By Sarah Reidy

Pete Bottomley, the owner and manager of Casco Bay Safelawns in Scarborough, is making a business out of helping people’s lawns look better, naturally.  In business for about a year, Casco Bay Safelawns is a one-man operation that uses natural and organic, rather than synthetic lawn treatments.  Safelawns’ natural treatments rely on ingredients such as alfalfa, soy, corn gluten, grains and compost, which can be handled safely and do not pollute ground water and soil.  As Bottomley describes it, the most important ingredient of a healthy lawn is healthy soil.

Therefore, the first thing he does before treating a customer’s lawn is to evaluate the soil.  This is done by measuring soil depth, “reading” the weeds (which is looking at the natural weeds that are growing there), and if necessary, sending a sample out to a lab to be analyzed.  According to Bottomley, the optimal depth for healthy soil is about 6 to 8 inches.  Most of his customer’s lawns, however, start at about 1-2 inches, which is barely enough for roots to take hold and grow.

Bottomley points out that another important factor in growing a healthy, green lawn is the diversity among plants and insects.  As Bottomley explains it, eliminating all pests and weeds from a person’s lawn isn’t really the answer.  Many people make the mistake of removing all weeds and insects through the use of herbicides and pesticides, which can disrupt the natural cycle and can be counterproductive.  A major concern in using that these chemicals is that they are unhealthy to touch and breathe and also seep into the ground and get into the water table.  Rather than hurting the grass, he explains, certain common weeds, such as clover and broadleaf plantains, actually encourage healthy bacteria to form, which is good for the soil and grass.  Like  some weeds, certain insects can also help our plants and shrubs by eating other plant-damaging bugs.

Because the theories behind Safelawns’ methods are new to most people, a certain amount of customer education is a necessary part of the job.  When customers tell him that they want a green, weed-free lawn, Bottomley explains to them that the grass will eventually win the battle, but it will take time. In the meantime, a little clover can be a good thing.  With over 25 years of horticulture experience, Bottomley can also advise his customers as to what kind of plant combinations work well in the same environment.  “Two plants may have opposite soil needs,” he says, “We are working with nature and not against it.  It is a continual improvement system.”

By Sarah Reidy

A Green Restaurant Concept

When Igor Rakuz designed his new restaurant, GRO, or Grassroots Organic, he went green from the ground up, literally.  GRO has been open in its Congress Street location since April 1, and offers its patrons a menu of organic, vegetarian and vegan choices, all served “raw”.  GRO serves, among other things, soups, sandwiches, smoothies as well as hand-made chocolates,  all of which are entirely made from all-natural and organic ingredients.

The décor and building materials used to remodel the café, situated in Monument Square, are all eco-friendly, as Rakuz wanted to create a restaurant that made the smallest impact possible on the environment.  He used recycled flooring from the ReStore in the back room and used fallen tree wood to build the restaurant’s shelving.  Rakuz went out of his way to find the most natural paint he could to use on the walls, which contains no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) or other synthetic, toxic compounds.  The floors in the dining area are made from bamboo, a fast-growing plant widely considered to be a renewable resource.

All of the plastic products used at GRO, including cups and flatware, and straws (which look like regular straws, but are corn-based) are compostable and are placed in bin in the rear of the restaurant with all the other biodegradable waste.  All non-compostable paper, cardboard and glass products are recycled, and as a result, the restaurant produces very little that needs to be thrown away.  “We probably fill one of these every couple of weeks,” says Rakuz, pointing to a plastic trash bag.  Menus are printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based ink.  Rakuz is also hoping to convert the entire building to biodiesel by next winter, with the help of Maine Biodiesel, a local company with whom he has an affiliation.

“Sailed around the world.  Recycled in Maine.”  That is the business motto for Sea Bags, located in the working waterfront area of downtown Portland.  Sea Bags is a company that uses recycled boat sails to make hand-made, earth- friendly bags for both fashion and utility.  Sea Bags was established in 1999 by Hannah Kubiak, who conceived the idea after seeing a bag that her father had made out of a recycled sail.  Hannah began to wonder where all the sails went after they were “retired” from use and began exploring the idea.  With the help of business partner, Beth Shissler, the two women have grown the business into one that has attracted national media attention.  They now have a full-time Sail Acquisition Manager, whose job is to negotiate with boat companies to “barter, trade or sell” their unwanted sails.  For those companies who don’t want money for their sails, a donation can be made in their name to a scholarship fund for children learning to sail.  Beth states that these boat companies can, in turn, use this relationship in their own green statements, as the sails are being recycled and not thrown away as waste.   They can give boat companies a count as to how many sails have been saved from going into a landfill, creating a win-win on both sides.

by Tyler O'Connor Most people don’t think a lot about what it takes to be a good politician. You, generally have to be smart (I can think of one notable exception), personable, able to connect with people and, especially nowadays do what you have to do to raise enough money to get elected and re-elected. Being courageous or willing to buck your party leadership is not generally a quality most people think about when they describe their Senator, Congressman, Governor etc. Think about it. If you are from Alabama and your position on most issues is very conservative, following the lead of the Republican Party leadership is a no-brainer. Likewise, if you are from Massachusetts, being liberal and following the leadership of the Democratic Party on most issues can hardly be described as an act of political courage.