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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.
The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading. Take a Break From the Mainstream Madness Volume 9, No. 4
Complimentary
The Valley, April 2018
Organic Lawn Care For The Health Of It Recent studies have indicated that our bodies are being inundated daily with chemicals that are causing us numerous health problems. These are chemicals that were not present 30 years ago and chemicals that were never properly tested for safety due to industry lobbyists and greedy politicians. Now exposure to these chemicals varies depending on lifestyle, as farmers may obviously be the most exposed, but the fact that the presence of Glyphosate in the urine of humans in the last 20 years has increased 1,200% on average can not be a good thing. Glyphosate has been linked in studies to certain cancers, and in some cases, it is being sprayed on your food! Glyphosate, in case you aren’t aware, is the widely used product called Round-up. Glyphosate isn’t the only exposure we humans face on a daily basis, some of it is unavoidable. Wouldn’t it be nice to create a chemical-free sanctuary at your home, that you, your children and pets can enjoy without being fearful of what potential hazardous chemicals they are in contact with? Organic Lawncare is the answer to the chemical merchants that most lawncare services have become. Even better is the fact that organic lawncare is not only affordable, but over time will cre-
ate a lush paradise at your home due to the practice improving and feeding your soil. Harsh chemicals that have become the industry standard are sterilizing your soil, killing essential microbes and resulting in the need for more chemicals to support growth. Have you ever noticed how thick and lush the forest is? No one adds anything to produce growth, it is a natural process that works quite well and as intended. Along with organic lawncare, we should also look at how pests are managed. Certainly everyone is aware that there are plenty of poisons available for controlling pests. But what about your children and pets that play in your yard? Are you OK with them contacting the poisons sold in stores to control bugs? Years ago I figured out that after applying the over the counter flea treatments to our cats and dogs, they would seem lethargic for a day or two afterward. In my mind, these treatments are hazardous to your pet’s health. No one wants a flea infestation, or worse yet, ticks carrying Lyme disease (extremely preva-
lent here in central PA) to infect their children, so spraying poison was the “go to” method. Several years ago, our organic lawncare professional, Job Swarey of Swarey’s TLC Lawncare informed me of Organic pest treatments that also included control of fleas and ticks. I was skeptical at first, but not wanting to ap-
Veritas vos Liberabit
ply poison on my dogs, I figured it was worth a try. Our dogs spend almost all day outside from April to October and I am happy to say, we have been flea and tick free since we started with the organic program. Not having to worry about my pets’ health or our own was a great relief, so when Job informed me that he was about to make a drastic life change by moving to Alberta Canada to take on a position that he most couldn’t turn down working in his wife’s family business, I instantly became concerned about our wonderful flea and tick program. There was no reason for concern, Job had brought family into his business that is remaining here in order to continue the service he started in this area. Christopher Peachey, owner of the newly named Premier Lawn Solutions, assured me that the transition will be seamless and provided the following. “Premier Lawn Solutions is a locally owned company in Mifflin County PA. Our primary focus is first,
to provide residences and businesses with thick, green and weed free lawns. It is well known that healthy turf grass can; • Provide a natural and safe setting for families, sports and activities • Releases oxygen that cools the environment • Acts as a buffer to purify our water supply • Acts as a natural air conditioner to create a cooling effect on hot summer days and • Increases the value of our homes and businesses I am also happy to announce I have partnered up with BeeSafe to offer you an organic alternative to the conventional 4-step lawn treatment. Our BeeSafe programs create healthy lawns without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as control products. Our goal is to fertilize appropriately, improve the soil without all the harsh products that tend to sterilize the soil from which your grass grows. All BeeSafe products feed the soil through the introduction of select beneficial microbial species allowing them to facilitate the natural process inherent to healthy plant growth. We blend a diverse array of beneficial soil microorganisms with natural plant
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