MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop: November 13th 2017 Table of Contents Executive Summary of Workshop …. 2 Working Panel Briefs …. 2 Why IPM/NLC? …. 2 Sports Turf Management …. 3 Cultural Practices …. 3 IPM/NLC Policy …. 4 Cost Factors …. 5 Community Engagement …. 6 Extended Workshop Notes Why IPM/NLC? …. 7 Topics of discussion …. 8 Issues to address in future sessions …. 11 Sports Turf Management …. 13 Topics of discussion …. 14 Issues to address in future sessions …. 18 Cultural Practices …. 20 Topics of discussion …. 21 Issues to address in future sessions …. 26 IPM/NLC Policy: Writing, Implementation, and Improvement …. 28 Topics of discussion …. 29 Issues to address in future sessions …. 37 Cost Factors …. 40 Topics of discussion …. 41 Issues to address in future sessions …. 44 Community Engagement …. 46 Topics of discussion …. 47 Issues to address in future sessions …. 49

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop: November 13th 2017 Executive Summary of Workshop Mission of Forum: To document, summarize, and improve the state of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Natural Lawn Care (NLC) policies and practices locally, regionally, and nationally.

Working definition of IPM used by forum: An environmentally sensitive and cost-effective approach to pest and weed management that consolidates all available necessary techniques into a sequential program to keep pest populations at acceptable levels and to avoid adverse effects. An IPM program will utilize physical, cultural, mechanical, structural, and biological controls before resorting to chemical controls.

Workshop overview: On November 13th, 2017, 66 individuals representing park and school districts, municipal, state, and federal governments, landscape companies, universities, and non-profits gathered to discuss the forum’s working definition of IPM and share their experiences implementing IPM and NLC practices and programs. The workshop covered IPM/NLC policy and practice in six consecutive working panels that each covered a different issue/topic related to managing turfgrass with less inputs. The six topics were (1) Why IPM/NLC?, (2) Sports Turf Management, (3) Cultural Practices, (4) IPM/NLC Policy: Writing, Implementation, and Improvement, (5) Cost Factors, and (6) Community Engagement. For each panel, two to three panelists set up the topic with short 10 to 15 minute presentations of their research, turf care practices, and/or experiences. A Question and Answer session, steered by the workshop attendees, followed the presentations. The following section runs through briefs of concepts, practices, and strategies discussed in each Working Panel both from the panelists and the Question and Answer sessions. For more complete information, please seek the extended notes section following this Executive Summary. This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management Program through the North Central IPM Center (2014-70006-22486)

Working Panel Briefs: Why IPM/NLC: Why would a school or park district consider switching to an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or Natural Lawn Care (NLC) strategy? Lawns require a lot of fertilizers, pesticides and water to maintain, resulting in adverse environmental and health effects. ● Pesticides pose a significant health risk for young children, from both direct and in utero pesticide exposure. ○ ●

Pesticide exposure linked to children’s development of asthma, lower IQs (associated with spectrum disorders like autism), and cancer.

Pets’ risk of developing bladder cancer increases by four to seven times if exposed to spray pesticides.

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Wildlife is at significant risk, specifically for invertebrates and aquatic life that form the bottom of the food pyramid for many ecosystems. ○ ○

USGS found at least one pesticide in every lake, river, and stream they tested. Neonicotinoid concerns for pollinators.

Gaps/Topics for Further Discussion: ● How can we determine health effects of certain pesticides, given genetic predispositions and the number of toxins we are all exposed to on a daily basis? ● Environmental and Public Health departments and professionals rarely work in collaboration on these issues, despite each group potentially adding great value to each other’s work. Conclusions: Many toxics persist in our urban and residential areas, but turfgrass pesticides are one of the few toxics we can directly control by implementing NLC/IPM.

Sports Turf Management: Turf fields have their own unique needs for successful maintenance. What practices enable turf to grow successfully via IPM? How can we engage coaches and athletes to be more accepting of the trade-offs associated with IPM? Many IPM/NLC practices help turf managers maintain healthy and functional athletic fields. ● Built-up, sand-capped systems can provide a cost-effective alternative to conventional sand-based fields, allowing for effective drainage without taking the field out of commission for maintenance. ● Cultural and physical management strategies can help restore soil quality to conditions favorable for sporting events: ○ (1) Leveling and clearing the field to prevent injury (sod cutters, rock breakers or extractors, shovels, rakes, and a construction roller), (2) adding organic matter and sand dressing (for drainage), (3) seeding with resilient grass types, and (4) reducing compaction (using deep tine aerator). ● Community preference: the most feasible lawn care solution will vary based on site and community. ○ For each potential lawn care method, a turf manager needs to consider many factors: environmental hazard, implementation and ongoing cost, aesthetic result (community’s tolerance for weeds), field usage and traffic, etc. ○ Different levels of weed tolerance can even exist within the same community. Gaps/Topics for Further Discussion: ● How to cope with municipalities moving towards artificial turf rather than natural fields? ● How do we manage or reduce the labor needed for NLC/IPM practices that seem labor-intensive (aeration, mowing, weed monitoring, etc.)? ● Spend extra time in the specifications on the natural turf field for bidding to prevent contractors from taking advantage of districts. Conclusions: Sports fields pose a unique challenge for IPM/NLC, but not an insurmountable challenge if a manager is willing and able to incorporate good field construction, cultural, and fertilization practices. Being clear with field specifications and the expectations of the field users, will help ensure ideal conditions cost-effectively.

Cultural Practices: Billions of microorganisms, invertebrates, and living organisms interact in the soil ecosystem to create an environment favorable for grass growth.

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The soil microbiome and organic matter contains everything that a plant needs to achieve optimal growth. Feeding the soil, and not just the plant itself, reduces the need for fertilizer and pesticide applications. ● Organic matter (compost, decomposing organisms, manure, etc.) contains all 16 essential nutrients plants need to grow. ○ Improves soil structure and drainage, and its natural acidity balances the pH of basic soils. ○ Compost varies based on carbon-nitrogen ratio and protein content. ○ Organic fertilizers are most effective in summer months, when temperatures foster bacterial growth. ● The more salt-based synthetic fertilizers added to the soil, the harder it becomes for soil bacteria to do their jobs, resulting in the need for more frequent fertilization (creates a cycle of dependency). Gaps/Topics for Further Discussion: ● How do we overcome the many mechanical and logistical barriers to using more compost in our parks and turfgrass spaces? Conclusions: IPM and NLC are process-based, not product-based, systems. A flourishing lawn will not occur without proper treatment of the soil microbiome. The application of organic matter to a lawn can improve soil structure, drainage, and pH.

IPM/NLC Policy: Writing, Implementation, and Improvement: What does an IPM/NLC policy actually look like? This panel covered the major components to an effective written policy, and the stakeholders to involve in writing, passing, and implementing the policy. Communicating clearly with all stakeholders at your school or park district is key to establishing an IPM/NLC policy. A good IPM/NLC policy includes the following components: 1. Defining IPM/NLC ● Education through outreach events, marketing, and demonstrations plays an important role in building understanding and support from the community and managing their expectations during the transition to IPM or NLC. 2. Establishing a protocol ● The protocol should ensure the least amount of the least toxic product or practice is selected. ● Should stress cultural, biological, physical, and mechanical controls before resorting to chemical control. ● Current authorities that use MPAC’s model IPM protocol or policy include River Forest Park District, Park Ridge School District, City of Evanston, and Glenview Park District. 3. Recordkeeping ● In order to ensure an effective program, managers should keep a record of the products, locations, and volumes they apply to their properties. ● Institutions should review their IPM/NLC policies annually for improvement. ○ Including a coalition of staff, business owners, nonprofits, and community groups can improve trust and understanding of the policy. 4. Notification and Transparency ● Signage should inform community members of the time at which a fertilizer or pesticide was applied, allowing the public to, if desired, avoid the applicated site for 24 hours.

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Gaps/Topics for Future Discussion: ● How to “scale up” NLC policies used for residential lawns for larger, public areas? ● Examples of reporting and improving IPM and NLC programs are scarce, as of today. That could change with the City of Evanston releasing a report in 2018 and others following suit. ● Using NLC/IPM as a platform to attract millennials who tend to have more open ideas about lawn appearance, along with a lower tolerance for pesticides. ● Encouraging residents to accept certain NLC practices or conditions can be challenging. ○ Examples include mowing no lower than three inches or allowing for some clover to benefit the grass. ● Plant selection and seed mixing were discussed at length in this session. Conclusions: A good IPM/NLC policy remains transparent with all stakeholders. Educating the public, setting clear product selection protocols, involving residents in program evaluation and improvement, and notifying the public of product applications can help a community understand and operate within IPM/NLC parameters.

Cost Factors: Panelists explore the different factors and decisions that could drive up or lower costs in an IPM/NLC policy, and how to manage them for best results economically, aesthetically, and environmentally. NLC and IPM programs maximize ecosystem services and limit externalities of environmental and human health impacts. With its focus on building soil, IPM and NLC programs can become cost-effective over time. ● In the long term, a lawn managed properly with NLC practices will require less fertilizer, pesticide, and water than a conventionally-managed lawn: ○ Healthy, robust root systems outcompete weeds and pests. ○ Organic fertilizers do not leach, ensuring that nutrients stay put. ○ Healthy roots and soil structure helps retain water for longer. ● Though synthetics may seem like a “quick fix”, their negative impacts on soil and grass health can result in the need for more costly treatments later down the line. ○ Pesticides adversely affect important soil micro- and macro-organisms needed to maintain soil health ○ Some weeds exhibit herbicide resistance, prompting more concentrated applications of harmful synthetic pesticides ● Educating the public and and lawn care professionals about the advancements in organic and NLC options is crucial. ○ Organic product technology, specifically fertilizers, have advanced significantly. Gaps/Topics for Future Discussion: ● Since the externalities of lawn care are not valued anywhere, how can we get those that value these landscapes (i.e. the Real Estate sector) to the table to discuss the importance of NLC/IPM? ● How much does the lawn care industry contribute to issues such as eutrophication? Should we blame the industry for these problems, when agriculture uses far more pesticide and fertilizer product? ○ While agriculture uses more pesticides and fertilizers in total, the lawn and garden sector uses these products at a higher intensity (up to three more times per acre for pesticides). ○ We do not solve problems by blaming others for their actions that may or may not be worse than our actions. Policy and actors need to consider the problem as a whole.

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Conclusions: Traditional estimates of conventional vs. IPM/NLC costs do not account for negative externalities, ecosystem services, or changing operation costs. In the long run, the healthier soil and grass created by an IPM/NLC system will require fewer inputs over time.

Community Engagement: Every new policy and/or transition will be met with a degree of resistance from the community. Panelists discuss how to effectively address these public problems and concerns. Managing community expectations during the transition to NLC/IPM requires the combined effort of businesses, advocates, educational institutions, nonprofits, and park and school districts. ● According to recent surveys, most Americans lack basic lawn care knowledge, emphasizing the need for more education on this front. ● MPAC outreaches and educates through its Midwest Grows Green (MGG) program, which consists of a point-of-purchase eco-labeling program, NLC demonstrations at pesticide-free parks, and community engagement via kickoff events and its MGG Pledge campaign. ● Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant offers its Lawn to Lake (L2L) outreach program that shares informational materials for diverse audiences and focused on connecting lawn care to local environmental concerns (eg. stormwater, flooding). Gaps/Topics for Further Discussion: ● Is there a way to get more hard data on behavioral change (how outreach efforts are actually creating change)? ● How do we engage the small to mid-size landscapers in NLC/IPM, where they may have more significant financial constraints? Conclusion: A community’s resistance to NLC/IPM policies can be counteracted by effective community outreach and engagement. This can involve working with local government, businesses, and nonprofits to publicize the effort via kick-off events, point-of-purchase programs, and demonstration sites.

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13th Why IPM/NLC? Executive Summary Session topic: Why IPM/NLC? Why would a district consider switching to an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or Natural Lawn Care (NLC) policy? Panelists will talk about the benefits to IPM and NLC including risks associated with conventional lawn care practices.

Panelists: 1. Ruth Kerzee- Ruth Kerzee, Executive Director, has been on Midwest Pesticide Action Center’s staff since 2005. During her tenure, Ms. Kerzee has been responsible for Midwest Pesticide Action Center’s work related to promoting Integrated Pest Management in schools and childcare facilities, and primary responsibility for developing the Integrated Pest Management in housing program. Ms. Kerzee is also responsible for all executive duties such as generating evaluative programs and strategizing on the growth and development of the organization. She has a Master’s of Science degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois Chicago, more than 15 years of experience working on occupational and environmental health issues, and is a licensed pest control technician. For this panel, Kerzee set the stage for the Forum with an overview of the human health and environmental impacts associated with pesticide exposure. 2. Dr. Susan Buchanan- Dr. Susan Buchanan is Director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a EPA/ATSDR-funded Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for federal Region 5. Dr. Buchanan is board certified in Family Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine. She taught occupational and environmental health topics in UIC’s Occupational Medicine Residency Program, Family Medicine Department, and School of Public Health. Her research interests include environmental exposures among pregnant women and young children. In this panel, Dr. Buchanan brought her expertise in the occupational public health sector to shed light on the breadth of existing research on pesticide exposure.

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: This panel focused on the environmental, health, and economic impacts of managing the United States’ largest irrigated crop, turfgrass. Scientific research has linked many of the most commonly used lawn care pesticides to a variety of behavioral, hormonal, neurological, reproductive, and immune system disorders. Dr. Buchanan cited children as the “canary in the coal mine” or indicator for these health effects, due to their higher metabolisms, brain development, and behaviors that make them more susceptible to pesticide exposure. Pregnant mothers exposed to pesticides can transfer these toxins to their children, and pesticide exposure can negatively affect the DNA integrity of either parent (epigenetic effects), potentially affecting future children. Beyond human health, synthetic pesticide 7

fertilizer use has environmental impacts, particularly on pollinators and waterway health. Reducing the use of indoor and outdoor toxins is a first step in reducing our exposure to pesticides—increased government regulation of these toxins could provide more widespread protection. This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management Program through the North Central IPM Center (2014-70006-22486)

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists Consumption and use of lawn care products Kerzee: ● 40 million acres of land dedicated to lawns alone (The largest irrigated crop). o 3-6 million tons of fertilizer and 70 million pounds of pesticides dedicated to maintaining lawns each year in U.S. o Around $40 billion spent on lawn care in North America each year.

Health risks associated with pesticides Kerzee: ●

Of the 30 most common lawn care pesticides, studies have linked 19 to carcinogens, 13 to birth defects, 21 to reproductive effects, 15 to neurotoxins, 26 to liver and kidney problems, and 27 to asthma triggers.

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Children are uniquely vulnerable to pesticides and toxins. o 25.7 million persons in 2010 with Asthma o Rise in non-Hodgkins lymphoma o Prevalence of Autism is increasing o Rise in ADHD

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Many factors and toxins contribute to these diseases and conditions, but we need to control those toxins that we can.

Buchanan: ● Scientists consider children as “canaries in a coal mine” for health concerns and toxic exposure. Three main factors put children at higher risk: o Their higher metabolism- pound for pound, children consume more water and food and breathe more air than the average adult o Brain development- Children’s brains build new neural connections ▪ Anything that enters the bloodstream and body of children can interfere with their neural network more easily and delay or inhibit development o Behavior- Young children put things in their mouths ▪ One study observed how many times children put their hands in their mouths. On average, children exhibited the behavior 21 times an hour. ● Children can pick up pesticides through inhalation, ingestion, or dermal (skin) exposures. o Insecticides pose greatest risk for exposure through the skin, since insect exoskeletons share similar characteristics to human skin.

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Risk of exposure to both pregnant mothers and young children. o One study found organophosphate pesticides in the bloodstreams of all women tested. o Another study found organophosphates in the bloodstream of all children two to five years old tested. Asthma- Result of mucus buildup and swelling of the airway walls in the trachea and lungs. Pesticides can cause the swelling and build-up Neurological effects- Loss of IQ points, behavioral changes, etc. o A study of children living in the hill tribes of Mexico asked children of four to five years to draw pictures of a person. Those children with high exposure to pesticides performed significantly worse on the test than those with limited exposure. Cancer- The data is robust and strong for the development of Leukemia, brain cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma in children living in households where pesticides are used. o Data not as strong, but available for neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, Ewing’s sarcoma, nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, and cancers of the brain, colorectum, and testes. Blue-baby syndrome- Caused by babies drinking water high in nitrates that leach into water streams and aquifers via fertilizers, septic systems, animal waste, and the atmosphere. o Fatalities observed from high nitrates in well water. o Does not believe that chlorination will “sterilize” the nitrates.

Environmental risks associated with lawn pesticides and fertilizers Kerzee: ●

Pets – The risk of developing bladder cancer for some dog breeds increases by four to seven times if exposed to spray pesticides.

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Wildlife – significant risk to invertebrates and aquatic life that form the bottom of the food pyramid for many ecosystems.

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Water quality – Poor urban soils and the proximity to impervious surfaces increase the risk of stormwater runoff that carries pesticides, fertilizers, and other pollutants into our waterways and drinking water. o

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USGS found at least one pesticide in every lake, river, and stream they tested.

Greenhouse gases o

The carbon dioxide emissions from mowing an average residential lawn equates to driving 3,124 miles per year.

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By building organic matter, natural lawns help with water absorption and flood control.

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Reduces nutrient pollution by preventing the runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen.

What are the current local, state, and federal laws critical to the regulation and control of pesticides? Audience: ● Question from the audience about whether the incidences of disorders have decreased with the increasing regulations seen? Are the regulations effective? ● Does the State of Illinois or public health officials say anything about phosphorus use for lawns?

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Buchanan ● Modern research approaches and technology on children has improved to a point where scientists can identify more subtle developmental and health effects than they could in the past and, thus, it seems as if these health effects have been on the rise, when some incidences could be going down. Kerzee o The State of Illinois prohibits phosphorus use on lawns with the exception if a soil test reveals the need for one or new lawns are being planted.

Agricultural vs. residential pesticide use: why does it matter? Buchanan: ● A lot of chemicals in our society o EPA lists 84,000 chemicals and 3,000 chemicals exceed 1 million pounds of use per year in the US. ● Very challenging to prevent children from being exposed to lawn chemicals. o Pesticides can be blown in the air, enter on shoes, or tracked by pets, so the chemicals can get into homes while harmful even if children do not play on the grass near the time of application. o One study measured the lawn chemicals (2, 4-D) tracked and brought into homes. Study detected lawn pesticides in all homes. o Study in the 1990s found an average of 12 different pesticides in the carpet dust of homes and 11 in the indoor air for non-agricultural households.

Public pressure and other reasons for making the transition to NLC Kerzee: ● The public wants 100 percent safe spaces for their children and pets to live and play. ● Number of articles and movements covering pesticide issues o E.g. Neonicotinoid concerns for pollinators, potential ban of glyphosate in the EU, etc. o Park and school districts react to get ahead of the public pressure. ● Using NLC/IPM can appeal to corporate sustainability portfolios o More than 75 percent of top U.S. companies have such a portfolio o Can, also, contribute up to nine LEED points ● Smart watering, mowing high, etc. can actually reduce staff time needed and thus lower labor costs

Cost Benefits Kerzee: ● Natural lawn care provides a better option for reduction of inputs overall o Smart watering, mowing high, and proper fertilization can reduce need for these inputs in the long term and may reduce staff time if a resilient grass system is achieved. ● Can’t build Rome in a day- It will take time to realize benefits, but they will be realized o Process-based approach versus a product-based approach. ● Reduction of external costs such as poor water quality, human health effects, and carbon emissions.

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Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions Is there proof of a link between pesticide use and Autism and ADHD in children? Kerzee ● Autism and ADHD are spectrum disorders with no single cause o Correlation is not causation, but likely that pesticides could have some effect to these disorders along with the thousands of other chemicals we are exposed to everyday. o Difficult to recreate to 100% “realistic” studies, because ethically you cannot expose people to pesticides in an experimental scenario ▪ E.g. Cigarette companies can still say that they are 100 percent sure that cigarettes do not cause cancer because of the inability to recreate “real-life” studies. Buchanan ● As a spectrum disorder, scientists have difficulty linking autism and ADHD to any one cause, since we diagnose these diseases as a “group of symptoms”. Studies, however, do find relationships or correlations of pesticides to some of the symptoms of these disorders such as low IQ.

How can we involve public health officials in our communities given the frequency of pesticide application practices? Buchanan ● For certain practices such as mosquito fogging, the government needs to weigh the health impacts of the application versus the potential outbreak of the disease or infestation. ● However, environmental and public health issues tend to remain “siloed” despite their interconnectedness. o E.g. The EPA has a school health program that not all public health professionals are aware of or participate in. Also, at UIC the public health department is located in a different building than the environmental department.

What are the impacts of using dry ice as a form of weed control? Kerzee ● Not familiar with dry ice for weed control, but assumes that dry ice would act as a non-selective weed control that kills everything. o The EPA recently approved dry ice for rodent control, not approved for other uses, however.

Issue of Chlorpyrifos and how do we trust the science and EPA given recent decisions? Buchanan ● EPA has a history of balancing public health and the environment and with the policy feasibility o EPA does not ignore, and cannot ignore, the economics and other factors of a regulation.

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New administration openly practices regulation differently than before, by putting more industry people in leadership roles and less regulations. For the argument of EPA funded scientists on advisory boards having a conflict of interest, Buchanan believes the argument to be unfounded specifically for university scientists. o These scientists regularly submit to major journals that require unbiased studies and the peerreview process for scientific literature remains valid in extracting the biased data.

Kerzee ● Misconception that the U.S. is a heavily regulated nation for environmental issues. The U.S. is one of least regulated among first world countries. o The EPA planned to ban Chlorpyrifos after years of research that showed health impacts on the brains of young children. o We should be concerned that the EPA has set aside mostly unbiased research for political interests. Comment from EPA representative ● The EPA decided to revoke the Chlorpyrifos ban following a question of uncertainty regarding early developmental childhood effects. o Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) the EPA must weigh the cost benefits with the health and environmental costs. o The uncertainty sprung from a study in the east coast, where the EPA could not receive the privacy-protected data necessary to corroborate what the EPA thought was the problem. The EPA cannot replicate the study and the mothers and the babies in the study are entitled to their privacy. o Research on the health effects of Chlorpyrifos continues. o Chlorpyrifos does control a number of agriculture pests that other products do not handle well and, thus, produce significant benefits (especially soybean production).

You have discussed how mothers can transfer toxins to children during pregnancy—have there been any studies on fathers transferring toxins? Buchanan ● Epigenetic phenomena - you pass on not only DNA, but molecules attached to the DNA that can change based on lifetime experiences and exposures. There are studies on father exposure and child health outcomes, though not as many as mother exposure. o One study showed fertility problems in father – sperm counts low after exposure to a certain pesticide in a production facility

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13th Sports Turf Management Executive Summary Session topic: Sports Turf Management IPM for sports turf is an entirely different ballgame than managing regular lawns. Turf fields have their own unique needs for successful maintenance. What practices enable turf to grow successfully via IPM? How can we engage coaches and athletes to be more accepting of the trade-offs associated with IPM?

Panelists: 1. Dr. John Rogers- Dr. John N. Rogers, III has been on the faculty at Michigan State University since 1988. He received a B.S. in Agronomy at the University of Arkansas in 1982, a M.S. in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas in 1985, and his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Penn State University in 1988. Dr. Rogers has extensive experience leading sports turf projects, including serving as the head turf consultant and project leader for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the 2008 UEFA Cup. His national and international lectures and presentations total over 175 with over 115 publications and one book. He is the senior author of two U.S. Patents. National organizations include the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. Dr. Rogers’ current turfgrass research interests at MSU include wear tolerance, turfgrass establishment, and soil modification. Dr. Rogers covered sustainable field construction in his presentation and detailed his ability to lower inputs and costs on sports fields using a built-up, sand-capped system. 2. Dr. Paul Koch- Dr. Koch joined the University of Wisconsin – Madison faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology in January of 2014. Paul’s research and outreach focuses primarily on developing sustainable management strategies for turfgrass landscapes. Paul also oversees the University of Wisconsin’s Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab and is affiliated with the UW Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center. In this panel, Dr. Koch described findings from a 3-year study of different sports turf management strategies applied at Racetrack Park in Stoughton, WI. The study evaluated the economic cost and environmental impact differences between traditional, organic, and IPM practices in the context of sports fields. 3. Kristi Solberg- Kristi Solberg is the Park Maintenance Manager with the Park Ridge Park District. Kristi joined the Park Ridge team in November of 2015. With previous experience and passion in the green industry, Kristi has developed a new look to Park Ridge’s maintenance practices. Drawing from personal experience, Solberg explained the hurdles and gradual progress to expect when implementing a healthy, flourishing sports field using natural lawn care practices.

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: The quality of sports turf has direct impact on the safety for athletes using these fields. Grass height, the presence of weeds, and soil texture, can all impact an athlete’s ability to safely traverse the terrain. The 13

added foot traffic at sporting fields can discourage natural and IPM practices, but alternative sports construction fields, reduced-risk or organic pesticide and fertilizer products, and cultural practices can offer less-input intensive solutions. If able and willing to adjust the mowing and fertilization schedule to fit the needs of turf, a sporting field can require minimal to no synthetic product inputs. Every park or school district manager, however, should work within the financial and community expectations restrictions of their organization. This panel was sponsored by Van’s Enterprises Ltd.

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists Factors that impact the quality of sports turf Rogers: ● The high silt and clay content in many Midwestern soils decreases water infiltration and soil stability, which leads to muddy and high injury risk fields. ● Mowing, fertility, and cultural practices schedules influence the resiliency of sports turf. Solberg: ● Park Ridge Park District acquired Prospect Park, Solberg’s case study, in 2014 and tasked Solberg to transition land previously occupied by buildings, a playground, and a basketball court into a playing field. o After knocking down buildings and moving the playground and basketball court, the leftover gravel and poor urban soil created a number of hurdles and obstacles. o In 2016, contractor hand pulled the weed infested property, but pulled up chunks of dirt with the weed roots that left divots and ruts in the ground. o High salt and calcium content following a soil sample. o The field’s location, three feet higher than the adjacent parking lot and with little shade, created unfavorable soil moisture conditions. ● Outside consultation suggested that Solberg grade the entire site and start over. o Insufficient budget for the grading would require Solberg and her team to go out to the field and pull up the rocks themselves. o Park Ridge could not afford to do a grading and so needed a new strategy.

Sustainable construction and field types Rogers: ● Synthetic/artificial athletic fields o Costs between $600,000 to $1,000,000 to build. ● Conventional sand-based field o Install a 30 cm layer of sand on top of a layer of gravel that covers drain tiles. o Allows for rapid water infiltration. o Can maintain stability during heavily traffics time periods. o Conventional systems, however, cost between $400,000 to $600,000 ● Sand-capped system o No gravel, but add a 10 to 15 cm layer of sand over the drain tiles o Costs between $200,000 to $300,000 o Need to take the field out of play during the construction for some time. ● Built-up sand-capped system:

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Steps are: (1) Dig drainage, (2) fill with sand and seed, (3) Periodically add sand topdressing till achieving a two to four inches of sand.

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With the new technology Rogers uses to add sand topdressing and drainage tiles quickly and cost-effectively, he can achieve 7.5 cm of sand topdressing in three years without taking the field out of commission. ▪

A standard golf-course requires 30 years to add 7.5 cm of topdressing.

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Rogers’ technology can apply a 1/3 inch of topdressing to a field in one application

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While not the best, this system can keep in operation over its first summer with a ½ inch of topdressing

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Drain tiles 13 ft apart will achieve the same amount of drainage as 6 ft apart as long as the field has 1 in of topdressing (2 inches of topdressing, 20 ft drain tiles). This decreases costs significantly. Costs of this system average between $144,800 to $156,000. ▪

Irrigation system= $15,000

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6.0 ft drain tile spacing= $44,800 to $56,000

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6 in. sand topdressing = $85,000

Turf management strategies (i.e. NLC, IPM, Reduced-Risk) Rogers: ● Drain tiles- Nearly every field requires drain tiles to prevent standing water that kills that grass. o Rogers recommends at least four drain tiles per football field. ● Increasing the frequency of mowing (2x per week) and fertilization will increase the amount of games that any one field can handle over the year. o For fertilization, while the frequency goes up, the quantity over the year does not necessarily increase. Koch: ●

Worked with the City of Stoughton, WI to develop a sustainable lawn care strategy for Racetrack Park by testing four different techniques on four separate baseball/softball fields in the park: o

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Organic – Used limited Fiesta (but too expensive for the budget), poultry fertilizer in first year, and switched to Milorganite for cost-effectiveness ▪

Most expensive

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Lowest calculated environmental hazard

City’s current plan – 3-Way herbicides (2, 4-D, Dicamba, and MCPP), fast-release synthetic fertilizers ▪

Inexpensive

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Highest calculated environmental hazard

UW Reduced-Risk Plan – slow release synthetic fertilizer, Confront (lower-toxicity herbicide, active ingredient triclopyr) ▪

Quality is about the same as the “current plan,” but much lower environmental hazard calculated.

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Mow only ▪

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Cost is midway between “current plan” and “organic” sites Least expensive and lowest calculated environmental hazard

▪ Lowest lawn quality (most weeds, spotty grass cover) Decision of what approach to choose will vary by local authority but should account for non-target impact, expectations for field function and appearance, and financial constraints.

Solberg: ● Park Ridge Park District (PRPD) incorporated a set of five cultural and physical management strategies between 2016 and 2017 to break down the rocks and restore soil quality to conditions favorable for sporting events. These practices included: o Breaking down or extracting rocks and construction debris ▪ Running a seeda-vator across the field five times to loosen the surface compaction and push rocks to the top of the field ▪ For two days following the seeda-vator, at least four staff walked back and forth to pick up rocks from the ground. o Level and smooth out the surface to avoid injuries ▪ Staff raised or lowered ruts and divots using sod cutters, shovels, rakes, and clean top soil. ▪ PRPD brought in a construction roller to smooth over the surface. o Adding organic matter and sand topdressing for drainage and root growth ▪ Added 100% USGA topdressing sand to build sand layer and smooth the surface. o Seeded ▪ Used a disk and dimple seeder to add 250 lbs of Kentucky Bluegrass and 400 lbs of ryegrass ▪ Crucial for the seeding practices to ensure the seed got in as much contact with the soil as possible. o Reduce compaction ▪ PRPD used their own deep tine aerator to pass the field twice and take out 6” to 8” cores. ▪ Finally, sliced the field in two directions to open up the surface. ● Once PRPD established grass in the field, staff did a once over on poorly covered spots, dug up the soil, and replaced the soil with better “contents” o In one spot, staff found a large boulder that clearly prevented root growth. ● In late August, Solberg identified rust on the grass o Solberg determined the rust developed do to dry conditions and a sudden high humidity strike o She responded with a high nitrogen content fertilizer and the rust ended up going away.

Alternative pest management products available to conventional Comments from the audience: ● Why do people use three-way herbicides more than products such as Triclopyr (i.e. reduced-risk pesticides) ● Should more turf managers alternate between pesticides? ● How effective are biosolids? Koch:

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Need the least amount of knowledge and resources to apply three-way technologies Triclopyr handles creeping weeds less effectively than three-way pesticides. o For the most effectiveness of reduced-risk products and biologicals, you need the education on the system and ecology of the turf field. Koch still unsure why more people do not use Triclopyr and other reduced-risk products such as Defendor Few instances of herbicide resistance in turf. o Not as much pressure to rotate products as agriculture does, but still a good idea to rotate. o Couple cases of herbicide resistance in turf weeds, but not wide-spread. Knows of one case in Indiana.

Solberg: ● For feeding and fertilization, Solberg used a program first tested at another PRPD park that worked effectively at feeding the soil and increasing microbial activity to then feed the grass o Do to the program’s effectiveness at the other park, Solberg was 100% positive the program would work for Prospect o The program uses amino acid, seaweed extract, molasses, and humic acid (organic products) o Come August, staff and residents were concerned the field was not suitable for a game, so PRPD increased the organic program on the site and achieved positive results within 10 days. ● In the future, Park Ridge will need to consider grub control, where limited organic options are available o MPAC’s Ryan Anderson commented that organic and natural lawn companies use milky spore and beneficial nematodes for grub control currently. ● Testing biosolids at two parks in Park Ridge o Observing what they like about biosolids and what they don’t like currently o Some initial concerns with the smell of the product and the heavy equipment used to transport them that caused some damage to the turf.

Benefits realized from implementing IPM and NLC Rogers: ● Proper field construction and drainage will require less inputs and costs in the near term and long-term o Rogers’ built-up sand-capped system achieved green, resilient color 10 years after installation and 5 inches of sand top-dressing. ● Mowing, fertilization, and irrigation makes up 95 percent of sports turf management o Anytime we try to shortcut any of those three practices, weeds and pests tend to sprout up and lead to pesticides o In his view, organic and synthetic pesticides are just a shortcut from good cultural practices. o Technology such as riderless mowers, long-lasting fertilizers, irrigation sensors, and better plant varieties that can lower the labor costs associated with the cultural practices. Koch: ● ●

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Seeing more regulation (or interest in regulation) for lawn pesticides in the EU, US, and locally. Natural Lawn Care and IPM try to reduce the risk of pesticides o Risk = Hazard x Exposure o IPM and NLC primarily focus on reducing the exposure to toxics and pesticides o On the other hand, Dr. Koch’s research primarily focuses on the hazard side of risk by using products with less toxicity. Both the Reduced-Risk and NLC methods achieved acceptable turfgrass quality from a subjective visual test.

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o Conventional achieved highest quality in the study o Reduced-risk achieved a percentage of weeds comparable to conventional. The organic or NLC test achieved a score of 0 on both tests that UW uses to evaluate pesticide impact on environment and health o UW used both the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) and Hazard Quotient (HQ). o Reduced-risk, also, received significantly lower scores (EIQ= 22 and HQ= 2688) on the tests than the conventional approach (EIQ= 119, HQ= 10268) o Reduced-risk achieved a percentage of weeds comparable to conventional.

Solberg ● After heightening their mow and increasing the frequency of organic fertilization, Solberg witnessed positive results and received a call from the football association that they were happy with the conditions as well. ● Solberg personally does not view clover negatively and actually considers it as a benefit sometimes for its ability to attract pollinators and fill in some of the bare spots in the field.

Challenges to effective IPM or NLC Koch: ●

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When looking at the costs of the pesticide and fertilizer products only, organic had the highest cost ($250 per acre, per year) and Reduced-Risk had the second highest ($192), compared to conventional ($116) o Price of organic fertilizers can depend on context – ▪ If a district has a local source of compost, for example, that can provide excellent fertilizer and reduce costs significantly. o Future prices – synthetic fertilizer prices are somewhat tied to cost of crude oil. Much easier to manage a lawn naturally once you achieve healthy turf. o For the Racetrack study, Dr. Koch does not believe a naturally managed property it will improve over time because activity on the field constantly rips up the grass and it will need help.

Solberg: ● Managers need to take more time to learn about the site (the soil conditions, its location, shade available, drainage, etc.) ● Depending on the initial conditions, managers may spend a lot of staff and product resources to revitalize one field or area. o PRPD found success with the athletic field at Prospect Park, but will need to invest more time and resources to grow strong, resilient turf on the rest of the 11.7 acre site. ● Hurdles to overcome – NLC programs sports turf are difficult if you start with poor soil or lots of weeds o In these cases, it may take a while to reinvigorate soil and get grass to come in fully. ● Most organic fertilizers cost more than traditional ones. o The Prospect Park project had more funds in the budget available to make the organic fertilization feasible. o A seven-acre field costed about $5000 to fertilize for one year

Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions 18

Do any lawn care providers use Chlorpyrifos? Koch ●

Turf management has not used Chlorpyrifos for years and it’s banned, but used frequently in agriculture.

How did the City of Stoughton determine tolerance levels? Koch ●

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No discussion on what weed levels were accepted by the community or not, but recommends that communities should have that talk o City of Stoughton had a lower tolerance for weeds than the Sustainable Stoughton group that pushed for the natural lawn care program. UW researchers did assist the City of Stoughton with identifying higher value areas (e.g. city square), middle value areas, and lower value areas to concentrate turf management work.

Do Built-up Sand-Capped Systems use more sand in the middle areas of the field that receive more traffic? Rogers ● Managers do what they must to get the field even and usable. o Only needed a 0.5” sand top-dressing layer to make a difference in turf quality.

Municipalities will switch to synthetic fields (artificial turf) instead of natural. How do you cope with this, especially when cities invest more in artificial turf than they would on natural turf management over time? Rogers ● Spend extra time in the specifications on the natural turf field for bidding o Ensure that contractors cannot take advantage of the district by “holding their feet to the fire” to ensure they place a bid that ensures you get the product and service that you want. Koch ● UW argues that artificial turf is not a “no input” system. o The rubber used can have carcinogenic effects. o Need to replace artificial turf every 10 to 15 years. o In hotter regions, artificial turf may require irrigation systems. ● The main draw to artificial turf is that it allows for increased traffic.

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13th Cultural Practices Executive Summary Session topic: Cultural Practices Billions of microorganisms, invertebrates, and living organisms interact in the soil ecosystem to create an environment favorable for grass growth. Our panelists take a look at the cultural practices and policies to implement that promote strong plant and root growth.

Panelists: 1. Richard Hentschel- Richard Hentschel, from the University of Illinois Extension, has a master’s degree in horticulture from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign focusing on plant pathology and plant physiology. Hentschel has served as an Extension Educator in Rock Island, Kane, and Cook counties before becoming unit horticulture educator for DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties, where his programming includes the well-known Master Gardener Program. His recent programming focus has been providing educational opportunities to the many green industry trade industry associations located in Illinois, serving as a liaison between those groups and the University of Illinois, and educational efforts supporting management strategies for the Emerald Ash Borer in Northern Illinois. In his presentation, Hentschel detailed the many benefits organic matter adds to plant health. 2. Len Conley- Len Conley, Owner of The Sanctuary, has nearly 45 years of experience in the Agricultural and the Turf and Ornamental industry. He received a BS and MS in Agronomy & Ornamental Horticulture from Ohio State University, a MBA from Baldwin Wallace University, and is a Certified Agronomist with the Society of Agronomy. Len’s prolific career in the turf and natural product industry has included experience as a former golf course superintendent, Sales/Marketing Manager for Agricultural Co., Technical Manager for ChemLawn/Tru Green, Agronomist for Palmer Construction, Ground Floor with Riger Organic, and teaching turf grass management at a two-year vocational school. He developed Nature Safe, Roots, PHC, and Sanctuary Products. For this panel, Conley described the difference in nutrient profile of various organic materials and explains how to incorporate organic products and methodology in to traditional lawn care operations to create a “hybrid” system. 3. Carl Gorra- Carl received a degree in Resource Management from the University of Montana and has been fortunate to work in the green industry his entire career. Carl has worked for the Morton Arboretum, the Friendship Park Conservatory, and the Mt. Prospect Golf Course, and is currently the Operations Manager for the Naperville District Parks and Fleet Divisions. Carl takes great pride in continually learning and implementing ways of operating that are environmentally friendly, efficient, and provide lasting results. For his contribution to this panel, Gorra investigated the shifting public perceptions of organic materials as fertilizers, along with his own experiences using natural lawn care practices in sports turf and parkland management. 20

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: Caring for the soil microbiome is essential to maintaining plant health. Organic fertilizers and amendments, such as compost, focus on building soil organic matter that nurtures billions of nutrient cycling bacteria, protozoa, fungi, nematodes, and organisms to feed plant life. Synthetic fertilizers, meanwhile, inject straight into the roots of plants, which may provide a quick, easy fix to obtaining a green lawn, but creates a cyclical dependence on the product and does not fix larger soil quality problems or build organic matter. Among other benefits, soil with higher organic matter content has more water retention capacity, can manage pH imbalances, and encourage deeper root growth. All three speakers for this panel looked at the many benefits of organic matter and how to build it on lawns and landscapes. Organic fertilization and composting, while initially expensive, becomes cost-competitive and even at times more costeffective than conventional practices when applied with proper cultural practices. This panel was sponsored by The Sanctuary Products

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists The importance and characteristics of the soil microbiome/ecosystem Hentschel: ● The microbiome and organic matter contains everything that a plant needs to achieve optimal growth. o Healthy soil microflora (Bacteria, fungi, algae, etc.) enhances plant health ● Observed a shift in understanding of the impact of synthetic fertilizers on soil microbiomes in the past several decades. Conley: ● Soil health centers around microbial health o An acre of soil contains five to ten tons of microbes. o “every microbe is a mini bag of fertilizer”- An acre of healthy soil and its microbes contain 1,600 lbs of nitrogen o Microbes cycle nutrients, facilitate root growth, and detoxify the soil ▪ Azotobacter – nitrogen fixation ▪ Bacillus – helps with root growth ▪ Other bacteria promote the release of plant hormones

Soil microbiome/ecosystem needs Hentschel: ● 16 essential nutrients o Structural nutrients of Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen form the plant cell and propel photosynthesis and respiration. o Major macronutrients: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium o Secondary nutrients: Calcium, sulfur, and magnesium (helps with chlorophyll production) o Trace micronutrients of boron, chloride, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. ● The microbiome needs everything contained in organic matter! o As a plant based substance, organic matter already contains all the essential nutrients.

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Organic matter acts as “glue” that binds soil together to create a spongy structure that improves drainage, allows for 6 to 8 inches of turf root growth, and retains more nutrients. As a naturally acidic material, organic matter counteracts basic clay soils in our region to keep soils in the ideal 6.2 to 6.8 pH range.

Conley: ● Urban soils have a lot of stored nutrients, but need microbes to make the nutrients available o As microbes go through lifecycle and die, they release nutrients into soil o Allow for greater water storage capacity o Microbes can detoxify soil Gorra: ● Gorra cited a graphic from 1935 that explores the six characteristics or needs to ensure complete fertility o Location- Environmental conditions of the location will influence nutrient uptake (e.g. a field in a flood plain, likely will not drain well) o Humus- Humus or organic matter creates a “sponge-like”, living soil to retain nutrients and water. o Moisture- Without moisture, the soil cannot transfer nutrients to the roots of plants o Drainage- If the water drains to quickly or infiltrates to slowly, nutrients will not get in contact with roots. o Bacteria- Bacteria are essential in creating and maintaining desirable soil structure/texture o Food Elements- Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

Threats to the soil microbiome/ecosystem Hentschel: ● If plants can’t get nutrients, what’s the use. The factors that threaten access to nutrients include: o Too acidic or too basic pH ▪ Illinois soils tend to have higher clay content, which can make them too basic o Compacted soil o Poor drainage ● Thatch-- Dead grass can collect and remain stagnant on the grass surface preventing nutrients from returning to the soil and promoting disease. Conley: ● Construction projects often leave behind shallow, poor-quality soil with minimal microbial life, poor water infiltration, and limited available nutrients and energy. o Conley refers to this as “dirt,” not soil. We need to stop treating our soil as dirt. Gorra: ● The more salt-based synthetic fertilizers added to the soil, the harder it becomes for soil bacteria to do their jobs, resulting in the need for more frequent fertilization o Creates a cycle of dependency

Practices to build soil matter and improve soil quality Comments from the audience:

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How can we motivate lawn care companies to provide composting services or other natural lawn care practices? Is it feasible for the company?

Hentschel: ● Core aeration o Proper aeration works the organic matter into the soil, improving the “soil profile”. o The aeration, also, allows more soil and water into the soil and reduces thatch. ● Composting o Can reduce fertilizer need by 50% o Ensure a sufficient nutrient ration in your compost o Will not see adoption from lawn care companies, however, till homeowners ask for and values it. o Also, compost faces a lot of mechanical and logistical barriers for market adoption (e.g. very difficult to automate the spread of compost) Conley: ● Organics is a process moving towards a direction, rather than selecting products. o Pesticides eliminate, while organics build something o An organic/natural lawn care program aims to build back what nature provided. ● For the compost question, managers need to understand that not all compost is the same o Compost concentrated with leaves and similar material will throw the carbon to nitrogen ratio out of balance and may not help the grass grow o Need high-quality compost, not always the standard backyard bin. ● Performed bio-assessments of microbial life that show evident differences between organic practices and conventional. Gorra: ● Aeration schedule o Max aeration= 20 times per year for a field o Minimum= Three to four times ● Planted certain varieties of clover in a median where turf had undergone stress o The clover grew 8 to 10 inches tall so they wouldn’t survive the mowing height of turf o Messaged it as a “pollinator garden” for its ability to bring in wildlife.

Equipment and products needed to treat the soil Comments from the audience: ● How are you able to apply less of an organic fertilizer for a field than synthetic? ● One commenter found that they had to apply Fiesta more frequently and wanted to know if the presenters had the same experience. ● If applying biosolids for an organic lawn care program, does a manager need to stay on top of the applications 24/7 to ensure optimal results given the low energy content of the product? Hentschel: ● Deep tine aerators ● Compost o 1/8” to ¼” layer of topdressing for turfgrass

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Rakes and/or brooms necessary to drag compost into turf.

Conley: ● The nutrient and nutritional value of organic fertilizers and products vary. o Conley uses the Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) figure to measure the nutrients and energy available from fertilizer products. The best TDN score is 100. ▪ Protein and carbohydrate-based products have the most energy and unprocessed nutrients (TDN= 80) ▪ Manure-based products or “Leftovers” from the protein and carbohydrate based products result from animal digestion and have lower energy available (TDN= 20) ▪ Biosolids, while the cheapest, contain the least amount of energy due to both processing from the human body and a water treatment plant (TDN = 2) ● For the question on biosolids, Conley works with a lot of managers to restore soil quality to ideal levels in the fasted amount of time. Protein and carbohydrate-based organics get to that outcome fastest. o All organics, including biosolids will achieve optimal soil quality eventually, but not at the same time. o Conley, also, encourages managers to apply more than one product for cost-effectiveness and best quality. So, protein and carbohydrate-based products can work hand-in-hand with biosolids to achieve optimal conditions in a timely and cost-effective fashion. ● Timing o Organics work best during higher temperatures Gorra: ● Naperville Park District (NPD) provides tons of horse manure for garden plots o Limited nutritional value, but can sustain plant life due to its soil structure and other benefits o One gardener mixes the horse manure with leaves beneath plant roots and never needs additional fertilizers or products for his garden. ● For sporting fields, NPD uses a variety of organic fertilizers o Gorra was first concerned that he needed to use more organics when seeing the nutrient content compared to synthetics. o Realized after using organics that he could actually use less (2/3 of the amount or less), because organics feed the microbes that activate nutrients in the soil. o Synthetics equal 1:1 nutrients to the plant, organics equal 1:2 or 1:3, etc. o NPD is considering to top-dress fields with biosolids in the fall ● Regardless of the fertilizer used, the maintenance regime and equipment remains the same o Gorra uses a vegetable-oil powered tractor to spread organic fertilizers o The NPD “high-tech” aerating machine holds drill bits that penetrate the soil, take out cores, and backfill with calcite clay. o “Low-tech” aerating machine is a drive behind trailer that cores out plugs. ▪ Simple and dependable ● For weed control, NPD uses two applications of Fiesta on athletic fields on a 21 day time interval o While costs exceed synthetic, NPD offsets that by choosing highly trafficked or visible areas for control over less trafficked areas o Fiesta not as effective as a conventional product, but NPD feels more comfortable putting that product down for park users than the latter.

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I.e. The NPD likely will not apply 20 feet off athletic fields or by trees

Benefits realized from organic fertilizers and matter Hentschel: ● The addition of organic material to soil reduces the need for watering and synthetic fertilization Conley: ● Organic products activate the microbes, which activate the nutrients that plants need to grow and live. ● Organic fertilizers increase nutrient availability, reduce loss of energy and nutrients, and foster microbial life. ● A healthy soil biome can naturally fend off many threats, reducing the need for pesticide application o Cost savings from organic product’s water holding capacity ● Organic fertilizers work exceptionally well in the summer months when the heat activates microbial life. ● No risk of burning turf with organic products. Gorra: ● Organic and synthetic fertilizers work in very different ways, and results depend on the expectations of the manager o Synthetic or mined forms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium will contain more concentrated nutrients and provide fast-acting growth, but does not “feed the soil” and contribute to the other vital components of complete fertility (humus, drainage, bacteria, etc.) o Organics provide a multitude of benefits to the soil microbiome. ● Costs of organic fertilizers remain comparable to traditional fertilizer costs for Naperville Park District (NPD) sports fields o NPD applies organics at lower rates than synthetics due to the additional benefits to soil health. ● Even after periods of high traffic (Rib Fest and large sporting events), NPD’s turf has been able to recover and Gorra attributes that to their focus on soil quality. o Never had to re-sod parks after high traffic, for the exception of one case after Rib Fest where they aerated too much that caused a lot of rutting. o Now stops aerating a couple of weeks before a big event.

Challenges to achieving desirable soil quality Conley: ● Generally poor urban soil quality – after construction projects, soil quality has often deteriorated o The better the starting point, the better the organic program ● Three-way pesticides and conventional lawn care provides a broader scope and ease to apply practices o To offset this, Conley wants to integrate naturals into a traditional lawn care program, either as a stand-alone 4-step/5-step program or into a conventional schedule o Similar concept to going to a grocery store and wanting to buy healthy, but ensure you purchase cost-effectively within your budget o Opportunity for integration since organics work best in the summer months when homeowners and parents do not wish to apply pesticides for the health and safety of their kids and pets. ● Fully organic programs, for the most part, still do not control broadleaf weeds like a conventional 4step/5-step program would, but builds the microbial life. ● An educational process o Set reachable consumer standards

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Gorra: ● Change perception about different organic products and principles o Bacteria not always bad, but beneficial for soil o Negative perceptions related to digested products such as biosolids. ● Sports turf has to endure high traffic from games and events: people, stages, vehicles, etc. ● “Pick your battles”: choose which areas of turf really need to be weed-free, and which don’t o Fiesta (chelated iron) requires two applications, and is not quite as effective as synthetic pesticides

Research, technical assistance, and/or tools needed to overcome challenges Hentschel ● U of I Extension has a website with 35 labs that do different soil testing services (agricultural, homeowner, heavy metals). There are many labs that can provide you with the information you need.

Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions Is there any risk of over-fertilization and runoff when developing a “hybrid” (traditional plus organics) lawn care practice? Conley ● As opposed to a company that depends on the number of fertilizer applications for profit, Conley’s suggested program prices by “whole aspect soil health.” o Conley’s program calls for only a couple of applications or reduces the rate of fertilizers applied per application. This strategy will fit into corporate program operationally. o For example, if a company chooses to go out five times per year for an application, they will go out and use less product, but still generate the revenues they want. o You need a more flexible program that is less rigid than a traditional lawn care program. ● Conley would, also, argue for a change to the traditional five-step programs to one that values processbased approaches to lawn care.

What strategies can be used to manage customers’ expectations when it comes to weeds in their lawn? Conley ● For lawn care providers specifically, consumers primarily set the standards o The community culture and expectations largely influence these consumer wants and standards. Hentschel ● Change the framing – rather than criticizing a dandelion-filled lawn, think of it as a “pollinator garden”. Gorra ●

Gorra does not receive many complaints for dandelions and clover. o Mow the tops from the weeds and the problems and complaints will go away.

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Do your NLC practices have to change if you have a septic system in your yard? Hentschel ● If the septic system functions properly, Hentschel believes it will not make a difference. Conley ● If you have a starving lawn by the septic system you will see “lines” or evident differences and you may need to make adjustments.

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13th IPM/NLC Policy: Writing, Implementation, and Improvement Executive Summary Session topic: IPM/NLC Policy What does an IPM/NLC policy actually look like? This panel covered the major components to an effective written policy (thresholds, recordkeeping, protocols for choosing strategies/products, etc.), the stakeholders to involve in writing passing, and implementing the policy, and how to ensure implementation of the policy after passage.

Panelists: 1. Ryan Anderson, Outdoors and Communications Program Manager, Midwest Pesticide Action Center- Ryan Anderson leads Midwest Pesticide Action Center’s integrated marketing campaign and outdoors program. A 2016 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Fellow, Ryan has extensive experience advancing science-based solutions in urban and residential communities highlighted by his leadership of MPAC’s Midwest Grows Green natural lawn care initiative that has recruited 9 pesticide free parks, 17 point-of-purchase retailers, and more than 200 pledges in its first year. Ryan has a Masters of Sustainable Solutions from Arizona State University and holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Biology and Electronic Journalism from Butler University. For this panel, Ryan defined and covered the elements of Integrated Pest Management and elaborated on what an IPM or natural lawn care (NLC) policy looks like for park and school districts. 2. Sue Crothers, grassroots activist in Park Ridge- Sue Crothers, Commissioner on the River Forest Sustainability Commission, has dedicated herself to environmental efforts since her early twenties. Together with her husband, Sue built one of the first sustainably designed homes in Illinois. Sue is a core team member for PlanItGreen, the Sustainability Plan for River Forest and Oak Park, and a founding member of the One Earth Film Festival, the Midwest’s largest environmental film festival. She supports her local food shed as an investor with SLoFig (Sustainable Local Financial Investment Group). In her presentation, Sue discusses her lawn chemical usage reduction advocacy work in River Forest, highlighted by the Keep ON the Grass program.

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3. Steve Neumann, founder, Logic Lawncare- Steve Neumann is owner of Logic Lawn Care based in Evanston, IL. For the past 10 years now, Logic has specialized in Natural Lawn Care in the Chicagoland area. They work with Homeowners, Municipalities, Parks and Schools Districts. For this panel, Steve shared his expertise in natural lawn care practices, IPM-Integrated Pest Management, and client communication which is essential to ensure all stakeholder expectations are met and the result is a successful transition to a Natural Lawn. 4. Marc Wise, founder, Greenwise- Marc Wise, CEO and founder of Greenwise, has been a practitioner of organic lawn care for over ten years. Greenwise opened its doors in the Evanston community in 2007 and has since established a reputation as a leading sustainable landscape company in the greater Chicago area. Greenwise believes in beautiful, high quality landscapes that contribute to health and support clean water, soil, and air. For this panel, Marc covered Greenwise’s partnership with the City of Evanston to launch the Pesticide-Free Parks Program and his pesticide elimination programs across the Greater Chicago area.

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: Many definitions of IPM and NLC exist, but no standards exist to ensure proper IPM/NLC implementation and actual reductions in health and environmental risks. MPAC’s Ryan Anderson began this panel by calling for the establishment of these standards and reviewing policy templates and examples that, if adopted, will strengthen lawn pesticide reduction work. Following the review of policies, the three panelists of Sue Crothers, Steve Neumann, and Marc Wise shared how they advanced NLC and IPM programs in their communities or to their clients. A recurring theme of this panel visited the relationship with community members and how to manage or reform expectations and tolerance levels for weeds and pests. This panel was sponsored by Earth Share of Illinois

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists Benefits to establishing a formal IPM/NLC policy Anderson: ● Ensures consistency in actions of staff ○ E.g. Glenview Park District holds “Green Team” meetings that covered the new IPM policy passed to ensure staff understand the acceptable and unacceptable products and practices. ● Avoid ambiguity for how to handle particular pest or weed management situations or issues ○ The clear guidelines of these policies significantly reduce accidents and overuse of products when handling, storing, mixing, and disposing them. ● Increase transparency between your organization and your clients. Wise: ●

Pest and weed pressures or scenarios exist that require IPM

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E.g. Creeping Charlie can get to a point where organics cannot address the issue and Greenwise will need to consult an IPM policy to manage. ○ In these situations, to stay true to its mission, Greenwise sub-contracts out for the control of these weeds with the least amount, of the least harmful product. As a pesticide applicator, lawn company, or turf manager, Do it for you! ○ Applicators are the most exposed and at risk from pesticides ○ A policy will reduce occupational hazards to pesticide/herbicide applicators

Defining IPM/NLC Anderson: ● MPAC defines IPM as an “Environmentally sensitive and cost-effective approach to pest and weed management that consolidates all available necessary techniques into a sequential program to keep pest populations at acceptable levels and to avoid adverse effects. An IPM program will utilize physical, cultural, mechanical, structural, and biological controls before resorting to chemical controls”. ● At its core, IPM emphasizes inexpensive prevention practices that eliminate the cause of pests and weeds in the first place. ○ In outdoor spaces, for example, IPM will address weed favorable conditions of poor soil quality and drainage first. ● A good IPM program will take advantage of all control strategies available to it (i.e. biological, physical, cultural, mechanical), before resorting to chemicals. Neumann: ● Pesticides are the last step; use natural weed killers. ○ If this isn’t enough, go into IPM, then go back to natural. Wise: ●

Not all organic or IPM programs are created equal. ○ IPM is not well-defined; people have different ideas about what it is ○ Necessary for organizations, such as MPAC, to apply a more rigorous definition for IPM.

Elements of a good IPM/NLC policy and how to select the most cost-effective, risk averse control strategy Anderson: ● MPAC finds that effective IPM/NLC policies include four main components ○ Defines and identifies IPM or NLC as the preferred strategy for pest and weed management. ○ Establishes a protocol that cost-effectively selects the least harmful pest and weed control methods. ○ Recordkeeping and evaluation directives to ensure the program continues to improve and adapt. ○ Notification guidelines of pesticide and product applications to remain transparent. ● Cities, park districts, and school districts that have used MPAC’s model IPM/NLC policies include River Forest, Park Ridge School District, Evanston, and Glenview.

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Crothers: ● Incorporation of resident education that helps individuals connect the dots ○ Assert that every action has a reaction for society and the environment. ○ This focus on education developed the Healthy Lawn, Healthy Family campaign in River Forest. ● Allow for trial and error or pilot tests ○ River Forest implemented IPM for one year before adopting a full policy ● Align your IPM/NLC policy with other work/bigger picture (e.g. a sustainability plan or stormwater management strategy) ○ E.g. The River Forest Sustainability Committee chose to message about herbicide runoff and reduction during the construction of a stormwater system that deposits runoff into the Des Plaines River to reduce flooding. The timing helped make connections with the actions done on lawns by leveraging an issue of concern for the River Forest community. Neumann: ● Natural Lawn Care and IPM have to work together ○ Use IPM without NLC, it becomes a slippery slope to resorting to chemical use for most pest and weed problems. ○ Use NLC without IPM, you will lack the decision-making platform for controlling weed and pest problems and may not achieve the buy-in. ● Good policies stress the health of the grass plant ○ Cultural practices- mow high, aerate, leave grass clippings, etc. ○ Water management- Ensure proper drainage and water properly ○ Overseeding- Fill bare patches, achieve a continuous grass structure ○ Plant Nutrition ○ May not need to talk chemicals if practices match with plant health needs. ● Logic Lawn Care found success with the Village of Skokie and Mount Prospect School District 57. Wise: ●

Good policies set or ensure tolerance, feasibility, and efficacy ○ Tolerance- Determine the weed/pest tolerance that you, your clients, or your residents have. ○ Feasibility- Calculate the cost constraints your district or authority has for natural or organic programs ■ The costs of organics often does not allow for an NLC program on all properties, specifically sporting fields and large areas ○ Efficacy - Does the NLC program really work? ■ Does the turf naturally outcompete weeds when managed well and with the correct organic fertilizers. ■ Organic fertilizers when applied properly and when used in the right amount work very well from Marc’s perspective.

Selecting the most cost-effective, risk averse control strategy Anderson:

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MPAC’s IPM template includes a protocol for selecting the least toxic controls. The protocol includes four components ○ Monitoring- To track weed and pest problems, determine when to act, and identify what control strategy to use. ○ Setting Weed and Pest Tolerance Levels- Balancing the turf quality with the expectations of the community. ○ Selecting preferred control strategies- The control strategy selected should satisfy these six criteria: ■ Least-hazardous to human health ■ Least disruptive of natural controls ■ Least-toxic to non-target organisms ■ Least-damaging to the general environment ■ Most likely to produce a permanent reduction in habitat conducive to pest populations above the tolerance level ■ Cost effectiveness over a reasonable term (i.e. two to five years) ○ Protocol for selecting the least amount of the least harmful product- Necessary when chemical control is the only reasonable and effective option for pest and weed control. The protocol should: ■ Avoid products with high acute toxicity (EPA label of “danger” or “warning”) ■ Avoid products that have possible, probable, known, or likely carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, endocrine disruptors, or nervous system toxicity ● As determined by the US EPA, International Agency for Research on Cancer, National Toxicology Program, or California Prop 65 List ■ Avoid products where the soil half-life of all ingredients lasts no longer than 30 days (see Oregon State University Pesticide Database) ■ Train staff for application, storage, and disposal of lawn care products ■ Designate an IPM coordinator to determine necessary actions for a pest/weed problem

Approaches to setting tolerance levels Crothers: ● Connect to our residents, educate our residents, change habits ○ Without habitual change, you can’t push the needle. However, change will not happen without first creating these connections and facilitating learning of natural lawn care/IPM. ● Connecting to residents does not happen instantly, but gradually ○ E.g. River Forest chose to first focus its education on soil and composting, two elements that individuals can make the connection to food systems and gardening. This focus on the basics helped pave the way for River Forest to discuss pesticides on a higher level. ● May need to change the message to officials to realize added benefits. ○ E.g. Research shows that millennials have a higher tolerance for weeds and lower tolerance for pesticides. The Sustainability Committee messaged to the public officials that if they wanted to attract millennials and younger families, they should heighten their tolerance for weeds. ● Seek opportunities where residents are convened in a relaxed, informal setting to share the message

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E.g. Green Block Parties in River Forest gathered multigenerational audiences to spread the natural lawn care message Block party generates questions, encouraging attendees to voluntarily visit website to find out more. The Sustainability Committee would mix in fun activities to engage including: ■ Native seed bombs ■ Lavender lemonade - talk about community garden ■ Honey tasting - talk about pollinators ■ “Food truck” - garden of edible plants in a pickup truck bed Motivate individuals to Take The Pledge after making the connections through activities: offer informational tri-fold pamphlet (worked with MPAC to develop) ■ Those who take the pledge get a yard sign and receive a letter with additional resources.

Neumann: ● Set expectations- Get all the stakeholders on the same page ○ Need to establish reasonable aesthetic and economic thresholds ○ E.g. Village of Skokie met the aesthetic threshold with room in the budget for more natural controls. If funds were unavailable, however, Logic Lawn Care might have resorted to IPM and used a chemical to satisfy the economic threshold. ● Communication and education is vital for expectations ○ E.g. One superintendent Logic Lawn Care works with raised the alarm as dandelions began to germinate in the spring and asked why a pre-emergent was not applied. Neumann messaged that he doesn’t use pre-emergent pesticides and that those dandelions were the product of seeds from last year. Natural Lawn Care and IPM takes time to disrupt the life cycle, not one year. ● Make a point to not convince a client that their expectation is wrong, but understand their expectations and reform them, if necessary, through education. ○ E.g. For dandelion complaints in May or late spring, Neumann will help clients understand the dandelion life cycle and that those plants will disappear in two weeks time and the lawn will look green and lush. ● Any community is able to participate in NLC or IPM when on the same page ○ E.g. Village of Skokie signed a contract with Logic Lawn Care and said “we cannot have any dandelions” initially. Neumann said that was a high/unrealistic expectation immediately for the program they agreed to. Following the education, they landed on a program that worked for the relatively high expectations Skokie held. Wise: ● ●

Weigh the sensitivities of the community to both chemicals and weeds. Where’s the correct balance between the two? Embrace what a lawn means today in education and outreach ○ Backs Crothers statement to focus on millennials ○ Millennials are looking for no chemicals; put it this way to communities who are trying to market to the next generation of homeowners.

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Recordkeeping, evaluation, and improvement of IPM/NLC Anderson: ● Those entities that practice strong recordkeeping significantly help with evaluating and improving an IPM or NLC program. For records of pesticide applications, managers should record the following: ○ Pesticide product name and EPA registration number. ○ Amount of product applied. ○ Size of the area treated. ○ Crop, commodity, stored product, or site treated. ○ Location of application. ○ Certified applicator’s name and certification number. ● MPAC recommends a park or school district evaluate their program at least once a year. These evaluations should consider the following questions: ○ Are thresholds too difficult to attain, should they be readjusted? ○ Has the health of the landscape improved? ○ Have the long-term IPM methods been successful? ○ What treatments were cost-effective, which weren’t? ○ Have you realized the savings from reduced pesticide use and needs? ● Other recommendations: ○ Create an IPM/NLC team of staff, policymakers, businesses, non-profits, and residents to review, evaluate, and improve the program ■ River Forest created this team in April of 2017 to evaluate the first year of the program. ○ Release an IPM/NLC report to increase transparency ■ The City of Evanston will release a report in April of 2018 that not only informs residents the amount of pesticides the City applies, but, also, the local, state, and national policies that influence pest and weed control in the City. ■ E.g. The report will inform residents about the Illinois Pesticide Notification Law and their rights to request for more information about lawn care products applied adjacent to their properties. Neumann: ● Documentation- The IPM Turf Audit ○ Logic Lawn Care meets with the client each year to review practices and will expand on these meetings with its audit. ○ The audit documents the amount of products used (organic or conventional) and strategies Logic Lawn Care plans to apply in the future for pest and weed problems. ● The evaluations and check-ins help ensure that the company or district refrains from using a pesticide when unnecessary ○ Grubs provide the best example of the need for check-ins, since many times turf damage results from skunks and not the grubs. For these cases, Neumann takes a rake for the loose turf mats it back and within a week the grass gets reestablished without needing an insecticide.

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Wise: ●

Believes that if you make the effort to continually improve your organic program, you will find ways to make it work.

Notification and increasing transparency protocols Comments from the Audience: ● What’s the reasoning behind posting signs 24 hours before application? Anderson: ● Notification of pesticide and fertilizer applications should be in accordance with State law, however, MPAC recommends going a step further with the following parameters: ○ 4” x 5” signs ○ Labeled “Lawn Care Application- Stay off Grass until signs have been removed- For more information contact (name and telephone number of provider).” ○ Posted the day before around the perimeter and at usual points of entry. ○ Removed 24 hours after application. ● For the reasoning behind the 24 hour suggestion, Anderson stated that posting before application helps parents and families prepare for an application if they wish to avoid exposure as much as possible by shutting windows, keeping children and pets inside, etc. Crothers: ● Consider setting up means for continued education ○ River Forest’s “Keep On the Grass” signs include a logo and website/webpage for more information about natural lawn care and pesticides. Neumann: ● Neumann’s IPM Turf audits are prepared for the staff of client organizations who can share easily and freely share with the community to improve their transparency. Ruth Kerzee (MPAC Executive Director): ● MPAC frequently receives calls from people that see pesticide application signs, but do not when or what products were applied from those signs because they include limited information on date of application and the soil longevity of the product.

Steps for passing and implementing IPM/NLC strategies Crothers: ● Crawl, walk, run concept- Policy adoption and implementation doesn’t happen overnight ○ A trial and error period or pilot tests can help achieve effective policies and strategies ● Bottom-up/ Top-down approach ○ When the public understands the approach at a grassroots level, then you can address the policy level from the top-down ● Gaining public support via fun, educational events (e.g Green Block Parties)

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○ But you don’t need to always recreate the wheel from current village or district events Involve other key institutions in your community ○ Universities, hospitals, cemeteries, businesses, etc.

Neumann: ● Need to achieve buy-in from all stakeholders ○ The Community- Typically people from the community start the conversation by asking for no more pesticides. On the flip side, many residents in the community have expectations for the quality of grass they hope to achieve. ○ Facility Manager- Think NLC/IPM doesn’t work or it’ll make their job harder. ○ Controller- Administrators care about the costs ○ Elected officials- The presence of weeds could affect job security ○ Kids- The stakeholders who don’t care, they may be attracted to dandelions for their flowers. ● Following communication and education, stress the cultural practices and ensure they are implemented properly.

Contracting with landscapers Anderson: ● MPAC’s Municipal Pesticide Reduction Toolkit includes an example request for qualification for IPM or natural lawn care to help park and school districts receive bids from contractors for the service (see page 86). ○ The example template likely goes more in detail than necessary, but can be used by park and school districts as a starting point. Crothers: ● Meet with contractors/landscapers in the community ○ River Forest Sustainability Committee was able to center these discussions on the values of their community and make the argument that the community wants natural lawn care after their outreach. ● People who hire grass cutters need to have a discussion with them - don’t cut the grass if it doesn’t need it. Otherwise most contractors will default to cutting every week. Neumann: ● Most of Logic Lawn Care’s contracted work comes from school or park districts contacting them ○ Some examples of Request for Proposals, but Logic has not helped with writing them. Wise: ● ●

If Greenwise has a problem that requires additional chemicals beyond what natural weed killers can support, it hires out that work to other contractors, so they can stay true to their mission of 100% natural. Weeks during the season where the lawn care contractor does not need to cut. Work with the contractor to determine protocols for those times.

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Challenges in the implementation and improvement of IPM/NLC Crothers: ● Not easy to reach residents and motivate them to care ○ We live in a period of information overload, where no one bothers to read their emails, visit websites, or stop to take time on any one specific issue. ● Even after educational events, it can be hard to get public to accept the idea of “mowing high.” Neumann: ● Public perception of dandelions/weeds on property ○ E.g. The homeowner with lots of dandelions is lazy or cheap. ○ People have certain cultural/social associations with dandelions and lawn appearance (more successful household, better property values, better education in schools); in reality dandelions have no effect on these things. Wise: ● ● ●

Organics have trouble with controlling certain weeds and pests ○ Most notably grubs and creeping charlie. Clients with sensitivities Organics aren’t always feasible ○ Residential is usually feasible, but sports turf and parks can be more difficult ○ On a large scale, high quality organic product is expensive ○ Struggle with creeping charlie

Research, technical assistance, and/or tools needed to overcome challenges Crothers: ● Would like the ability to tie lawn care to building IPM policies in schools and businesses ○ The River Forest School District is one of the first districts in Illinois to implement a composting program for the entire district. This has set a baseline for incorporating IPM practices for the district. Wise: ●

Problems dealing with creeping charlie using NLC methods -- solutions for this?

Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions Difficulties treating sports turf and field with NLC/IPM methods Wise:

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Difficult to “scale up” -- NLC practices that may work on a residential lawn won’t work as well on a sports field ○ Field managers may not be open to it ○ Additional requirements of grass used for sports (height, lack of weeds, etc.)

Neumann: ● Believes that you can have a successful natural lawn program and cut shorter for sports turf.

Grass seed selection Wise: ●

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Likes tall fescue grass seed ○ Naturally allelopathic grass type that can outcompete certain weeds particularly birds-foot trefoil and clover. ○ Other Tall Fescue benefits- drought tolerant, rapid germination. ○ Tall fescue weaknesses- Slow lateral growth, requiring an overseed at least once a year. If concerned about environmental impacts, research finds that tall fescue’s allelopathy can have deleterious effects on wildlife and biodiversity. ○ In Greenwise’s sod mixes they generally use 80% tall fescue, 10% kentucky bluegrass, and 10% ryegrass ■ Comfortable integrating fescue into ryegrass lawns. Regarding the question of integrating warm-season grasses in cold climates for their drought-resistance, Wise has seen Bentgrass in some of his clients lawns and has thought about incorporating Zoysia for its ability to stay green over summers, but mostly waits for that technology to advance with cool-season grasses. Tall fescue to Wise, is the model for water conservation and allelopathy in cool-season grasses.

Neumann: ● Buffalo grass does not work for everybody, but an option ○ Does not need mowing on a regular basis. ○ Takes a lot of education for the customer, since the grass starts as brown before turning green. Comments from the Audience ● A golf course in Pennsylvania tried to install warm season grasses and lost the golf course as soon as the cool-season began to kick in. ● Colorado tried to implement Buffalo Grass, but couldn’t satisfy expectations due to its shaggy appearance. ● A-listturf.org maintains a list of low-input, drought resistant grasses.

Bringing organic matter to clay soils Neumann: ● Compost topdressing provides the best option to adding organic matter, but not very easy logistically, specifically for clay soils.

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Wise: ●

On a 5,000 sq ft lawn or less, Logic Lawn Care would charge between $400 to $600 for one topdress. ■ Village of Skokie has done a topdress with great success year after year. ■ The costs not practical for every client, however ■ Neumann tries to decrease costs by switching up equipment and practices, such as using wheelbarrows instead of topdressing equipment.

Heavy clay soils present a large challenge for organic programs ○ “Simple” solution- Topdress with compost or sand mixtures. ○ More “complex” solutions ■ Take away the lawn, add sand and compost to soil, and then re-sod ■ Aerate heavily, and incorporate humates and gypsum products to “soften” the soil.

Timing- If you miss an application of organic fertilizers, will the value of organics deteriorate? Wise: ●

Does not believe a missed time application will wash out the value of organic fertilizers, for the exception of possibly seeing more weeds that year. ○ Organics continually build the soil and can add to an IPM program if you find an effective organic fertilizer and continue using it. ○ For situations where weeds do sprout, you can always resort to a low toxicity pesticide product that doesn’t conflict with the organic matter build-up from using organic fertilizer products. ○ Not all organic fertilizers, however, are created equal.

Mowing Height Neumann: ● 3 inches makes people the most happy; would be great to go a little higher but 3 is what they zero-in on. Crothers: ● 3 to 3.5 inches. Wise: ●

2.75 to 3 inches. ○ Greenwise will cut lower in the spring to encourage lateral growth, and leave it longer in the summer to reduce stress on the grass. ○ Times in the year where Greenwise focuses on other aspects of grass health than mowing and allow their customers to give them a call if they do not want a mow.

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13 Cost Factors

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Executive Summary Session topic: Cost Factors Our panelists explore the different factors and decisions that could drive up or lower costs in an IPM/NLC policy and how to manage them for best results economically, aesthetically, and environmentally.

Panelists: 3. Jeff Swano- Jeff Swano, Founder and Owner of Dig Right In Landscaping, has been an outdoor enthusiast, naturalist and gardener for most of his life. He graduated in 1984 from the University of Iowa earning a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Environmental Studies and Economics. For 20 years, he worked as an environmental economist at several international consulting firms. He has held leadership roles in several local environmental advocacy groups and volunteered to restore our local woodland, prairie and surface water resources. In 1998, Jeff formed Dig Right In Landscaping, combining his resource restoration and stormwater management experience to create one of the area’s first sustainable landscaping companies. He is currently the Chairman of the Sustainable Landscaping Committee at the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. As presenter and sponsor of this panel, Jeff compared and contrasted the benefits and costs of organic lawn care versus conventional, both the tangible and external. 4.

Len Conley- Len Conley, Owner of Sanctuary Products, has nearly 45 years of experience in the Agricultural and T&O Industry. He received a BS and MS in Agronomy & Ornamental Horticulture from Ohio State University, a MBA from Baldwin Wallace University, and is a Certified Agronomist with the Society of Agronomy. Len’s prolific career in the turf and natural product industry has included experience as a former golf course superintendent, Sales/Marketing Manager for Agricultural Co., Technical Manager for ChemLawn/Tru Green, Agronomist for Palmer Construction, Ground Floor with Ringer Organic, and teaching turf grass management at a two-year vocational school. He developed Nature Safe, Roots, PHC, and Sanctuary Products. In his presentation, Len evaluated the economic, aesthetic, and environmental costs and benefits from the perspective of a landscaping company for organic programs versus conventional.

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: Providing a one to one cost/benefit comparison between conventional and natural lawn care/IPM is next to impossible for two reasons: (1) Factors such as initial lawn state, pest and weed tolerance, soil characteristics, and weather conditions will change the natural lawn care services and practices applied to a site as opposed to a relatively stagnant five step conventional program, and (2) natural and IPM programs factor in all the external costs of lawn care such as eutrophication, human health effects, and carbon emissions that conventional lawn care does not. Nevertheless, the panel’s two speakers covered the many different costs and benefits to consider, particularly as they pertain to economic, aesthetic, and environmental 41

value. From discussions, the lawn and real estate industry’s focus on valuing aesthetics of lawns and landscapes, while essentially ignoring the environmental and health effects creates the largest barrier to large-scale IPM/NLC adoption. The sustainable landscaping sector will need to bring in real estate professionals and associations to the table to overcome this barrier. This work was sponsored by Dig Right In Landscaping, Inc.

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists The business case for IPM/NLC Conley: ● Plenty of opportunity to use organics o 62% of lawn care customers would do something natural from focus groups. ● Organic products perform better and achieve better results. o E.g. a customer used conventional products in the front yard, and organics in the backyard and found the backyard looked better. ● Frames it from the perspective of a lawn care company- Why would I, as a lawn care provider, want to use natural products? o Natural products provide cost saving opportunities economically, aesthetically, and environmentally. Swano: ● Cheaper to keep the environment clean and receive maximum ecosystem services, than to let it get dirty and clean it up later. ● Conventional products work where you apply it, but natural lawn care approaches feed the whole system and work everywhere.

Tangible/direct benefits realized after enacting IPM/NLC practices Conley: ● Organic and natural products achieve high performance standards o Proved by Conley’s many years incorporating organic fertilizers into golf courses and sports turf across the nation. ● End up using less pesticides, less fertilizers, and less water in the long-term o Less Pesticides ▪ A continuous, well-rooted grass system can outcompete weeds and pests for nutrients, water, and sunlight. o Less Fertilizers ▪ Naturals when applied stay put and do not leach. This could potentially reduce the application rate by 30% over time. ▪ Organic fertilizers build the soil organic matter so it can better hold nutrients and water. ▪ While not all organics can be treated the same, an organic fertilizer with high energy content (32-3-0, 16-0-12) will remain as effective as traditional products and not need more applications o Less water ▪ A strongly rooted grass system and the improved water retention of soils that organics facilitate will reduce the need for regular watering. ● Reduce service calls for agronomic problems, since organics address problems further than applying a band-aid every year o Services could cost up to $45 per added call ● Seasonal timing matches better with organics for a landscape company

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Most expenses for a company occur during the spring months as more product and service is needed. This leads to most companies recouping their losses in the summer months o Risk of cancellation for services during summer months, however. The effectiveness of organics during summer months and the message of kid and pet-friendly products could discourage customers from cancelling services in the summer. The natural lawn care message and results could reduce overall customer losses year over year. Natural products have a larger longevity to synthetic products o Organic fertilizer will last in the soil for 12 to 14 weeks, synthetic may only last three to six weeks. o That longevity will give the manager time to focus on other lawn care practices. Unhealthy is not cheap o The quick fix synthetic pesticides and fertilizers steer attention away from turf rooting and recovery to stem growth that builds up thatch. o Thatch encourages disease, fungal, and insect growth that will attack and kill the weak, poorlyrooted, and unhealthy grass.

Swano: ● Soil testing (necessary, but can be costly) ● Reduce inputs over time o Composting and top-dressing returns yard waste to the soil ● Natural lawn care solves pest and weed problems so they do not return in the future o E.g. the conventional lawn care company sees dandelions and applies a product to kill them. The dandelions, however, go into defense mode and release its seeds to establish itself next year and the cycle continues.

Potential/External cost benefits realized from IPM/NLC policies and practices Conley: ● Organics add to the aesthetics of a property that can increase the value of the property o An organic fertilization between Thanksgiving and Christmas slowly works its way downwards and sideways and creates a nutrient-rich soil environment for the grass in the spring of the next year. ● Environmental and health opportunities o Natural lawn care delivers a strong message that it delivers a kid, pet, and family friendly program. ● Natural lawn care responds most cost-effectively to regulations down the pipeline Swano: ● The external costs of conventional lawn care are significant for the environment and public health o Large carbon footprint for synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that travel across oceans and continents to arrive on lawns. o Studies have linked synthetic pesticides to neurological, behavioral, hormonal, reproductive, and immune system disorders. o Toxic to plants, insects, and fungi ▪ By harming these many organisms, pesticides disrupt the many interconnections and relationships in our ecosystem food chains and webs. o Runoff of synthetic fertilizers contribute to eutrophication, water pollution, and the dead zones observed in the Gulf of Mexico and other bodies of water. ▪ Downstream individuals pay more to purify the water. ▪ Livelihoods such as fishing or tourism are diminished.

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By harming these many organisms, pesticides disrupt the many interconnections and relationships in our ecosystem food chains and webs. Many additional unintended consequences observed from conventional lawn care. o Herbicide resistance exhibited by popular weeds causing herbicides to increase in toxicity concentration and application rate. o A perpetual cycle of pesticide application annually to address a weed or pest symptom. o Limited variety of nutrients (16 essential micronutrients for healthy turf growth) o Potential harm caused to beneficial soil organisms and non targeted species. o Soil erosion caused by a shallow turfgrass root system. The lawn and landscape sector do not factor in any of these externalities in to the cost of the product itself. o By adding these externalities into the price, demand for conventional would decrease. o Organic programs, on the other hand, already factor in the externalities to the price. No offsite costs that others have to pay for. Pricing leaves out the increased biodiversity, stormwater retention, and decreased yard waste achieved by natural lawn care programs.

Costs/challenges of IPM/NLC practices Conley: ● The standard myth of organics is that “they cost a lot, you use a lot, and they don’t work very well” o Organics has advanced significantly over the years. ● Distributors and landscapers assess similar standards for natural products to the standards used for conventional products. These standards become guidelines for cost comparisons, when the two products are vastly different. ● Companies put ineffective or bad organic products on the market ● Nicer lawns (i.e. weed free and green) increase property values ● People seek shortcuts with pesticides Swano: ● Dig Right In determines costs largely by the initial condition of lawn (microbial life, weed/pest population, past lawn practices) and the lawn practices or approach desired by the customer. ● Requires earth science and ecosystem knowledge o Training of staff to think systematically about grass. ● Takes time and initial investment for returns in the future ● Need some weed tolerance ● More time and money spent on assessing the soil through testing and sampling. ● DigRightIn spends for staff to go out to lawns and hand-weed

Future needs to cut the costs of IPM/NLC policies and practices Conley: ● Need to find a home for organics. o Distributors and lawn companies view naturals as a microcosm in our society and do not view it as a trend. ● Need to set standards for natural lawn care vs standards for chemical treated lawns ● A conversation with the real estate sector in how to properly value an organic lawn versus a conventional lawn o A green, weed-free lawn can increase property value by 15% ● Unhealthy is not cheap ● More education on NLC long-term benefits

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Swano: ● Research and valuation of the externalities and off-site costs from conventional versus natural lawn care. ● The marketplace needs to stop viewing natural vs conventional as an apples to apples comparison. o Conventional is an “orange”, and natural lawn care is a “compost bin”. o Those that pay for organic, pay for all the inputs.

Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions Herbicide Resistance Swano: ● Pesticide producers spend millions on R&D to address the issue of herbicide resistance. Comments from the Audience: ● Primarily has seen cases of herbicide resistance for RoundUp, but not other products. Question of whether resistance is a concern for other products, specifically those used in turf? o Dr. Paul Koch in an earlier presentation had not seen many issues of herbicide resistance for turf weeds, but recommended practices that did not depend on one product.

Runoff and Eutrophication Swano: ● Eutrophication from fertilizer runoff is a combined effect of both agriculture and turf use, but a problem that we should remain concerned about. Conley: ● We do not solve problems by blaming others for their actions that may or may not be worse than our actions. Policy and actors need to consider the problem as a whole. o Conley finds that agriculture has put in more effort to clean their act than the turf and landscape sector. o Examples include no till and cover cropping that have penetrated practice in the agricultural sector. Comments from the Audience ● How much should we concern ourselves with dead zones and eutrophication, when agriculture and runoff from crops seem to drive the problem the most? o While agriculture uses more pesticides and fertilizers in total, the lawn and garden sector uses these products at a higher intensity (up to three more times per acre for pesticides) o USGS study detected more lawn chemicals in urban waterways than other pesticide products. o Some agricultural pesticides only entail the application at a rate of a quarter pound per acre, or the equivalent of spreading a stick of butter across an acre of grass. Very few, if any, pesticides meet this efficiency when applied to turf.

Costs of spot treatment vs broadcast Swano: ● Major expense with time needed to spot treat. Conley:

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Many times, crabgrass and other weeds excel on the exterior of lawns near sidewalks, roads, and pathways. o Potential cost savings if lawn companies switch to post-emergent spot treatment for weeds and pests in the interior of lawns as opposed to a broadcast treatment for the entire lawn.

Effectiveness of Corn Gluten Conley: ● As a protein-based product, corn gluten suppresses weeds the best when applied heavily. The landscape and lawn care provider sector has yet to fully adopt the strategy due to the amount needed per acre. From the audience ● For crabgrass, the reduced-risk product Tenacity works as a post-emergent, but need to set it in the early stages of crabgrass development.

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MGG Lawn & Land Forum Workshop November 13th Community Engagement Executive Summary Session topic: Community Engagement Every new policy and/or transition will be met with a degree of resistance from the community. Many citizens could push back on these complicated IPM concepts and the reasoning behind the transition if not properly educated. This panel discussed how to effectively address these public problems and concerns.

Panelists: 1. Ryan Anderson – Ryan Anderson leads Midwest Pesticide Action Center’s integrated marketing campaign and outdoors program. A 2016 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Fellow, Ryan has extensive experience advancing science-based solutions in urban and residential communities highlighted by his leadership of MPAC’s Midwest Grows Green natural lawn care initiative that recruited 9 pesticide free parks, 17 point-of-purchase retailers, and more than 200 pledges in its first year. Ryan has a Masters of Sustainable Solutions from Arizona State University and holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Biology and Electronic Journalism from Butler University. For this panel, Anderson addressed some of the common lawn care misconceptions in the general public and how to manage community expectations for a successful transition to a NLC/IPM program. 2. Allison Neubauer – Since 2013, Allison Neubauer has worked on a variety of education and outreach projects at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant raging from conducting aquatic invasive species workshops for educators, designing informational signage about Great Lakes research for the public, and staffing booths to inform communities about proper disposal of their unwanted medication. She has a background in environmental science and geography, and a passion for finding the best ways to communicate important water related issues to promote good stewardship of our natural resources. In her presentation, Neubauer reviewed the IllinoisIndiana Sea Grant’s Lawn to Lake program’s work to educate homeowners on sustainable lawn practices to aid in flood mitigation and reduce chemical runoff to waterways.

Summary of panelist presentations and discussions: For the general public, a gap exists between homeowner confidence in their lawn care practices and their ability to identify proper lawn care practices and topics such as mowing no lower than three inches and how to read a pesticide label. No shortage of resources exists, however, to help park districts, school districts, municipalities, and businesses to bridge this gap. According to this panel’s two speakers, all these groups have a responsibility to educate the community about proper lawn care as the experts. Both speakers covered the resources, databases, and strategies available from their organizations to help engage residents in natural lawn care management.

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This working panel was sponsored by Earth Share Illinois

Topics of discussion brought up by panelists Managing expectations of residents Anderson: ● As ratepayers, community perception and opinions primarily shape the way that schools and park districts approach lawn care. o Anderson would challenge the “Customer is always right” motto given the wide gap between lawn care confidence of homeowners and their knowledge of proper lawn care practices. ▪ MPAC surveyed more than a 100 homeowners who indicated high confidence in the effectiveness of their lawn management (45% felt confident), but the majority of homeowners did not correctly identify proper lawn care practices (e.g. more than 60% of homeowners mow lower than 2.5 inches) ▪ University of Minnesota and National Association of Landscape Professionals studies revealed similar results. ▪ MPAC identifies this disparity as a gap in lawn care understanding that needs to be addressed. ● Managing community expectations during the transition to NLC/IPM requires the combined effort of businesses, advocates, educational institutions, nonprofits, and park and school districts. ● MPAC’s leverages all the needed actors to manage expectations through its Midwest Grows Green Initiative, which spreads the NLC message in three critical areas where lawns influence our lives: o Point of Purchase – MPAC assists hardware stores, garden centers, and other landscaping stores with eco-labeling their lawn care products. ▪ Case study: Seven retailers in Kane County. o Pesticide-free Parks – MPAC works with park and school districts to demonstrate the NLC/IPM approach to the community. ▪ Districts select a site for place-based natural lawn care education that involves signage, posters, press releases, and other outreach. ▪ Case Study: Chicago Park District reduced weed complaints by 92% thanks to Midwest Grows Green o Community Engagement – Press releases, newsletters, outreach materials, and events ▪ MGG kickoff events – Interactive, educational demonstration events. Surveys show that Kickoff participants both learn actionable NLC information and enjoy the events. ● Case Study: Urbana Kickoff ▪ Midwest Grows Green Pledge – The pledge encourages individuals to commit to reducing or eliminating their use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Includes an associated newsletter that equips homeowners to make the transition to NLC. ● Case Study: November 2017 newsletter Neubauer: ● Lawn to Lake program, (L2L)– Held public workshops with community members, master gardeners, teachers, local retailers from 2010 to 2014 o The IL-IN Sea Grant plans to restart the program on a smaller scale in 2018. ● Frame the issue based on a combination of your own mission and the concerns of your community: o The IL-IN Sea Grant focused on the watershed health impacts ▪ Case study: “Don’t ‘P’ on your lawn” signage educated public on dangers of phosphorus pollution.

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Lawn to Lake Principles stress simple, positive steps that everyday people can take towards sustainable lawn practices ▪ Addresses issues of watering efficiency, fertilizer usage, plant selection, etc. L2L resources match the diverse needs, interests, and backgrounds of homeowners, landscapers, businesses, and local authorities: ▪ Lawn to Lake Guidebook – Background information on the science behind these principles ▪ The Lawn to Lakes website contains concise brochures and factsheets. ▪ Materials for retailers L2L Community outreach events include interactive and hands-on activities that leave a lasting impression o The events try to tie into local concerns ▪ “How can you use your lawn to mitigate flooding?” ▪ Used an enviroscape model of a watershed’s topography to simulate storm events, pesticide runoff, and other environmental problems.

Challenges to communication and education Anderson: ● Advertising, marketing, and cultural perceptions grossly oversimplify how to properly care for the living, complex organism of turf grass o E.g. “Apply a weed and feed product four times a year, and you’ll achieve the lush, green lawn you always wanted”. o This leads to overuse or mishandling of these products that threaten human and environmental health. ● Challenge to value-proposition the benefits of a process-based approach to individuals that think linearly. Neubauer: ● After Sea Grant’s funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ran out in 2014, it became impossible to keep tabs on our past participants or reach out to new ones. o We have recently received some more funding, and are hoping to re-launch Lawn to Lake on a smaller scale in 2018.

Future needs/steps to improve IPM/NLC approach Comments from the audience: ● How can these outreach initiatives test or measure whether the message effectively engages the community? Anderson: ● In response to the measurement question, the MGG pledge indicates adoption of practices by sharing actionable information month-by-month in its newsletter and regularly surveying pledges (and Kickoff participants) regarding the practices they adopted. Neubauer: ● In response to the measurement question, the Lawn-to-Lake Initiative initially got in contact with community members via the University of Illinois Extension master gardeners program. o Due to stalled funding, the program struggled to follow up with people to see if they adopted these practices.

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Rebranding the Lawn to Lake program, refreshing the material o Make materials more digital-friendly o Social media campaigns

Ruth Kerzee (MPAC Executive Director): ● MPAC wants more hard science data to measure our impact on behavioral change. o MPAC is analyzing point-of-purchase sales data from retailers. o MPAC, also, recently received funding to begin a comparative study on the use of Milorganite vs. conventional lawn care.

Issues briefly covered and to address in future sessions How do you recruit communities to participate in these programs? Anderson: ● It varies, but, currently, many communities reach out to MPAC as concerns for pesticide rise. o MPAC frequently outreaches to community members and local “Go Green” groups, first, before going directly to a park of school district. These individuals or groups will then contact and set up meetings with district staff or boards with MPAC assistance.

How are small, local landscapers receiving this message? Anderson: ● MPAC tries to reach them through conferences and workshops like this one, where landscapers represented a large portion of attendees and MPAC will share notes on the Illinois Sports Turf Managers Association’s website. ● MPAC may try to set standards for what an IPM or NLC landscaper looks like, currently the industry lacks these standards. ● First, however, we need to create the demand from homeowners so they can push landscapers to learn more about NLC practices. Community engagement creates that demand. Neubauer: ● L2L geared its programs for landscapers. o It ended up being costly to fly in all of the NLC experts needed for these workshops, but I’m happy to see that others are having success in setting up events like this one.

Are there NLC materials in Spanish available? Anderson: ● MPAC has many materials printed in Spanish, but not all. o MPAC worked with LVEJO to translate signage and brochures in to Spanish for distribution to Hispanic communities and individuals. Richard Hentschel: ● Illinois Landscape Contractors Association has many educational programs and articles geared towards Spanish-speakers.

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What are the benefits of partnering with a nonprofit or intergovernmental organization for community engagement rather than community organizers going alone? Anderson: ● MPAC does a good job of finding the middle ground between what the community demands and what a park district or city is able to provide. ● Also, MPAC’s mission-oriented focus adds credibility to its work, because they do not engage in an issue to make money. Neubauer: ● The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, an intergovernmental organization, has access to experts, science, and research for these topics as part of both University of Illinois and Purdue University. o Neubauer listens to community concerns and presents the science they need to solve these problems. Kerzee: ● MPAC gauges the community in order to get access to community institutions. By leveraging the support of the community first, we gain access to Board Meetings that allow us to move the institutional policies forward.

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