Learn this sustainable gardening method from the former NCSU professor and farmer Dr. Milton Ganyard. I practiced no-till organic gardening in my backyard for 14 years before starting Ganyard Hill Farm. It is a low-maintenance, productive method of producing fresh, pesticide-free vegetables in your own backyard. First, let me identify some terms that you may have read or heard but aren’t sure what they mean or how they differ: Organic Farming The term ORGANIC is used to describe a system of producing food without the use of synthetic chemicals, notably chemical pesticides and chemical fer ..read more

Unearthing the chemical cocktail behind pristine greens. Imagine standing at the first tee of a picturesque golf course. The sun is shining, there's a gentle breeze, and before you stretches a vast expanse of perfectly manicured green. But beneath this serene facade lies an often overlooked threat: the extensive use of lawn pesticides and herbicides. Toxic Fairways To achieve that magazine-cover look, golf courses have historically relied on a cocktail of pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals, including names you might recognize like Glyphosate or 2,4-D, promise quick solutions to per ..read more

The secret to green grass is organic topdressing for lawns. A well-maintained lawn adds beauty and charm to any home, but achieving that vibrant green carpet can be a challenge. While chemical fertilizers have long been the go-to solution, an increasing number of homeowners are turning to a more sustainable and natural approach—compost. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of using compost for lawns and provide you with practical tips on how to harness the power of compost to transform your yard into a thriving oasis of green. What is Compost and Why Is It Beneficial? Compost is ..read more

What's better than a green, weed-free lawn? A green, weed-free lawn that doesn't give your dog cancer. Time to switch to a pet-safe weed killer My dog’s favorite activity was always rolling in the grass. Tail and butt wiggling, a crazed look on her face, getting all the itches out or whatever she was doing. What I didn’t know at the time was that the lawn in the community park she visited multiple times daily had been treated with weed killers. Sadly, my dog passed away from cancer, with a huge tumor on her skin, within 3 years of us moving to that neighborhood. The good news is, your dog (o ..read more

Are we paying for our beautiful front yards with our health? As nature re-awakens after a bleak and colorless winter, homeowners turn their attention again to their soon-to-be green lawns. A pretty yard and the green carpet covering them signify more than just a pleasant view surrounding our homes. A well-maintained lawn is somewhat of a status symbol, an indicator that we are responsible homeowners and respectable neighbors. And of course, lawns provide an idyllic setting for our children and pets to rollick around in. A lush, weed-free lawn is so indicative of prestige that many homeowner ..read more

Time is running out to save our planet You’ve probably heard of COP26 by now unless you’ve been living under a rock. COP26 is the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland in the first two weeks of November. COP stands for “Conference of the Parties” and this year is the 26th of these gatherings. Paris Climate Agreement So why is this one so significant? It was during the COP21 when the Paris Agreement was born where 196 parties agreed to work towards keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees celsius (or 2°C if all else fails) above pre-industrial levels - tha ..read more

Apparently what the EPA managers are interested in is protecting their own pockets. Image by Alexsander-777 from Pixabay Recently whistleblowers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have come forward alleging that the organization “has been falsifying dangerous new chemicals’ risk assessments in an effort to make the compounds appear safe and quickly approve them for commercial use.” (Source: The Guardian ). The management of the EPA, members of which often switch between working for the chemical companies and the agency, is pressuring the scientist to fast-track approvals for n ..read more

"Globally, if food waste could be represented as its own country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter." (Source: UN Environment Programme ) We all know fossil fuels are bad for the environment. We've even made moves to use them less by driving flex-fuel or electric vehicles (I recently traded in my Honda CRV for a Tesla X). Volvo, the automaker with a reputation for safe vehicles, just announced they are changing to all-electric vehicles because “climate change is the ultimate safety test”. To recap your high school biology class, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide when b ..read more

From ECU College of Business to organic lawn care entrepreneur. Image Credit: Cary Magazine This article was originally published in East Magazine by East Carolina University. Written by Michael Rudd. Houston Hinson ‘02, owner of Cary-based Carolina Turf Organic Lawn Care, will tell you three key influences shaped his company and career: his son Houston III, a book and his College of Business education.  Together, those led Houston to redesign his lawn care business into an organic model that now has more than 1,000 customers and plans to add Charlotte to his Research Triangle, Tria ..read more

Bare paws expose our dogs to a greater amount of environmental toxins than their shoe-clad owners. It takes an average of 48 hours for lawn chemicals to dry off and to be absorbed after application. While professional lawn care companies are legally required to post a sign to not walk on the yard until dry, our pets don’t have the luxury of putting off their bathroom break for two days. Higher Cancer Risk A recent study found that “exposure to herbicide-treated lawns has been associated with significantly higher bladder cancer risk in dogs.” Dogs not only absorb these toxins through their s ..read more