Comments on: Former Chemical Applicator: ‘I Am Literally Ashamed of Myself for Being Part of It’

By: WishUponAStar

WishUponAStar — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:08:43 +0000

Dear JustaMom,
Check out the following report “RefuseToUseChemlawn” and you will find some personal accounts that pertain to chemical pesticide exposure. The descriptions are lucid and articulate. You can find this document at Toxic Action Center of Boston, MA website. There you can download it for free. Take care.
Wish

By: On Our First Anniversary: Your Top 10 Posts | Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:34:08 +0000

[...] Tom Kelly Comes Clean . . . On Feb. 21 we blogged about a lawn chemical applicator turned organic fertilizer salesman from New Hampshire. Reading through the comments on this one shows just how scared and angry the lawn chemical industry has become — http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2010/02/former-chemical-applicator-i-am-literally-ashamed-of... [...]

By: nomadicnorman

nomadicnorman — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:00:04 +0000

Hey, Tom, Scott, Paul and all the other people that the chemical industry likes to pick on: STAND TALL! Like the line in the A Chemical Reaction says, “We’re on the right side of history here.”

And as for me, the chemical guys can go kiss my hairy white ass because I think they’re all a bunch of delusional losers.

By: Kerri W

Kerri W — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:59:04 +0000

I have read quite a bit on the benefits of organics in the lawn and garden at the urging of my husband… I married a bit of a hippie Prior to my marriage, and quite uninformed, I was a Round-up kind of gal that went for instant gratification in removing trouble spots in my yard. After spending the past weekend digging up about 400 sq. feet of lawn, a/k/a creeping charlie, I can tell you that I’m a changed gardener.

In any case, the long term statistics on reactions and events from the use of pesticides in the lawn is alarming. I’m certainly not risking potential sterility in my children to be free of a few dandelions. Further, I’m not willing to openly poison the groundwater, and I’m quite fond of my garden toads, which would likely be the first noticeable critter to disappear.

Currently, we have a race with our children every night… “who can collect the most yellow flowers from the lawn?” (to prevent them from going to seed, of course) and the winner gets to steer the pedal firetruck to the park, or if it’s raining, choose the books for bed time. So far, so good (my 2 and 4 year old children are quite competitive) My husband and I of course finish up the remaining by moonlight when the kids are asleep. Once a weekend we find any of the now flowerless dandelion bunches and either dig them up by the root, or use our 10% vinegar solution. We’ve had quite amazing success in doing so. We’ve eradicated about 90% of our dandelion population… Yes, it is labor intensive, but I find that it’s far more rewarding to have a beautiful lawn that I worked on, versus a beautiful lawn that may forever change our species and more importantly, our water sources in the near future.

I will eventually rid myself of a lawn for a more environmentally sustainable option, but funds require the slow implementation of these ideas… in the interim, however, we will continue to safely battle these little yellow creatures.

By: John Light

John Light — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:09:28 +0000

Tom Kelly certainly is milking this “I-used-to-be-a-bad-guy-but-now-I’m-a-good-guy” angle for all its worth. And all of you losers who can’t make any money at organics because it’s too damned expensive want to fall in line right behind him. It’s galling.

Is Tom Kelly willing to give back the money he made from selling his share of Lawn Dawg? I’m guessing not. But he’ll bleed it away anyway by trying to sell organic products that the general public could care less about.

At the end of the day, customers want green lawns and no weeds. You can’t sell your overpriced (your words, not mine) organic crap because it doesn’t work!!

By: Pauly V

Pauly V — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:50:19 +0000

I have been in the Organic Lawn Care Industry since 1988. I started Organics Plus Co. based in Bristol Ct a few years out of high school.

I rode the wave..early on with much networking with Lou Carta and Todd Harrington. I can firmly state that having an aesthetically beautifull lawn with 0 pesticides/herbicides is done quite simply. Proper cultural practices and using the right varieties of grass blends for your site make it even easier. It is not rocket science. Its basic. I find the Cost factor to be the main snag in going large scale.

Late 80’s we purchased product in Lebanon CT, from Earth Gro- an 8-2-4 all natural product. They grew as a company..untill Scotts bought em out and ran them into the ground..$$$$$

I support all the comments in Toms interview..and wish him the best of luck in the future.

By: A Picture of a Lawn Sign is Worth a Thousand Words | Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog

Sun, 09 May 2010 02:51:51 +0000

[...] enjoyed the post by our friend, Tom Kelly, at Fire Belly Organics: http://firebellylawncare.com/blog/. Share and [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:41:55 +0000

For those worried about harmfull pesticide or herbicide lawn chemicals
affecting their pets or children, Advantage, Frontline, Harts they
are pesticides, Advantage is imidacloprid at 9.5 %active ingredient
that you the pet owner put directly on your pets back? Did you also
know that the residuals from these flea and tick products stay in the
fur of the animal who then sheds this in your house. So are you really looking at both sides and reading the label. If your so worried guess what all chemicals fall under the same toxicity guide lines and have to
use signal words to tell us the consumer of its toxicity. Danger – most
toxic, Warning- medium toxicity Caution- low toxicity. How many of you
use WD 40 ? read the label it says danger avoid breathing the fumes,
How about cleaning chemicals? most bleach or chlorox products say
danger. If your so worried don’t drive an automobile anymore because
automotive chemicals almost always say they are carcinogenics on the label. Its okay to condemn chemicals you don’t feel are safe which is your very right as an American Citizen, but on the other hand you feel
the chemicals you do use are safe because you’re using them.How many of you actually read the label on chemicals you buy. Come on now there is
2 sides for every argument. How many of you know that the dictionarys
meaning of Organic actually means with WITHOUT CARBON. What living
creature on this planet does not leave a carbon trace after it dies.
And yes to give out recommendations concerning landscape & agriculture you have to be a Licensed Landscape or Agricultural
Advisor ( well its the law here in California) its the law that you also have to be registered with the County Ag. Dept. to do landscape
maintenance which is great because you have to have proof of liability
insurance, and certificatiion at minimum to apply even soap water.This
keeps the scam artists from giving the landscape industry a bad name
(it might be to late for that).Oh its great that Mr. Tukeys grand ma
gardened without chemicals and supported her family but taking care of
your loved ones is what you are supposed to do, and she probably didn’t
own 300 acres plus of tomatoes, corn, lettuce that was her livlihood
so be carful farming is a touchy subject espescially if you have no
experience of insect pest or disease wiping out your living.Unless of
course you grow everything you eat.Organic fertilizers hmmmm- hope
you folks don’t mean manures ( waste bi products from animals) remeber
the body of the horse, chicken or steer no longer needed this material
which was turned into feces and dumped. Blood and Bone meal slurries
okay I can deal with that, please no milorganite (human sludge) from
Chicago.Verbal Puke hey lady I wouldn’t worry about the landscapers
chemicals cause if you have 4 dogs or cats and you use any of the pour
on flea and tick pets chemicals you’re killing them yourself. What ever
the landscaper puts down most of the time isn’t even 1/2 of a percent.
Read the Advantage label its 9 and one half percent and for him to tell you its safe well make sure he has all the requirments that what ever
state you live in syas he need to be in business. Unless you live in
the same state as Billy The Exterminator on Reality T.V. then look out.
Gotta go but please people look at yourself and what you are using first
before you start talking b.s. to eachother. No body knows what another
persons circumstances are. I don’t intend for this to insult anybody
as much as some of these comments from uninformed writers on this site
if theres a disagreement well thats how it is you live where ever and i live here unless you want to take a plane, train or bus ride out here
to California. And if you do live in our heavily regulated state and
disagree well step up I will especially with those who feel they are
the organic gurus and know all about chemicals and safety. Think about
that the next time you brush your teeth the tooth paste label says do
not swallow. I always seem to get alittle when I rinse though. Think
about it when don’t you use some kind of chemicals in your everyday
life.
Wake up and stop pointing fingers unless you been there

By: Lawn Guy Feels Earth Day’s Pain | Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:05:52 +0000

[...] Tom Kelly says he knows how Earth Day feels. The organization really wanted to believe it was doing something right by helping to promote earth-friendly landscaping, and only unwittingly got caught up in what we’re calling TruGate — a rather scandalous attempt by TruGreen/ChemLawn to greenwash its tawdry business practices at the expense of Earth Day’s reputation. [...]

By: Sounding Off: Earth Day’s Sellout to ChemLawn Stirs Angry Responses | Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:19:32 +0000

[...] Baseball’s ill-conceived and similar sponsorship deal with Scott Miracle Gro. It’s from Tom Kelly, the co-founder of LawnDawg who has now denounced chemicals and has started FireBelly Organics. Tom [...]