Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog

I came across this blog today from a group of landscape designers. It’s a rather long read, but well worth it: http://apld.posterous.com/greenwashing-part-2-advent-of-a-new-ecorealis.

Brett Perry launched a new line of “holistic” garden products named Vaccinate and Triffid at the Independent Garden Center Show in Chicago last week.

THESE ARE, NO MATTER how you look at it, heady times for the organic lawn and garden movement. Unlike any other fluctuation in market forces for the past 50 years, this time organics are here — to stay.

That is, from almost any angle, a major victory that can be claimed simultaneously by the environment, environmental activists and every child, pet and parent who would otherwise be negatively affected by a continued onslaught of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Under those circumstances, we ought to be doing collective cartwheels in the aisles of trade shows like the Independent Garden Center Show that was held last week on Navy Pier in Chicago. Every third booth was touting something “organic,” or “sustainable,” or “eco-” or “earth-friendly.” If you were even looking for a straight chemical solution, you’d almost have to ask directions or scour deeply into the show program.

That is, however, if you didn’t bump squarely into the show’s two largest vendor booths in the center of the cavernous room. Scotts Miracle Gro and Bayer Advanced were practically EVERYWHERE at the IGC Show, which has become the must-attend horticultural event in the United States in its remarkably short four-year history.

And therein lies the primary hindrance to a major organic celebration: two elephants basically suck the air out of a room filled with ants. Or, in other words, it is absolutely going to be an organic world in lawn and garden in the years ahead, but the business landscape will likely not change one iota. Scotts Miracle Gro will dominate; Bayer will take most of what’s left and every other company with honorable intentions will scramble for the share of the marketplace that simply finds those two companies distasteful.

WOLVES IN SHEEPS’ CLOTHING?

That Scotts and Bayer are both making major unprecedented forays into organics is unmistakable. The Scotts organic line of pesticides launched two years ago, Ortho EcoSense, seems poised to gobble up even more shelf space in the near term. And the organic fertilizer and soils brand that Scotts once purchased just to kill — Whitney Farms — is back with a newfound vengeance. Remarkably, a quick glance at the front of the Whitney Farms packaging didn’t have any mention of its owner, Scotts Miracle Gro.

Bayer, likewise, has undergone a stunning image makeover with its launch of the green labeled Natria products. A massive banner two stories tall announced the products’ arrival on the scene in Chicago, as did a prodigious exhibit in the main hallway where more than 6,000 garden center owners and employees entered.

As I said, the mere fact that these two giants of the industry are making this kind of investment into natural lines of products is ultimately a victory. That doesn’t mean, however, a massive amount of teeth gnashing won’t go into this transition — for us, and them. It’s rather like the Titanic trying to change engines as it simultaneously tries to change course with the iceberg just ahead. Will it make the turn, or will it crash, and where will that leave all the tiny boats in its wake?

Oh, and don’t think Bayer and Scotts can’t sense the iceberg. They know where Europe and France have already headed with regard to organics in gardening and they’ve watched from the loser’s side of the courtroom and town hall time after time in Canada as the lawn pesticide bans have swept across that nation. They have fought, and lost, recent battles in New York and New Jersey about no-phosphorus fertilizers and erosion control. And Florida has all but killed the long-term prospects of its chemical lawn fertilizer industry with its seasonal bans on nitrogen applications and strong water conservation campaigns.

The guess from this perspective is that Scotts and Bayer will eventually figure it out. They’ve got the cashflow and the research programs to develop, or purchase, the best new earth friendly technology on the planet. The full transition will take time — five to 10 years is a good estimate — and that leaves a narrow window for all the other players to make their move.

About 100 of my conversations in Chicago centered around what Scotts’ and Bayer’s new sales pitch must sound like. They can’t and won’t openly damn their synthetic chemical lines, which still represent about 90 percent of their business. That makes it really difficult to justify organics to the consumer — especially the vast majority of people in the United States who still don’t comprehend or trust the inherent value proposition of organic products.

Right now Scotts and Bayer are simply saying they have “natural alternatives for the customers who want them.” At some point, though, they’re going to have to come out with some of the obvious negatives that are giving companies like the upstart EcoSmart Technologies such a jumpstart today. “Now There is a Safe and Effective Alternative to Synthetic Pesticides,” says the advertisements for EcoSmart, which can already be found at many local supermarkets, superstores and garden centers.

The dilemma is especially difficult for a company like Neudorff of Germany, a research-only firm which licenses its inventions to other companies. Neudorff recently launched Fiesta, the most exciting new product of the young Millennium — a naturally occurring selective herbicide that allows grass to grow while killing many weeds including dandelions.

Neudorff’s fortunes should be shooting the moon already, except for one inescapable fact: Scotts and Bayer control the market. Until those two companies are willing to tell the truth about the toxicity associated with 2,4-D and other synthetic chemical weed killers, they’re not going to sell much of Neudorff’s new invention. It just doesn’t make any sense for the average consumer to pay more for a safer weed control product if no one is telling them their regular weed ’n feed is dangerous as hell.

Neudorff’s Fiesta, by the way, is sold under the brands of Ortho EcoSense and, in 2011, in Bayer’s new Natria line. No other companies are in line to license the product, according to sources at the Chicago show.

SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

If you’ve ever been in a body of water with a large boat turning, you know the attenuating ripples are vast. The nuances of the impact are felt differently on every shore, just as the Scotts and Bayer shift to natural products will have different impacts at various points in our nation. In some markets, existing organic brands have a foothold and will be difficult to dislodge — and will therefore be targets for buyouts by the giants. In other massive areas, Scotts and Bayer, with their Whitney Farms and Natria brands, will literally be the only choices on the shelves.

The ants need to behave like ants, banding together for the most efficient protection and production. When the water calms, whether it’s five or 10 years from now, or maybe a bit longer, we need to have done our work by staking our claim and protecting it.

It is Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn himself who likes to equate business with war. In his view, if you garden or grow a lawn, then you’re on his turf — whether you use his stuff or not. If you don’t want to emerge from this battle with your gardening and lawncare choices and dollars all being dominated by the same two players, it’s more important than ever to seek out and support other quality, independent companies.

As the booths in Chicago and so many other trade shows demonstrate, the number of choices in safer, natural products has never, ever been greater. It’s our job — us as the advocates and you as the consumers — to make sure those choices remain intact. Let’s enjoy our victory, but not feel the least bit comfortable in any false laurels.

Though this won’t come as any news to long-time followers of SafeLawns.org, another study released late last week connected childhood exposures to pesticides to increased rates of ADHD: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/health/certain-pesticides-linked-to-attention-problems-in-young-kids-study–101055084.html.

Though neighboring New Jersey has seen more than 30 towns ban pesticides on public property, New York municipalities have been reluctant to jump on the bandwagon. Perhaps that will change with one of the larger towns on Long Island’s latest action: http://westislip.patch.com/articles/town-board-meeting-pesticide-use-banned-in-local-parks

In case you missed it: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-08-17-column17_ST_N.htm

http://www.revelstokecurrent.com/2010/08/16/city-staff-recommend-a-pesticide-free-future/

More than 650 people crowded the hall last week to debate four bills designed to preserve the New Jersey environment. (The Gardener News photo)

New Jersey continues to take the national lead on issues related to fertilizer and pesticides. After a hearing that took more than six hours last Thursday, the state passed a package of four bills designed to limit the amount of phosphorus in fertilizers as well as the runoff from impervious surfaces.

Here is a roundup about the bills from the sponsors’ perspectives: http://www.njsendems.com/release.asp?rid=3507

JT. ASSEMBLY & SENATE ENVIRONMENT PANEL APPROVES MEASURES TO REDUCE CONTAMINATION FROM FERTILIZER RUNOFF & TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

By Gita Bajaj | August 12th, 2010 – 5:09 p.m.

(TRENTON) – A joint panel of the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee and the Senate Environment and Energy Committee chaired by Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Senator Bob Smith on Thursday approved a multi-bill package to reduce contamination of the Barnegat Bay.

The four-bill package would establish a standard for fertilizer-to-turf ratio. It would also prevent dirty water from flowing into the estuary by repairing malfunctioning stormbasins meant for retention and cleansing of rain water. One of the measures would reverse the impact of compaction which deprives soil of the ability to absorb water. By requiring developers to restore the natural qualities of soil, it would prevent stormwater from leaching into the estuary.

“Today, we are turning the tide to stop the degradation of Barnegat Bay and breathe new life into its waters. This multi-bill package gives us the tools we need to reduce further contamination of an ecological treasure that is an important economic driver for our state,” said Assembly Environment Chairman John F. McKeon (D-Essex). “By requiring the use of slow-release nitrogen and ensuring more effective stormwater management, these measures will significantly reduce pollution run-off.”

Nutrient run-off is considered the central threat to Barnegat Bay. Some 1.4 million pounds of nitrogen, enough to fill 70,000 twenty pound bags of fertilizer, reportedly flow into the bay every year. Scientists predict that in the absence of preventive action, Barnagat Bay’s ecosystems would collapse within a generation.

Witnesses told the joint panel that rapid overdevelopment and elevated levels of phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizer run-off in the 660-square-mile watershed had led to degradation in water quality and the destruction of vast quantities of diverse plant and sea life.

One of the three bills McKeon sponsored would require all lawn fertilizers to contain at least 30 percent of its nitrogen in slow-release form. This bill (S-1411\A-2290) would also prohibit the sale of phosphorus containing fertilizers – with some exceptions.

“The testimony we heard today reinforces that we need to move forward with urgency to prevent any further deterioration from nutrient pollution,” said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora. “The bay is vital for the economic health of our state. This package of bills will help us revive this valuable waterway.”

The bay, which is the state’s largest enclosed estuary, provides more than $3.3 billion to the region’s economy, with tourism being a major draw. The watershed area, that includes Ocean and parts of Monmouth County, hosts more than 1.4 million people every summer including an estimated 500,000 visitors.

“We heard testimony that much of the shoreline has been lost and many wetlands have been destroyed,” said Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt. “Today, we are taking an important step to arrest the decline of one of our state’s most valuable and unique watersheds.”

There are an estimated 2700 stormbasins in Ocean County but a large number of these are malfunctioning, causing water to leak into the watershed without being cleaned, witnesses told the panel.

One of the approved measures – the storm water utility authority bill – would empower Ocean County officials to oversee restoration of more than 2,700 retention basins that need to be retrofitted to handle heavy rainfalls. This measure (S1815 – A-2577) would also authorize the County to charge a fee to developers or issue bonds to help finance the retention basin projects.

“A simple step of more effective storm management would help significantly reduce contamination of the bay,” said Assemblyman Peter Barnes. “These well thought out measures reverse decades of neglect that has caused us to get to where we are in Barnegat Bay.”

One of the four bills approved by the joint panel was the Senate version of the soil restoration bill (S-1410\ A-2501). The Assembly version, sponsored by Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula was already approved by the Assembly Environment Committee.

“By developing standards to restore the content and density of soil during construction projects, this measure makes developers responsible for restoring the natural ability of landscape to prevent storm water and pollution runoff,” said Chivukula.

Witnesses also told the panel that the explosion of harmful creatures like stinging jellyfish that feed on nutrient pollution and other sea life, threaten the survival of species native to the bay, including seagrass, clams, and shellfish. This hurts the area’s lucrative fisheries industry.

“By reducing the amount of nutrient pollution, we would help reduce the growth of these creatures that can cause great discomfort to visitors to the bay and act as a deterrent,” said Assemblyman Charles Mainor.

“Today’s approval of the package of measures to help restore Barnegat Bay is a bold first step that would make New Jersey one of the first states in the nation to enact aggressive legislation to control nutrient pollution from fertilizer runoff. We look forward to working with our fellow lawmakers and stakeholders to implement these measures and save the bay,” McKeon said.

The Assembly and Senate Environment Panel hearing was held on Thursday, August 12 at 10 a.m. in the LMH Room, Town Hall, 33 Washington Street, Toms River, New Jersey.

Three measures were approved unanimously by the joint panel. A-2290 was approved in a 5-02 vote and S-1411 in a 4-O-1 vote.

###

APPENDIX A

The joint hearing approved the following measures:

S1411- A-2290 – Smith\Beck – McKeon – Establishes standards for fertilizer applications including:

- ratio of fertilizer to turf;

- use of slow-release fertilizers;

prohibits application during periods of heavy rainfall;

- sets buffers between the turf on which the fertilizer is applied and waterbodies;

S1815 – A-2577 – Smith – McKeon – “Ocean County Stormwater Management System Demonstration Act”

This bill would:

- retrofit and repair stormwater basins;

- authorize the creation of a stormwater management authority by Ocean County which contains most of the Barnegat Bay watershed;

- permit Ocean County Utilities Authority to maintain a utility to manage the stormwater runoff of the county;

- authorize Ocean County to levy fees and issue bonds to finance the creation, operation and maintenance of the stormwater utility system;

S1856 – A-2606 – Smith – McKeon – Authorizes measures by Ocean County Planning Board for control of stormwater runoff.

This would include:

- developing a comprehensive plan for identifying and fixing existing sources of pollution;

- assessing a fee on any new development within the Barnegat Bay watershed to help in the funding;

- develop a stormwater and pollution management plan designed to reduce siltation caused by stormwater runoff;

S-1410 – A2501* – Smith\Bateman – Chivukula\McKeon – Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act.*

The Assembly version A-2502 – was approved with amendments by the AEN Committee.

Subject to possible amendments, this measure would:

- define “soil restoration measures” to mean those measures taken to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, restoration of the optimal physical, chemical, and biological functions for specific soil types and the intended fund use;

- require post-construction restoration of optimal soil conditions;

- require the State Soil Conservation Committee (Committee) to adopt standards to include soil restoration measures to optimal soil conditions following the completion of construction projects;

- authorize the Committee to establish procedures for post-construction inspection to certify compliance with these soil restoration standards;

- require plans for soil restoration to be included in any plan for soil erosion and sediment control submitted to the Committee for approval in connection with any development project subject to the act;

- require that the Committee establish a training and certification program for project supervisors identified in the plan as responsible persons in order to ensure compliance with soil restoration standards;

###

Contact:

Gita Bajaj
Press Secretary
Asm. John F. McKeon\ Asm. Upendra J. Chivukula
Chairman, Environment and Solid Waste Committee\ Chairman, Telecom and Utilities Committee
Deputy Speaker\ Deputy Speaker
New Jersey General Assembly
(973) 224-4851 cellular
gbajaj@njleg.org email
bajajgita@yahoo.com email

Superintendent Jeff Carlson, who gave us a tour of his course two years ago, is making organic golf work in Martha's Vineyard.

The perception across North America is that organic golf courses either are not possible, or are second rate. Here’s a profile about The Vineyard Course on Martha’s Vineyard, run by our friend, Jeff Carlson:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/sports/golf/17vineyard.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1

My daughers, Aimee, 3, and Christina, 25, pose with Angie, now 1.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes last week for Angie, our 1-year-old daughter for whom I wrote this lawn care Manifesto one year ago tomorrow. It’s a horrible cliche to say I “can’t believe a year has passed already,” but, well, that’s how cliches happen . . . because they’re true.

Just today . . .
Angie has amazed us with her ability to climb up into a chair and then onto the table, where she — broadly proud of herself — danced close to the edge while humming something that sounded remotely like Love Me Do. She ate a cookie that she found under the sofa from last week, and then soon had me diving from a chair to recover the nickel that had fallen from my pocket only to wind up in her mouth.

Just today . . .
I found myself yelling at her loudly for the very first time after she had dug into a potted plant for the third time in an hour. Her resulting tears left me feeling worse than she would had she eaten a whole little handful of organic soil — but unfortunately in this world of ours she needs to learn that not all soil is safe.

Just today . . .
I’m not sure what other adventures Angie will get into, but I do know there will be many. It’s exhausting to think about.

I shared a laugh, just yesterday, with my oldest daughter, Christina, as she watched Angie navigate her first birthday party at the lake. Christina was part of a team of people trying to keep Angie out of the water, away from the dock, not touching the gas grill, not eating the pebbles, the flowers and the dog toys. Angie did drink from the dog’s water bowl, but the dog didn’t seem to mind.

“See how lucky you are to be alive,” I said to Christina.

“I see what you mean,” she said.

At least the lawn was organic, though. When the little fist fulls of clover and grass wound up in her mouth and on her face, no one cared. It really was, as our new slogan says, safe to play.

So in honor of Angie’s first birthday, I hereby renew my pledge to take the SafeLawns message far and wide. So few things can be controlled in our children’s worlds; what we apply to our lawns, however, happens to be one of them.

In these trying economic times, small non-profit organizations like ours need to tap any and all sources to survive and continue the education and outreach we provide.

Although the majority of our income comes from lectures and consulting services, as well as two small grants, our sponsors’ support is greatly appreciated, as are the memberships from individuals across the United States and Canada. Purchases of the book, The Organic Lawn Care Manual and the film, A Chemical Reaction, also help. Soon, we’ll have the lawn signs reading “Safe to Play: No Pesticides. No Way! and T-Shirts reading “Kiss My Grass: It’s Organic” for sale and those will help our bottom line, too.

We’re excited about another event in Connecticut, both for its innovation and generosity. Renowned artist Paul Shampine plans to donate part of the proceeds of his one-man show in Connecticut to our foundation. Here are the details, and we’ll have more about it as the date draws closer: http://paulshampine.wordpress.com/cause-partner/

If you have ideas for other ways to support our work, we’d dearly love to hear them. Meanwhile, make plans to join us in October!