We have over the past 3 or 4 years talked about getting animals to trim our grass. We live in the city, it is true but we have only talked about getting 2 animals. We think the village will be OK with it. So far we have talked about alpacas, goats and sheep. Now being small town kids, we assumed that they would roam the yard eating the grass and we would have a level and fertilized yard for free. But that is massively wrong. They require special feeds as supplements, they all require hoof care and must have a vet, and they can not tolerate the Illinois winters, so they have to be sheltered. The long and the short of it is that if you sell their hair to people who use it to make things (you do have to shear them for summer) then you can get close to break even but with only 2 animals it would be tough. So mow we shall for now.
Natural Lawn Care
Lawns do more than make your yard look good.
Lawns absorb water, which helps reduce storm runoff and improve water quality. Lawns also have a significant cooling effect, provide oxygen, trap dust and dirt, promote healthful micro-organisms, prevent erosion and filter rainwater contaminants.
| Lawn care, however, has come at a high cost to the environment. According to the U.S. National Wildlife Federation: | |||||||||
Where pesticides are used, 60 – 90% of earthworms are killed. Earthworms are important for soil health. |
|||||||||
|
Much of the environmental cost associated with lawn care can be avoided.
|
|||||||||
|
Healthy Lawn Basics
The only way to reduce a dependence on chemical fertilizers is to develop a healthy lawn, which is naturally resistant to weeds, insects and diseases. If you need to fertilize your lawn more than once a year, consider these ways of improving the natural health of your lawn: |
|||||||||
:}
Go there and read more then I frankly could. More tomorrow.
;}