On February 7, team members of the “Townsend Town Hall and Public Library Organic Lawn Care Demonstration Project” met at Memorial Hall to plan project activities for the 2008 growing season. Work on the project began in 2007 with efforts and donations from municipal officials, non profit organizations and businesses. In the summer of 2007 Karen Chapman and Mike Turgeon prepared a grant proposal to seek funding to continue the project for another year. The team was awarded a grant of $3500.00 from the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (T.U.R.I.) at UMASS Lowell. The grant will be used to fund organic land care treatments at the Town Hall and Public Library in order to demonstrate their effectiveness and promote organic land care practices in Townsend and nearby communities.

Team members present included: Hal Preston (Business Manager, Yard Spice Organics), Karen Chapman (Project Leader, Conservation Commission Chairperson), Leslie Gabrilska (Acting Conservation Agent) Greg Barnes (Town Administrator), Heidi Fowler (Library Director), Roger Rapoza (Super, Cemetery and Parks) David Vaughan (Cemetery and Parks), Chester Mandrik (CEO Yard Spice Organics) Kathleen Spofford (Board of Health), Sherry Vaughan (Building Dept.) and Mike Turgeon (Project Coordinator, Turgeon Environmental Services).

The group has planned a number of Organic Land Care treatments for 2008. These treatments include: soil testing; compost application, over-seeding, organic fertilizer applications, beneficial nematode applications and a demonstration on how to make and apply compost tea. Each treatment will be described in future press releases as they are performed. The treatments will be performed or supervised by Yard Spice Organics. Mowing and watering of the grass will continue to be performed by The Town Hall custodians and members of the Cemetery and Parks Department.

Outreach activities planned for 2008 include an Organic Lawn Care Seminar in Early Spring, a booth at the Townsend Earth Day Celebration, a web page linked to the Town of Townsend Website, and free educational materials available at the offices of the Conservation Commission, Board of Health and Public Library. People are encouraged to stop by, ask questions, get involved and learn how to care for their land using safe organic land care practices.