The Free Press, Mankato, MN - School district goes green on grass

Sun, Nov 22 2009

Corrections | Police Logs | NIE | Special Sections |

Resources

Print this story

Post to del.icio.us

Photos

This aerial photo shows the test plots at Mankato West during spring 2007. The district labeled each plot with the product used to fertilize it. CGM is corn gluten meal, DGM is dried distillers grain and the pure control is a standard fertilizer. Each was tested for one and two applications.
Mankato Area Public Schools

Mara Natrakal in 2006 on the grass with her children (from left) Poom, Montian and Anna. It was the year she started the district’s organic experiment after voicing concern about summer pesticide treatments on grass at Mankato schools.
File photo

School district goes green on grass

Tests organic techniques on its lawns

By Tanner Kent
Free Press Staff Writer

“Healthy soil grows grass, not weeds,” Meixl said. “Cultural practices help maintain the soil over time and can be implemented pretty easily.”

Meixl has prioritized the district’s grass areas. Highest priority is given to athletic fields and high-use areas and low priority is assigned to general areas around buildings. The idea is to focus practices where they’d be most useful.

Eagle Lake Elementary has even been designated as the district’s first organic campus.

“They are not even using Roundup on the sidewalks,” Natrakal said. “Which meant I had to hand-pick some of the weeds before they got the organic weed killer.”

In the course of the two-year test, Natrakal met with turf experts, attended seminars, sat on committees and learned more about grass than she ever imagined.

And while Natrakal said there is more work to be done, she’s satisfied with the work accomplished through one little comment card.

“In Minnesota, we often view herbicides and pesticides as an environmental issue,” she said. “But people need to realize it’s a public health issue, too.”

<< Previous |