It’s Bridget here with a question for you all… In the United States, how many acres of lawn are there compared to acres of corn? While you’re going to have to wait until the next post to get the answer, I will tell you that according to the GAO, 67 MILLION pounds of pesticides are applied each year to American lawns. Let me write that again… 67 million pounds of pesticides. This means that chances are, that dandelion-free, green grass your child and dog are running through and romping in, has probably been touched by some sort of pesticide. Now, with these staggeringly big numbers also comes a staggeringly big opportunity to reduce the amount of chemical/pesticide exposure to ourselves and our kids, simply by getting pesticides off our lawns and playing fields. Keeping unwanted weeds out of lawns/turf can be as easy as changing your mow height and decreasing soil compaction. Stay tuned later this week to get specific tips on organic lawn/turf care practices that can keep your own lawn and the sports fields your child plays on free from toxins.
NASA estimates that there are 3X more acres of “lawn” (aka your front yard, athletic fields, and grass quads on college campuses) grown than corn in the United States. For those of you who, like Mikey, grew up in Illinois that might be shocking. However, it points us to the importance of managing these lawns without the chemicals that have been linked to increased rates of childhood brain tumors and leukemia.Check out this really helpful guide to managing your lawn/local athletic fields without chemicals. Mikey’s mom and dad (featured below) recently participated in “No Mow May” where they let their lawn grow out and the clover to flower to provide a habitat for pollinators AND eliminate any herbicide use. In fact, mowing lower than 1.5-1.75 inches can kill the root system of your grass, making chemical inputs necessary. Generally, it’s recommended to keep your lawn height at 3-3.5 inches. Read the guide to find out why, to prevent the use of herbicides on your lawn, and ultimately to prevent childhood cancer! #Preventchildhoodcancer #mighty4mikey https://www.beyondpesticides.org/…/Read%20Your%20Weeds…
https://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/beyond-pesticides-resources
