Townsend Organic Lawn Care Project

A team of municipal officials including including the Townsend Board of Selectmen, the Townsend Conservation Commission, the Townsend Public Library, The Townsend Cemeteries and Parks Department, the Memorial Hall Custodians, and the Townsend Recycling Committee have partnered with businesses and non profit organizations to provide Organic Lawn Care to the common areas around the Town Hall and Public Library. Partners include Turgeon Environmental Services, Yard Spice Organics, LLC, N.O.F.A, Beyond Pesticides, Toxics Use Reduction Institute Healthy Lawns For Healthy Families and Bradfield Organics.

In March of 2006, Members on the Conservation Commission and Robert Plamondon from the Board of Selectmen were very interested in promoting the use of Organic Lawn Care in the Town of Townsend. They worked with Chester Mandrik from Yard Spice Organics LLC, N.O.F.A., Beyond Pesticides, and Bradfield Organics to conduct a seminar to introduce the town to the concept of Organic Lawn Care. The seminar was followed up with information booths at the Earth Day Celebrations on the Townsend Common in 2006 and 2007.

Chester Mandrik from YardSpice Organics LLC. met with the Board of Selectmen just prior to the 2007 Earth Day Celebration to offer to implement Organic Land Care Practices on the lawns at the town hall and library at no charge to the town. Labor for the application of treatments was to be provided by Yard Spice LLC and Turgeon Environmental Services, Fertilizer would be provided by Bradfield Organics for the 2007 growing season. The Board of Selectmen approved the offer. Treatments started in May of 2007. Mowing of the lawn at the Town Hall is performed by the custodians and the lawn at the library is mowed by the Parks and Cemeteries Department.
 

Town Hall and Library Lawns go Organic

In July of 2007, Karen Chapman, Chairperson of the Conservation Commission and Michael Turgeon from Turgeon Environmental Services worked with representatives of all of the groups involved in the project to prepare a Grant Application from The Toxics Use Reduction Institute to fund the project in 2008. Thanks to the support of all parties involved, the application was approved. The new source of funding served to publicize the project, promote the use of Organic practices in Townsend and beyond, and convert the Town Hall and Library lawns to Organic Land. The TURI Grant was renewed in 2008.

 

FY2009 Grant Press Release

Thanks to this new grant, the Townsend Conservation Commission, Yard Spice Organics and Turgeon Environmental Services, are
continuing the Organic Lawn Care Project, which showcases to residents through “green” lawns at the Town Hall and Library that organic lawn care methods work.

Volunteer Needed, All Ages Welcome
Contact: Karen Chapman
Email: kchapman@townsend.ma.us