Protecting Our Children and the Environment From Chemicals

Healthy Homes, Lawns, Landscapes and Gardens

* (see important note, below)

****CORRECTION: The Borough contact number that is given on the printed version of the Healthy Homes, Lawns and Landscapes brochure, mailed to households the week of April 17^th, is incorrect. The correct number is: 475-7106

Healthy Homes, Lawns and Landscapes - click here for our brochure.

(The Ringwood Environmental Commission wishes to thank the Chatham Township Environmental Commission for their assistance as we modeled our brochure after one they first distributed in 2004).

What Is Natural Organic Fertilizer? Natural organic fertilizers are made from composted manure, mineral, or plant products. If it doesn't sound like an animal, vegetable, or mineral, it probably isn't organic. Read the label!

What Are the Benefits of Organic Fertilizer? The benefits of natural organic fertilizers are that they feed the beneficial soil microorganisms, break down slowly, and provide micro-nutrients. Organic fertilizers are also less likely to run off your lawn when it rains than synthetic fertilizers. Nutrient runoff from lawns and farms creates nitrogen and phosphorus-polluted “dead zones” in our streams, rivers and oceans.

What Is Organic Land Care? Organic land care is described by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) as follows:

Organic Land Care develops an attractive, safe, and useful landscape, using appropriate methods and materials chosen to respect the natural ecology of the land and the long-term health of the environment. No synthetic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used.

You can learn more about organic land care, and some standards that are used, through publications such as those available at: www.organiclandcare.net/publications/index.php (these are also available, for both reference and loan, at the Ringwood Public Library).

Show your neighbors that pesticide-free lawns are important for the health of children, families, pets, the environment and the community. Display an attractive “Pesticide-Free Zone” sign: www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns/pfzsign/index.htm

Recently Banned Pesticides: The EPA has determined that products containing Chlorpyrifos (Dursban™, Lorsban™) or Diazinon, pose unacceptable health risks.

Sewage Sludge in Fertilizer : Sewage sludge-based organic fertilizer, such as Milorganite, Oceangro, Allgro, and Meadowlife, may contain elevated concentrations of metals and other potentially toxic materials. Metal levels in sewage sludge-based fertilizers are generally higher than metal levels in animal and plant-based organic fertilizers . Read product labels to find animal and vegetable based organic fertilizers. The Washington State Department of Agriculture has an online database reporting the concentrations of nine metals for each fertilizer sold in their state: http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilizers/Metals.htm

Pesticide in Compost: Do not compost grass clippings treated with herbicides, and be aware that commercially available compost is likely to contain pesticides.

Chemical Hazards

Children & Lawn Chemicals Don’t Mix and Other Pesticide Fact Sheets: www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/

Database of Chemicals: www.scorecard.org/ (under Health Hazards, click “Chemical Profiles”).

Environmental Effects of 30 Commonly Used Lawn Pesticides and Other Pesticide Fact Sheets: www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/

Impact of Pesticides on Birds: www.defenders.org/wildlife/birds/pesticides.html

New Jersey Comparative Risk Project – Ranking chemical and other “stressors” according to relative impacts on human health, ecological quality and socioeconomic conditions. Findings indicate, among other things, that indoor pollution and outdoor air pollution pose major health and socioeconomic risks: www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/njcrp/

Protecting Our Homes, Schools & Children – Indoor Pest Control Without Toxics: http://cleanwateraction.org/njef/pesticides.htm

Pesticides and Food – What You Should Know: [under construction ]

Plastics – see the Recycling and Waste Reduction heading on the Environmental Commission home page for information on the chemical hazards of certain plastics. [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

www.organiclandcare.net/publications/index.php (these are also available at the Ringwood Public Library)

“Protect Your Garden with Beneficial Bugs”: www.MotherEarthNews.com (type title in their Search box)

Resource Guide for Organic Insect & Disease Management:: www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

USDA Guide to Regional IPM Centers: www.ipmcenters.org

“Insect Identification and Control”: www.omafra.gov.on.ca (type title in their Search box)

Click here for a list of land care (lawn and/or landscape) providers who have written to the Commission stating that they will provide organic land care at the customer’s request.

Note to land care providers: If you offer organic land care, and wish to be listed on this site, you are invited and encouraged to write to the Commission stating so. Write to: Organics Listing, c/o Environmental Commission, Borough of Ringwood, 60 Margaret King Avenue, Ringwood NJ 07456.

You can learn more about organic land care service, and some standards that are used, through publications such as those available at: www.organiclandcare.net/publications/index.php (these are also available, for both reference and loan, at the Ringwood Public Library).

The Environmental Commission encourages landscapers to learn how to offer organic care as an option. You can get professional training through the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association (NOFA), by attending their workshop, Organic Land Care Professional Training. This training seminar is intended for organic land/lawn care professionals. For more information, contact Mike Azzara at (609) 737-6848 or mazzara@nofanj.org.

Click here for a list of local and other stores that have stated that they carry organic land care products, as well as online and mail-order companies.

Note to retailers: If you offer organic land care products, and wish to be listed on this site, you are invited and encouraged to write to the Commission stating so. Write to: Organics Listing, c/o Environmental Commission, Borough of Ringwood, 60 Margaret King Avenue, Ringwood NJ 07456.

National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns: www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns/

Northeast Organic Farmers Association: www.nofanj.org/

NJEF brochure, Lawn Care Without Toxic Chemicals: http://cleanwateraction.org/njef/pesticides.htm

Toxic Use Reduction Institute: www.turi.org/

New Jersey School Pesticide Law and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
To protect children, all schools in the state must now restrict pesticide use. It's up to you to protect them at home. See more information at these sites:

www.pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/ipm/schoolipm

www.pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/IPM/SchoolIPM/NJAct/nj.htm

http://cleanwateraction.org/njef/pesticides.htm

Reporting Pesticide Abuse
If you see anyone dumping pesticides or applying them in an inappropriate way, please call the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at 1-877-927-6337 (1-877-WARNDEP)

*NOTE: The above web sites, links and resources are provided for reference only, and do not constitute endorsement, promotion, preference, recommendation, approval or guarantee of any kind, of any service, organization, the content of any link, their sites, the views expressed by the site’s publishers, or any information provided. Neither the Ringwood Environmental Commission nor the Borough of Ringwood assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of this information.

The Land Care Provider and Vendor/Supplier lists will be updated periodically. If you are a land care provider offering organic land care (residential and/or commercial), or a vendor/supplier offering organic land care products, and wish to be listed, you are invited and encouraged to write to: Organics List, c/o Environmental Commission, Borough of Ringwood, 60 Margaret King Avenue, Ringwood, New Jersey 07456, stating in a letter what you offer. We also request a company brochure, if you have one, describing what you offer. You may write to us at any time.

Residents and others are encouraged to help the Ringwood Environmental Commission keep these lists up to date. If you know of a Land Care Provider or Vendor/Supplier who offer organic services or products, please encourage them to write to us. Residents may also contact the Commission by using the Feedback & Contact Form on the Environmental Commission home page of this web site.