The town board in Clifton Park has approved a proposal by the Northeast Organic Farming Association to host courses on removing chemical pesticides from lawn care treatments.
They plan to offer classes on organic lawn care, which means educating landowners and local businesses about why they should choose alternative products that are chemical-free. The town received grant funding after the last board meeting in January and will be providing training sessions emphasizing lawn-care techniques that are sustainable and less harmful to the environment.
Clifton Park was also awarded a grant of $14,978 to supply 30 hours of workforce training regarding land care by the NY Pollution Prevention Institute. It will cover topics such as how to administer organic pesticides and herbicides on athletic fields. This course offers credits to anyone who completes all four days of the training.
Although the town has already switched over to using non-toxic pesticides for lawn treatments, this influence has yet to reach the general public. After this new program is approved, property owners and businesses in the area will learn landscaping methods that are less likely to cause runoff pollution. Moving forward, environmentally-friendly land care will be widely popularized in the community, starting with regional school districts.
According to Clifton Park Town Supervisor, Phill Barrett, more people from the Saratoga County should be able to access the course training, which will be held at Halfmoon Public Library sometime from late February to early March. Flyer printing can help town committees alert the public of the environmental risks of using harmful products.
