funding research with the University of Maryland’s turfgrass department that is being replicated both at Glenstone and the UMD campus. Within the trials, composts and compost teas will go head to head with synthetic chemical products and results will be made public.
What we know already — stated above — is that Glenstone is saving money, just as any business, municipality or homeowner would if they follow what I call the Glenstone Model: 1) Stay committed; 2) Do it Right; 3) (that means) Don’t be afraid to do things differently.
Glenstone succeeded because it took a leap of faith, even though many of the techniques were inherently different from what had previously given the groundskeepers good results. Remember, Glenstone didn’t change because the grounds looked bad, or because it couldn’t afford the chemicals; Glenstone changed because founders were concerned about human, animal and planetary health within the context of providing a pleasant aesthetic experience to visitors.
I encourage anyone who visits the nation’s capitol to take the time to experience Glenstone, where viewings of the modern art galleries and grounds are arranged by appointment. The place may be the very polar opposite of Disney World, where millions of people visit at once. Glenstone is intended as a serene, intimate experience where the art and architecture integrate elaborately, yet quietly with a grand suburban landscape.
When you’re there, it’s as if you’re a guest in someone’s home — because essentially you are. No money changes hands. No one will try to sell you anything.
That doesn’t mean, however, you won’t leave transformed.
Horticulturists from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and other Mid-Atlantic institutions toured Glenstone in late November.
The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
For nearly two decades the New England Grows trade show has been among our favorite annual dates on the calendar. For me, it’s where I cut my proverbial teeth in the horticulture industry, first as a landscaper, then as a publisher and television host and in recent years as an activist.
When you’ve been going to the same big party for 20 years you tend to know a lot of people, recognize even more faces and many of those — certainly not all — were smiling my way the past two days in the wake of the perceived “victory” we helped forge against Scotts Miracle Gro. That company, you might have heard, tried to shovel millions of dollars in the direction of the National Wildlife Foundation to whitewash its admission of forged documents among other wrongdoings in federal court.
SafeLawns led the chorus of organizations protesting the National Wildlife Association’s money grab and, as a result, we heard a lot of “Way to go!” comments on the trade show floor in Boston. We also dealt with a few chemical industry supporters saying “You’ve got a lot of nerve to show your face here,” too, but those folks were clearly in the minority.
At one point we engaged in a lengthy conversation with several folks including Steve Castorini, the co-founder of American Beauties native plants. He has his own partnership with the National Wildlife Federation; funds from the sales of his plants are donated in support of the NWF’s Garden for Wildlife Program.
Steve was clearly annoyed. The National Wildlife Association’s self-imposed stain, by association, isn’t good for his stellar brand and it underminds his good intentions.
“The National Wildlife Federation should have known better,” said Nancy Dubrule-Clement, owner of Natureworks Garden Center for the past 29 years.
THE ISSUE OF NON-PROFIT FOUNDATIONS AND TAINTED MONEY has been all over the news lately, constantly raising the question of whether or not it’s OK for organizations like ours and others to accept funds from sources with less than pure intentions.
The National Wildlife Foundation’s ill-fated dalliance with Scotts Miracle Gro isn’t even close to the biggest story of this week. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, the nation’s largest breast cancer fund, is in hot water right now for withdrawing money from Planned Parenthood. Critics say it was a politically charged decision based on the Republican influence of new leadership that doesn’t like Planned Parenthood’s ties to abortion rights.
Just yesterday word came down that the august Sierra Club, perhaps the nation’s most influential environmentally oriented non-profit, had allegedly accepted $30 million from the natural gas industry without most people knowing. The gas industry is embroiled in a nationwide controversy about an insidious practice known as fracking that imperils underground supplies of fresh water. Some suggest that the gas industry “bought” the defacto endorsement of the previous Sierra Club CEO, Carl Pope, who had campaigned openly in favor of natural gas as an alternative to coal.
IN A PROVOCATIVE ARTICLE, the current CEO of the Sierra Club really got to the heart of the issue that all of us face when we’re trying to fulfill our mission of protecting the planet.
“The first rule of advocacy is that you shouldn’t take money from industries and companies you’re trying to change,” said Michael Brune.
That comment flies in the face of remarks by National Wildlife Federation CEO Larry Schweiger last week, who tried to sell the idea that he could help Scotts Miracle Gro “become a better company” — while simultaneously accepting their money.
That, for many of us, just doesn’t pass the sniff test. Or, as my grandfather would often say, “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Put another way: Can anyone really rail against an organization when said organization is, at least indirectly, feeding your family?
It’s not easy, though. For years, my former publishing company People, Places & Plants wouldn’t accept advertising dollars from any companies that sold synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and we also eschewed the big box stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s because they were seen to be bad competition for our core customer — the family owned garden center.
Our publication and television show often suffered financially due to the stubborn refusal to change our standards. At SafeLawns, our corporate sponsorships and private membership funds have never quite recovered from the economic crash of 2008; we could do so much more with more money from the chemical companies who, in our view, are trying to “greenwash” their image by an association with us.
In 2010, when the Sierra Club changed CEOs and stopped taking money from the natural gas industry, reports say that many jobs within the organization were lost — thereby potentially diminishing the organization’s ability to do good things. It’s a valid argument, one to which many adhere.
And the money aside, we all need partnerships to get by in this world. In a perfect world all of our friends, family and business associates would share the same ideals and ethics. But we all know about the world’s imperfections.
The Komen for the Cure folks, for example, have been lauded for practically inventing the idea of cause marketing. In their case they allow companies to “wear” the pink ribbon in exchange for a marketing program that leads to a donation back to Komen. In many cases those programs have worked well, helping to fund hundreds of thousands of breast exams annually.
In other cases, Komen’s motives have been brought into question. Allowing KFC to run long with a “Bucket for the Cure” campaign didn’t go over well with the critics who thought fried chicken wasn’t the optimum dietary supplement for heart patients and cancer survivors. They charged KFC with “pinkwashing,” in other words trying to veil its unhealthy food with the Komen association.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ALL ABOUT being able to walk down the aisle of a trade show, a local grocery store and most importantly your family’s dinner table with your head held high. Many times in my life and career that dinner table could have been more amply covered if I had made different decisions in my business affiliations.
We’re not perfect here. Far from it. I know we’ve made questionable decisions, too.
Be we do think the Sierra Club’s Michael Brune has it right. If you’re an activist or non-profit that really wants to make a difference in the world, you need to roll up your sleeves . . . and keep your hands as clean as possible.
Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade
Big news out of Canada this morning. The province of Manitoba’s prime minister said he plans to implement a ban of pesticides used for aesthetic purposes on lawns and gardens. That would leave just three provinces without bans. Here’s the story: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cosmetic-pesticides-face-ban-in-province-138465249.html
Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams
SafeLawns, Surfriders Share Common Goals of a Healthier Planet
The SafeLawns Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation share the common goals of keeping the water clean. (Geoff Glenn photo)
If there’s one truism we’ve found as we begin our seventh year at the SafeLawns Foundation, it’s to expect the unexpected. To that end, last week we enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Surfrider Foundation, a group that initially came together in 1984 to protest threats to their local surf break at Malibu Point in California.
These days the Surfrider Foundation maintains more than 50,000 members, 80 chapters worldwide and, as we discovered, one of the most robust standards for earth friendly gardening of any group on the planet.
Homeowners who pledge to meet the proper criteria are allowed to post this sign in their yards.
“Bad lawn and garden practices are especially bad for the oceans,” said Paul Herzog, the Surfrider Foundation’s national coordinator of the Ocean Friendly Gardens Program. “All of that runoff from chemical fertilizers and pesticides eventually winds up in the ocean somewhere. So anything we can do to work together to minimize the impact of lawns and gardens is good for all of us.”
The Ocean Friendly Gardens program includes an ambitious homeowner criteria (below) that addresses everything from downspouts to drip irrigation.
“An Ocean Friendly Garden is a garden that applies CPR — Conservation, Permeability, and Retention© — to revive the health of our watersheds and oceans,” reads the campaign slogan.
An OFG Sign will be awarded to any garden that achieves the organization’s criteria. And it doesn’t matter if you live in Malibu or somewhere in Michigan, Minnesota or Maine . . . these are all good rules to live by in the landscape:
CONSERVATION
Turf Areas
* Climate-appropriate turf grass is limited to 20% of total square footage of the landscaped area.
* Turf grass is limited to only those areas where it serves a specific purpose (documented play area).
* Turf grass is maintained organically without synthetic fertilizers and never over-watered.
* Turf grass is kept away from the perimeter of the garden, where irrigation overspray is hard to control.
* Cool season turf grass is not in front yard gardens in areas receiving less than an average 44 inches of annual rainfall.
* Warm season turf grass, if present, is not over-seeded with cool season grass during winter months.
Irrigation
* No automatic irrigation is utilized OR: Irrigation system is in good repair (no breaks or leaks) with no visible signs from stains on nearby hard surfaces or erosion on vegetated surfaces from repeated overspray or runoff. (See maintenance details below)
* No spray irrigation of any kind is installed in areas less than 10 feet wide OR a total surface area of less than 100 square feet.
* Drip irrigation is ½ inch diameter tubing or larger — utilizing either line source (”in-line”) OR point source emitters (”on line”).
* No 1/4″ diameter irrigation tubing is present, except where needed for irrigating containers and raised beds. (See maintenance details below)
* Hoses have shut-off attachments.
* A weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC) or “smart” irrigation controller is installed OR
* Absent a WBIC, the irrigation controller has a rain shut-off installed.
Mulch
* A minimum of 2 inches to 4 inches of natural woodchip mulch is present in all planted and open areas.
* 50% or more of the woodchip mulch must be smaller than 1 inch in length or diameter.
* Small open mulch-free areas are permitted if they are designated for native bee or insect habitat.
Plants
* Plants are grouped according to plant community or hydrozones including:
* Similar sunlight exposure, water requirements, root depth, soil type, hardiness and
temperature adaptation, and/or size at maturity.
* New gardens are planted with sufficient space between plants to accommodate mature growth without over-crowding, and to minimize pruning at maturity.
* Plants requiring regular shearing are not permitted, unless they are edible or produce edible fruit.
PERMEABILITY
Healthy Living Soil
* Soil health is maintained organically without chemical additives.
* Soil health is maintained by the addition of compost, compost tea, and worm castings.
* Soil is not visible beneath a mulch layer, EXCEPT
* Areas 4 inches-12 inches around the crown of woody plants should remain un-mulched, and
* Areas 12 inches to 60 inches around the trunks of trees should remain un-mulched.
These un-mulched areas should be minimized, but depends on the size of tree/plant crown.
Our choices in gardening products, as well as how water flows in and around our landscape, can have tremendous impact on the water system at large
Permeable Hardscape
* Walkways and patios are made permeable with
* Plants, mulch or decomposed granite in gaps between pavers or other hard surfaces; OR
* Materials that permit water to “flow-through,” e.g., permeable concrete or asphalt.
* Impermeable surfaces or minimally permeable surfaces, such as permeable pavers or decomposed granite, are graded to direct excess surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas.
* Existing impermeable surfaces such as driveways or large patio areas have been altered to direct surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas or retention/detention devices.
* Plant material is 80% climate-appropriate unless it is edible or produces edible fruit. (Climate-appropriate plant material is defined as plant material with a Species Factor or Crop Co-efficient of 50% or less or is described by reliable local references as a “medium” water-using plant in the particular climate. In California, use www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/docs/ for Species Factors.)
* Local native plant material is utilized for at least 10% of the visible garden area, whether or not the other plant material is edible or produces edible fruit.
* No invasive species are present. Invasive species are defined as those listed on the local Invasive Plant Council website as invasive or on the “watch list”. (General information at: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver, and in California http://www.cal-ipc.org.)
Water Features
* Water features may improve the habitat of the garden and are allowed within these guidelines:
* Water is recycled by the water feature.
* Open water features are covered at least 50% by vegetation,
* All water features are maintained without chemicals or additives that are toxic to fish.
* Overflow from the water feature drains into a vegetated area.
* Swimming pools and chemically treated water bodies are drained to sewer systems.
* Swimming pools must be covered to minimize evaporation when not in use.
RETENTION
Downspout Re-direct
* If gutters are installed, all visible downspouts are directed away from impermeable surfaces into vegetated areas, mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Rain chains and other devices to slow the fall of water are recommended as a replacement for downspouts.
* If gutters are not installed, surfaces beneath the roof eaves are EITHER
* Vegetated with hearty plants that can withstand the beating; OR
* Covered with mulch, gravel or other sturdy and permeable materials, AND
* Hardscape surfaces beneath roof eaves are altered to create areas of permeability and direct surface flow of rainwater into vegetated or mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Drains carrying roof runoff or surface drain runoff from back yards or areas not visible to the street are
EITHER:
* Directed into rainbarrels or cisterns at the downspouts to slow and reduce the flow of water into the drainage system, OR
* Disconnected from their overflow to street and re-directed into a vegetated or mulched area.
Sponge Gardens (Rain Gardens)
* The visible garden area has been designed to capture as much of the rainfall from rooftops and other impermeable surfaces as possible.
* The flat areas on the property have been replaced with high and low contoured areas (”graded retention areas”) to prevent rainfall from “sheeting” across the garden and off the property – helping to retain the first 1″ of rainwater after a dry spell: AND/OR
* A dry creek bed or vegetated swale (”bioswale”) captures the majority of the surface flow of downspout water and water from adjacent hard surfaces, creating sufficient area to slow, spread and sink it.
* Dry creek beds or vegetated swales are designed to hold at least 1″ of rain from roof and adjacent hard surfaces, AND
* Rainfall in excess of 1″ or the water-holding capacity of the garden, whichever is greater, is safely directed off-site after having been run through vegetated areas, including bioswales and creek beds, to remove pollutants and retain sediment.
* At least one tree or very large shrub has been planted at its proper distance from hard surfaces and buildings to help naturally store water for the entire garden.
Retention Devices
Rainbarrels or above-ground cisterns are visible and are:
* Installed properly in accordance with any prevailing local building standards or codes,
* Secured for safety purposes, and
* Overflow into vegetated or mulched areas, AND/OR
* Below surface retention areas and devices such as dry wells or cisterns are utilized to do the same.
Maintenance Details
1. Valve assemblies installed properly & in permeable areas (preferably surrounded by mulch or gravel).
2. Irrigation shut-off valves are easily identified.
3. Separate irrigation valves are utilized for each hydrozone (see “hydrozone” description in 4a below).
4. Back-flow prevention and pressure regulation is visible in or at the valve assembly.
Irrigation Details
1. Spray irrigation is matched precipitation, “multi-stream, multi-trajectory.”
2. Spray irrigation requires anti-drain check valves to prevent low head drainage.
3. Spray irrigation heads of any kind are installed at least 24 inches from hard surfaces and buildings.
Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts
SafeLawns followers are celebrating a victory today.
Succumbing to a barrage of criticism from the environmental community — and in the wake of a guilty plea from Scotts Miracle Gro in federal court — the National Wildlife Federation announced to members this afternoon that is would end its sponsorship deal with the world’s largest purveyor of toxic lawn and garden products.
The announcement of a promotional deal between Scotts and NWF posted 10 days ago confounded thousands of followers of the organization known for its environmental stewardship programs. The organization’s leadership steadfastly defended its deal last week, but apparently had no idea that Scotts Miracle Gro would soon plead guilty last Thursday to charges of falsifying documents and selling bird seed tainted with pesticides that are toxic to birds.
At approximately 4 p.m. today, Ed Coleman, the general manager of customer service at NWF, issued this statement:
“The National Wildlife Federation has worked together with Scotts Miracle-Gro over the past two years on programs to educate gardeners about global warming, connect children to the outdoors and help restore habitat following the Gulf oil disaster. Both parties recently announced plans for an even broader partnership that was based on our common interests.
“Since that time, Scotts announced a pending legal settlement related to events in 2008 that predate our partnership, which has made it clear that the partnership is not viable. Therefore, NWF and Scotts will work together to end the partnership in a friendly and mutually beneficial way.
“National Wildlife Federation appreciates your continuing support.”
Coleman also posted his email (colemane@nwf.org) and phone number (703-438-6205) with the message.
Reaction was celebratory, even euphoric, from SafeLawns followers who have been emailing, phoning and protesting in various ways in the past week.
“We won!” said Marie Ross. “This proves the power of social media once again.”
“It’s too bad it took the federal court case for the NWF to come to its senses, but at least it did,” said Jonathan R. Douglass.
Many others thanked SafeLawns directly for helping to lead a charge last week with a series of postings about the story.
“Thanks, Paul, for all you do,” said a message from a group known as StopPesticidesinNeedham. “I suspect all our letters combined with the reality that Scotts is such a dirty company made the NWF realize this was not good.”
Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records
UPDATE: Petition Asks NWF to Say No to Scotts’ Sponsorship: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-nwf-from-partnering-with-scottsmonsanto/
HOW’S THIS FOR SUSPICIOUS TIMING?
On the same week Scotts Miracle Gro tried to buy an image upgrade by sponsoring the National Wildlife Federation, word has come out of a federal court that the company will pay millions of dollars in fines for selling bird seed it knew was tainted with pesticides toxic to birds.
Though the company had no comment yesterday, it pleaded guilty to charges that it sold 73 MILLION UNITS of tainted bird seed from 2005 to 2008. According to an article in today’s Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, the company continued to sell the bird seed “despite warnings in the summer and fall of 2007 from a pesticide chemist and an ornithologist, both of whom worked for the company.”
The company also pleaded guilty yesterday to falsifying documents with the Environmental Protection Agency so that it could rush new weed ‘n feed and ant killing products to market back in 2006. When Scotts’ fallacy was revealed — after the products containing cancer-causing agents had already been on the market for two years — the company blamed the actions on a single female employee, who was abruptly fired after years with the company.
Many in and around the company called her an obvious “scapegoat,” who unjustifiably took the blame for an error that could not possibly have been hers and hers alone. In a 2008 article in the same Columbus newspaper, Scotts spokesman Jim King admitted the fired employee had a supervisor who reviewed her work, but the supervisor was not terminated according to people within Scotts.
“There aren’t very many people working for Scotts in that end of the company,” said our colleague at Scotts who asked not to be named. “But I knew the woman who was let go very well and it would be completely out of character for her to knowingly falsify records.”
When SafeLawns phoned the woman this morning, she pleasantly declined comment, as she has done previously with other media inquiries.
Meanwhile, our phone and email in-box has been lit up today as the story of Scotts’ latest transgression spreads across North America.
The company, many folks believe, must have known this ruling in federal court was coming down for several months. The timing of the sponsorship with the National Wildlife Federation, announced by NWF on Jan. 18, was clearly designed to draw attention away from what is believed to be the largest fine ever levied on a pesticide company.
“It is whitewashing at the highest, most obvious level,” said Rand Jordan. “I’ve yanked my NWF habitat sign out of my backyard. I’ll never, ever support them again.”
Many called on the National Wildlife Federation to return Scotts’ money and demand that the world’s largest purveyor of lawn and garden poisons change its ways.
“I’m sickened. Just sickened about the whole thing,” said Sue Leonard of Fort Worth, Texas.
As Wildlife Federation Defends Its Greed, Scotts Continues to Assault Our Sensibilities
UPDATE: Petition Asks NWF to Say No to Scotts’ Sponsorship: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-nwf-from-partnering-with-scottsmonsanto/
Did any of you catch the beleaguered CEO of the National Wildlife Federation defiantly attempt to justify his recent deal with Scotts Miracle Gro that we reported on earlier today? Looking more like a man who will probably be forced to resign soon than someone we ought to trust with our important environmental decisions, Larry Schweiger declared, “I will not apologize for working with Scotts.”
The full interview, conducted awkwardly by long-time NWF staffer Kevin Coyle, can be watched here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/presidential-response-01-25-12. It really does come off as an incredibly interesting case study of an organization that just made the worst public relations move of its career — with little or no skill set in place for spin control. Every time Coyle tried to ask Schweiger about the toxicity of Roundup and weed ‘n feed, the CEO grimaced and said, “We don’t have to agree on everything in order to work together to find answers to the tough problems.”
Time and time again in the interview Schweiger insisted that it was better to deal with this devil, Scotts Miracle Gro, from close range. That way, he said, he can help Scotts become better environmental citizen.
“They want to change. They want to be a better company,” said Schweiger.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Jim Hagedorn, the CEO of Scotts Miracle Gro, signed up for that ringing endorsement when he signed the check over to Schweiger. Do you really think Hagedorn thinks his company needs to improve its environmental record?
More likely, though, Hagedorn wasn’t watching Schweiger squirm. Instead he was probably paying close attention in Florida today where his company is leading a fierce battle to overturn that state’s many bans on the applications of lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen. The fertilizer runs off during the rainy season and creates massive blooms of red-tide. That’s bad for the state’s fishing and tourism industry — something you think the National Wildlife Federation should care about — but a ban on the fertilizers in the nation’s second largest lawn care market has been also bad for Scotts’ bottom line.
Think about that. On the very day Schweiger defends Scotts in front of a camera looking like his tie is three clenches too tight, Scotts is a few states away making Schweiger’s decision looking more asinine by the hour.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Club asked everyone in Florida to take a look at this map that shows where the fertilizer runoff is having a huge impact:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&mpa=0&ctz=300&mpf=0&vps=15&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=211539618625491573613.0004b1b520a27d0c8cb86. Wouldn’t disseminating that kind of information be a better use of NWF’s time than defending its recent money grab?
Near the end of the interview Schweiger insisted that he’s been an environmental activist his whole career for the sake of his grandkids — like the kids everywhere who roll around in lawn care poisons at 30 million homes from Maine to California.
It seems to me, if I could make a suggestion to the National Wildlife Federation, that there’s an real opportunity at hand here if Mr. Schweiger really does care about his progeny and the planet.
He needs to stand up tall — and loud — and say he’s sorry. He needs to say he made a bad decision in taking the Scotts money. He needs to say he won’t take another dollar from Scotts or any company like it until the companies stop making products that can poison his grandkids.
That would effect change. That would (or might) MAKE Scotts take notice. That would fulfill the mission of the National Wildlife Federation and restore the trust for tens of thousands of supporters who were disillusioned this week.
Until he does that the tie is only going to get tighter.
Miracle Gro Deal with Wildlife Federation Outrages Environmental Community
NOTE: Here is an update on this story, posted at 4 p.m.: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/as-wildlife-federation-defends-its-greed-scotts-continues-to-assault-our-sensibilities/
The attempted whitewashing by the chemical companies has been rampant lately. First TruGreen ChemLawn tried to buy public opinion by sending millions of dollars to Earth Day. Then Scotts Miracle Gro did buy out Major League Baseball.
SafeLawns and its allies were able to block the insidious ChemLawn deal with Earth Day, but Major League Baseball didn’t flinch under a barrage of comments and still hangs “Scotts is Used Here” banners in Major League Baseball ballparks to give homeowners the illusion that they can have Fenway Park in their back yard just by dumping on some weed ‘n feed.
Now Scotts Miracle Go is at it again. In the past two days word has come down that the world’s largest purveyor of lawn chemical poisons has bought its way into the National Wildlife Federation’s heart. This is the non-profit organization that is supposed to be protecting our wildlife and promoting a healthy lifestyle, yet NWF is now grabbing fistfuls of cash from the very company that makes heading outdoors unhealthy for our kids.
The environmental community is outraged.
“As far as I’m concerned, there is no amount of greenwashing in the world that can clean up the reputation of Scotts,” wrote Carole Brown of Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens. “Why would the National Wildlife Federation want to enter into this deal with the devil? Well, they’re a non-profit organization that exists through the generosity of their donors. And what better way to fill their coffers than to enter into an agreement with a company that generates billions of dollars of profits every year? Who cares if that company makes those billions from dumping tons and tons of chemical herbicides and pesticides into our lawns and gardens, which then runs off wreaking havoc with our streams and watersheds? I care!”
We first heard about this yesterday from our friend and colleague, Joe Lamp’l, the host of Growing a Greener World on PBS. As we were touring our organic lawn trials at the University of Maryland, Joe told us the blogs were afire and folks were calling on SafeLawns to help draw attention to an obvious miscarriage of social justice.
Many other associates began calling us, too, and then posting their opinions on the National Wildlife Foundation Facebook page. Emotions are clearly raw.
“I really really looked up to the NWF as a kid (which I became aware of through reading Ranger Rick!!), and hoped someday I could have a yard certified as a NWF approved backyard habitat,” wrote poster Mary Lai. “It really breaks my heart to see the NWF partner up with a company like Scotts Miracle Gro. I know the economy is going through lean times, but this just isn’t the right way to get funding. ”
Many were calling on friends, followers and colleagues to make life miserable for the NWF. It was the kind of tactic that got Earth Day to cave two years ago and rescind the ChemLawn money. Some suggest tweeting a message to NWF on twitter, including @NWF in your message, or calling NWF: 1-703-438-6000 to chat with the organization’s headquarters.
It’s obvious the NWF is already taking note of the concern and the organization’s PR team is out in force defending its decision and claiming that taking the cash doesn’t equate to a defacto endorsement of Scotts Miracle Gro or its products.
But, of course, it does.
Our board at SafeLawns has long insisted that we review the product offerings of the companies from whom we accept corporate sponsorships. And even though companies like Scotts Miracle Gro do offer a smattering of so-called organic products these days, the vast majority of their stuff is wildly polluting and incredibly toxic for our pets and our kids. So we’d never accept their money under any circumstances. The National Wildlife Federation shouldn’t, either — not until Scotts Miracle Gro stands up and denounces the production, distribution and sale of its products like Roundup, weed ‘n feed, Bug Be Gone and all the myriad products that have been proven to be toxic.
My gut feeling here is that NWF won’t cave to the pressure and it will keep the money. They’ll justify it when they crawl into bed at night with the notion that they’re “cleaning up” Scotts dirty profits. A lot of non-profits feel this way; they don’t care where the money comes from as long as they do good things with the money. Do you think the Catholic church does a background check on everyone before it passes the hat down the pew? Well, neither do most other organizations who otherwise try to do good work with whatever cash they can scrape together.
I’ve also heard impassioned arguments from folks I respect greatly who feel that it’s best to work with the worst environmental offenders from the inside out. Recently I heard Peter Seligmann, the charismatic founder of Conservation International, explain his decision to accept money and other support from WalMart several years ago. The result of his efforts was WalMart’s decision to adopt numerous green initiatives and the company is now the largest seller of organic food in the world.
Seligmann’s well-thought-out “keep your environmental enemies close” strategy has helped effect real change, in other words. WalMart may still be doing some bad stuff, but it’s better than it used to be. That’s how begrudgingly difficult progress happens.
The real problem in the Scotts Miracle Gro marriage with National Wildlife is that nothing in NWF’s rhetoric, so far at least, acknowledges that Scotts Miracle Gro has heretofore been killing the environment. Nothing in the press release states that there’s a goal in place to reduce environmental toxins sold by its newfound benefactor. All NWF appears to be presenting is a series of events that gives Scotts a chance to pretend to give a damn about the environment.
Scotts Miracle Gro continues to claim publicly that its products are safe when used as directed — and the whole damn environmental community knows it’s a lie. NWF knows it’s a lie, too.
So, yes. Please post your opinions to the NWF Facebook page. Leave a message on the organization’s web site: http://www.nwf.org/About/Contact-Us.aspx.
If NWF is going to keep this money then we need to make the organization understand just how soiled we think it has become.
First Stop, Sacramento: SafeLawns Spring Tour Rounding into Focus
With a new book (Tag, Toss & Run) and campaign (Lawn Games for LIfe) on the way for the spring of 2012, the SafeLawns spring calendar is quickly filling up and taking shape. Please take a look below and note when we’ll be in your area.
The season gets off to an early start this weekend, Jan. 28, at the Eco-Landscape California symposium in Woodland, Ca., just outside of Sacramento. Focusing on business sustainability, the conference features SafeLawns founder Paul Tukey and natural soil expert Jeff Lowenfels as keynote presenters. A screening of the award-winning film, A Chemical Reaction, will cap off the day.
Registration is nearing capacity according to organizers, but anyone interested in attending can click here: http://www.ecolandscape.org/eventsConference.html. The fee is $179.
Here is a look at the SafeLawns calendar (involving Paul Tukey) through early April (note: if you’re interesting in scheduling a talk, film screening, games festival or consultation, email Paul@SafeLawns.org):
Feb. 4 — Potomac, Md. — The Glenstone Foundation (www.glenstone.org) is hosting a private reception for the environmental community to showcase its landscape sustainability initiatives from 9 a.m. to noon. If you’re a member of the environmental community, an anti-pesticide activist or a curious or concerned environmental citizen who lives in that region, email Paul@SafeLawns.org and we can talk about getting you on the guest list. Paul T. will be a guest of honor, along with the University of Maryland professors who are conducting the organic lawn care study on the Glenstone grounds.
March 5 — Philadelphia — Paul Tukey will showcase some of the games from his new book, Tag, Toss & Run, at the Philadelphia International Flower Show at 7 p.m. Although the official unveiling of the book doesn’t come until March 11 when co-author Victoria Rowell joins him on stage in Philly, word has it the publisher (Storey) will make books available by that evening. The talk is free with a show admission ticket.
March 10 — Portland, Maine — Paul Tukey will be the Saturday morning kickoff speaker at 10:30 a.m. at the Portland Flower Show, a show he used to run when he lived in Maine. The topic, once again, will be the new book, Tag, Toss & Run. If books are available, he’ll do a signing after the talk, which is free with a show admission ticket.
March 11 — Philadelphia — Co-author and actress Victoria Rowell will join Paul Tukey at the Philadelphia International Flower Show for a two-hour presentation beginning at 1 p.m. for the official unveiling of their book, Tag, Toss & Run. The event will include on-stage game demonstrations and a book signing. Have you ever played Quoits? It’s a horseshoe-like game played professionally by some folks in the steel towns of Pennsylvania — some of whom will be on hand for an exhibition. This event is going to be a blast! It’s free, too, with a show admission ticket.
March 18 — Boston — Victoria and Paul will be together again at the Boston Flower Show at the World Trade Center beginning at 3:30 p.m. Just like in Philly, there will be games demonstrations and book signings.
March 27 — Ridgefield, Connecticut — The local garden club in this quaint town on the New York border will host Paul Tukey for a discussion of sustainable landscaping. For more information about fees and times, contact Kitsey Snow at kitsey.snow (at) gmail.com.
March 29 — Madison, Wisconsin — A full day of events is planned, all focusing on pesticide reduction and landscape sustainability. In the morning, Paul Tukey will be meeting with several area schools for assemblies. At lunch, he’ll meet with municipal officials. In the afternoon, the Olbrich Botanic Garden will host a three-hour symposium for land care professionals from 1-4 p.m. A homeowner event is also being planned for that evening. Mark your calendars and check back for more details in the coming weeks.
March 30-31 — Chicago — The Chicago Botanic Gardens will host a two-day symposium focused on landscape sustainability. The first day will be geared for professionals; the second day will be more appropriate for homeowners. Here are more details: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/major-american-lawn-landscape-conference-set-for-chicago-in-march/.
March 30-31 — New Haven, Ct. — SafeLawns is proud to co-sponsor the 30th National Pesticide Forum titled Healthy Communities: Green Solutions for Safe Environments with our friends at Beyond Pesticides at Yale University. A dynamic two-days or tours, lectures and panel discussions is planned for what will surely be an overflow crowd. Here are the details: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/forum/index.htm.
April 2-5 — Orlando, Fla. — Walt Disney World will host a week of SafeLawns talks on landscape sustainability and old-fashioned outdoor games presented by Paul Tukey as a part of its annual Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. Hour-long talks, followed by book signings, will be held each day at noon and 3 p.m.
Researchers Link Roundup to Male Infertility
A four-person team led by Gilles-Eric Séralini, professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen in France, recently revealed yet another study that links the weed killer known as Roundup to infertility — this time in males.
The report, titled Toxicol in Vitro, revealed that exposures of as low as one part per million of Roundup had the effect of reducing testosterone levels in male rats by more than a third. That exposure rate is well below the level a farmer or gardener would experience in a typical weed-killing session with a spray bottle or backpack sprayer.
Séralini, who has focused his research on Roundup for nearly two decades, has previously proven that Roundup kills placental cells and is also responsible for spontaneous abortion.
Ice Traction Aids? Avoid Salt on Lawns and Plants
Here’s a breakdown of various products available for use, with a review of whether or not they’ll harm your landscape: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2011/01/calcium-based-ice-melt-is-safer-for-lawns/
Major American Lawn & Landscape Conference Set for Chicago in March
One of the nation’s best educational opportunities for professionals and homeowners is coming to the Midwest in late March. Titled the “Lawn & Landscape Summit: Chicago 2012,” the event will bring together two leading golf course superintendents, along with a renowned arborist and several of the most progressive landscape products companies for two days of lectures and panel discussions at the Chicago Botanic Gardens in Glencoe, Ill.
The SafeLawns Foundation will serve as co-host of the event with Calcium Products Inc., the soil amendment manufacturer from Iowa, as well as the Safer Pest Control Project of Chicago and a local conservation campaign known as Lawn to Lake. Among the scheduled presenters are Paul Cushing, the Assistant Deputy Director of the golf division for the city of San Diego that manages the Torrey Pines Golf Course, along with Jeff Carlson, the superintendent of the Vineyard Club on Martha’s Vineyard. Arborist Peter Wild of Boston Tree Preservation is also expected to talk about stem injection of trees as a defense against exotic invasive insects such as the emerald ash borer.
Presentations on Friday, March 30, will be geared for professionals, while the sessions on Saturday morning, March 31, will be prepared for homeowners. Other sponsoring companies include Milorganite, the long-time fertilizer manufacturer from Milwaukee, and Natural Industries, which makes the nation’s best natural fungicides.
For more information, visit www.lawnandlandscapesummit.com.
Bee Evidence Builds . . . The Government Sleeps . . . And YOU Need to Take Action
Will you help?
It’s been five years since SafeLawns blew the whistle on the fact that a group of pesticides was responsible for the sudden die-off of bees known as colony collapse disorder. We were threatened with lawsuits and endured a smear campaign, but ultimately our bee story has been picked up by thousands of other media outlets.
It’s been a year since America’s top bee scientist finally agreed with us and all the other organizations that had reached the conclusion that these pesticides — synthetic nicotines known as imidacloprid and clothianidin — were killing bees. This was the “smoking gun” research that SHOULD have compelled our government to finally take action to protect the bees once and for all.
But nothing. Several films have been produced to draw attention to the matter. Bee keepers have visited Washington, D.C., to beg the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Agriculture to take action. But still nothing.
Most recently on Jan. 3 a new study out of Purdue University signed, sealed and delivered the bee science. In lay terms, the scientists found that bees get poisoned: 1) when the synthetic pesticides are applied to fields and lawns; 2) when the pesticides wind up in the pollen of dandelions and other flowers in and around the fields and lawns; and 3) when bees drink water contaminated by pesticides. In other words, if the pesticides are applied, the bees will find them.
The national pesticide group Beyond Pesticides is trying to get the word out about this new study. Mother Jones and its excellent environmental writer, Tom Philpott, is also staying on top of the case:
http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/01/purdue-study-implicates-bayer-pesticide-bee-die-offs. Meanwhile, as Philpott reports, the manufacturer of these pesticides, Bayer, continues to accumulate record sales.
This comes down to the health of our food system and planet vs. the health of Bayer’s bottom line. Five years ago our first headline asked: “Is Bayer Killing the Bees?” The answer has proven to be yes.
The government is still sitting idly by . . . but we can’t let it.
In this, a campaign year, ask all your elected officials if they understand colony collapse disorder and the fact that bees are necessary for at least a third of the meals we consume. Take a few minutes of your own time to send a comment to this link: http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0865-0001.
Better still, contact EPA’s Jim Jones at Jones.jim@epa.gov or call him at 1-202-564-2902 to demand that the agency bans synthetic nicotine pesticides — just like they did years ago in France, Germany and several other countries. If enough of you call or email, you will get noticed.
You can make a difference.
Guest Blog: ‘I Gave You This Knowledge . . . And What Did You Do With It?’
We received this personal note recently. We receive dozens of notes weekly that arrive like little pep pills to carry us through the days, but this one reached out and grabbed us even more than usual — maybe because it reminded us of a poem we have cited here before by Drew Dellinger titled Hieroglyphic Stairway. The poem’s classic last line . . . “what did you do once you knew?” . . . is evoked at the end of this note.
The author of this note, for now, shall remain anonymous to protect her from the potential wrath of her neighbors and co-workers. But we applaud her for speaking out in the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that she can. It’s what we all need to do, isn’t it?
Hello Paul,
I give you a lot of credit for what you do. After I got cancer this June I was and am still stunned by our society and the use of pesticides. I know in my heart that some environmental toxin caused my cancer. I had always gotten my period every 28 days up until the age of 46. I skipped a month in March 2010 and then it was quite heavy. I cried, “Oh, no, I am in menopause,” but then my cycles resumed every 28 days until March or April came again in 2011. Menopause is not seasonal and March and April are when the lawn chemical trucks drive up and down the streets.
I have male neighbors who have prostate cancer directly across the street and even a 23-year-old who had testicular cancer at the end of the street. I spread the word to all of my immediate neighbors telling them not to use the lawn chemicals because they cause cancer and none of them listen. I have my neighbor directly next door who is a RN In oncology with the hospital that treated me. I printed out your article about Round Up and they wrote back: “Please leave us alone we don’t use lawn chemicals on your yard, and if you and your cat stayed off of ours there wouldn’t be a problem. We are not breaking the law and do not intrude on your lives, as you do ours. Stop harrassing us now! My oncologist at work says that using lawn chemicals in moderation is safe and we will continue to do so.”
For God sake I did not show them evidence from Bozo the clown that lawn chemicals are carcinogenic. I try to not only protect myself from exposure that could cause my cancer to reoccur, but I showed them the evidence to protect every man, woman, and child that does have exposure to it. I can’t begin to tell you the pain I felt because of this neighbor and the many others who are anti-social by all accounts.
Another neighbor — and you won’t believe this — had breast cancer surgery 14 years ago. She has had it in her bones for five years now. When I told her about the lawn chemicals she dismissed it and said her husband would continue to use them because “you can’t eliminate everything around you that causes cancer and live in a bubble.” I get livid and say having a green lawn is so nonessential and is it really worth it? And you know it’s not that you just decide for yourself that it’s the risk your willing to take. The biggest problem is when you use these chemicals you not only expose yourself but you expose everyone around you and anti-social behavior is defined as not having regard for the consequences of your actions or the impact of others.
I am not educated and I do not have a career, but if someone showed me evidence of pesticides causing cancer or relayed to me that they thought their breast cancer could have come from pesticides I would stop using them immediately.
Well, Paul, keep up the fight. I am sitting home today from my job as a lunch lady. I spoke up about the way some schools operate. The kids have to ask for the vegetable with their lunch versus the school just serving the vegetable in the first place. The food is awful to begin with, you know, heavily processed and all fat. Many kids don’t take the vegetable, but one day quite a few were and the cafeteria manager at the start of the eight-grade lunch started out with only four servings of broccoli. She said she typically didn’t sell that much — partly because they keep quiet and don’t offer vegetables because they want to make money selling the kids who are still hungry and buy snacks for purchase. In short, the school does not encourage the students to eat healthy and they make more money selling the snacks. Yes. Another example of “cheat the kids to make a buck.” When I was growing up I learned to eat healthy by example.
Well, my husband is a simple man, but he has a saying that I do like: “hell is only half full.” I said this before cancer and always taught my kids this as well. When you’re diagnosed with cancer you’re so shocked and scared of dying . . . and you don’t want to stand before God and have him ask: “I gave you this knowledge and this gift and what did you do with it?”
NOFA Organic Lawn Certification Courses Set for Northeast
One of the main questions we get here at the SafeLawns Foundation concerns training for professionals. While we offer one-on-one consulting for businesses and municipalities in the U.S. and Canada, there’s no question that best training in a classroom setting in North America comes from the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s accredited Organic Land Care Program (NOFA OLC).
The year’s first classes begin next Monday, Jan. 9 in Worcester, Mass., followed by two other classes in Connecticut and then Rhode Island.
Designed for any land care professional, including school grounds or municipal employees, conservation property managers, master gardeners, entrepreneurs or landscape enthusiasts, the courses focus on how to design and maintain ecological landscapes without the use of toxic pesticides.
More than 1,200 students from 22 different states have taken the courses in the past decade and more than 500 of those students currently maintain organic accreditation. Anyone looking for a qualified organic landscaper can search this database: http://www.organiclandcare.net/aolcp-search.
This five-day, 30-hour course features a faculty of respected scientists and experienced organic land care practitioners. Class topics include: site analysis, design and maintenance; rain gardens and storm water infiltration; soil health; fertilizer and soil amendments; lawn alternatives; wetlands; pest management; wildlife management; disease control; mulches; invasive plants; and, client relations and running a business. Four hands-on case studies are also included in the course and attendees may take an optional exam to become NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs).
Bill Duesing, Executive Director of Connecticut NOFA and one of NOFA OLC’s founders explains, “Our course instructs students on landscaping that is healthier for people and the environment. Organic land care replaces toxic chemicals that get in our skin, lungs and water with methods that promote biodiversity, create habitat and protect water quality.”
The course is offered three times in 2012:
January 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA
February 15, 16, 17, 21, 22
The Connecticut Agricultural Station-New Haven Laboratory
New Haven, CT
February 27, 28, 29, March 1, 2
Kettle Pond Visitor Center
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Charlestown, RI
For information about the Rhode Island and Connecticut course please e-mail Kristiane Huber at kristiane@ctnofa.org or call the CT NOFA office at (203) 888-5146. For information about the Massachusetts Course please contact Caro Roszell at caro@nofamass.org or (508) 360-0874.
All Eyes on New Jersey School Pesticide Bill
Our colleagues in New Jersey are mobilizing anxiously in anticipation of next week’s critical vote in the state legislature that could remove toxic pesticides from school grounds and day care centers.
Suzanne Aptmann of the Northern New Jersey SafeYards Alliance did a great job of getting the issue covered in her local newspaper: http://westdeptford.patch.com/articles/legislature-could-move-on-school-pesticide-ban-next-week.
Safe landscape proponents from across the country are also eagerly anticipating the vote, as is the chemical pesticide industry. Tom Delaney, director of government affairs for the Professional Landcare Network (Planet), denounced the bill as propaganda and is asking all lawn care professionals to lobby against its passage.
We need to urge everyone in New Jersey to call their local legislators and urge them to pass the bill, which was co-sponsored by 40 elected officials.
SafeLawns to Open 2012 Tour in Sacramento
The SafeLawns Foundation announced today it will open its 2012 international tour in California at the EcoLandscape 2012 conference in Woodland, just outside of Sacramento.
The conference, which will focus on economically and environmentally sustainable business practices in the green industry, will be keynoted by SafeLawns founder Paul Tukey, as well as Jeff Lowenfels of Anchorage, Alaska, author of Teeming with Microbes.
“We’re excited to begin our seventh year of touring the United States and Canada with the message of reducing toxins in the environment at this progressive conference,” said Tukey, who will introduce the award-winning film, A Chemical Reaction, after his afternoon speech titled “Reducing & Eliminating Harmful Inputs to the Landscape.” “We have also advocated that there needs to be a strong sustainable business component when you change from one way of doing things to another. The message here is that it’s possible to have a beautiful landscape without toxins — and that it’s possible for companies to make money doing so.”
CONFERENCE AGENDA
EcoLandscape 2012
January 28, 2012
Heidrick Ag History Center and Museum, Woodland, California
ECO-EVOLUTION: THE NEW CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE
Sustainable Landscaping Businesses Are Successful and Profitable — Now
THEME: Leading by Example – Landscaping companies have developed successful
business models based on Sustainable Landscaping Practices.
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Registration & Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:00 – 8:05 a.m. Welcome & Acknowledgements
8:05 – 8:30 a.m. How Sustainability Leads to Profitability
Jim Borneman, Vice President of Education, Ewing Irrigation
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Market Opportunities for Sustainable Landscaping
Dave Alba, Organic Land Care Program Manager, Oregon Tilth
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Speaker: We Must Sustain the Soil to Succeed
Jeff Lowenfels, Garden Columnist and Author of “Teaming With Microbes”
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Successful Sustainable Business Models (Introduction by Ed Laivo)
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Small Business – Hyphae Design Laboratory
Brent Bucknam, Founder
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Medium Business – Gardener’s Guild
Daniel Levy
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Large Business – Cagwin & Dorward
Dave Phelps, Sustainability Manager
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. Sustainable Business Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ed Laivo, Sales & Marketing Director
Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch, Eco-Trade Show, Speakers Available for Q&A & Book Signings
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Opportunities in Ordinances
Pamela Berstler, Founding Member, G3 – Green Gardens Group
Legislative Chairperson, Association of Professional Landscape Designers, CA
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Reducing/Eliminating Harmful Inputs to the Landscape
Paul Tukey, Founder of SafeLawns Movement, Author & Journalist
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Break
3:30 – 4:40 p.m. Film Viewing: “A Chemical Reaction” (Introduction by P. Tukey)
4:40 – 5:30 p.m. Meet Paul Tukey & Jeff Lowenfels, Book & DVD Sales, Signing
New Jersey Child Safe Playing Fields Law Up for Vote on Jan. 9
With 44 co-sponsors in the New Jersey legislature hopes are high for the passage of the Childs Safe Playing Fields law: http://montclair.patch.com/articles/no-more-exposure-to-lawn-pesticides-for-children-at-school
Living in America . . . With Pesticides Everywhere
This is an amazing article from the Sierra Club: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201201/parkinsons-pesticides.aspx
Miracle Gro Sales Continue to Plummet
Are consumers waking up to the general wastefulness and toxicity of the chemical lawn care industry? Based on the ongoing decline in the finances of the world’s largest purveyor of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides — coupled with the increase in the sales of organic products — all indications point to a major market shift.
Scotts Miracle-Gro announced earlier this week that it will likely lose $70 to $75 million in the fiscal quarter ending Dec. 31 — which is considered its first quarter of 2012. Scotts always loses money this time of year, but this year’s loss is approximately $10 million more than last year for the same period. That follows a year (2011) in which the company’s global consumer sales dipped by more than 9 percent, according to information published by Scotts in November.
The company publicly blames its demise on weather-related issues, as well as increasing commodity costs related to the rising costs of fossil fuel. Chief Financial Officer David Evans admitted the price of synthetic chemical fertilizer has increased approximately 50 percent in the past five years, but told market analysts that a bag of Miracle Gro won’t go up in price this year as the company tries to retain its shrinking market share.
As recently as November, Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn defiantly predicted that sales would rebound in 2012. Based on the recent losses — along with a sharp drop in the company’s stock price to less than $44 from a high of $60 earlier this year — Hagedorn will now have to hedge his bets.
“We’ll provide (financial) guidance to our investors in February,” he said recently. “We need to evaluate the continued variability of commodity costs and work is still being done to finalize next year’s marketing plans.”
Meanwhile a survey of sales in the organic sector point to an approximately 20 percent increase in fertilizers and natural pesticides in the U.S. Numerous companies continue to jump into the natural market and even the dinosaurs like Scotts and TruGreen (ChemLawn) now offer natural alternatives.
All of this follows a worldwide trend back to the future.
Honesto Baniqued Jr., president of the National Agribusiness Corporation of the Philippines, said the efficacy of organic offerings has improved in recent years just as understanding of the products has skyrocketed globally.
“We’re seeing a 35 percent increase in yields with a switch to an organic fertilizer,” he said. “The use of (synthetic) fertilizer is scandalous and unnecessary.”
Well said.
Providential Gardener © 2011. PO Box 2556, Providence, RI 02906 skorte@providentialgardener.com ~ 401.273.6678
