Holly- the Shelburne Farms team should check out the electric mowers- and lose the gasoline entirely.
Comments
What are the indirect carbon emissions for the electric mowers? Nice to say zero at the farm but there's carbon emissions next to someone house.
I am really happy to read about the reduction of lawn mowing on the farm! That is great for so many reasons.
I support the thought, but had this been fully thought out. Electric cars only recently became more energy efficient than gas powered; do we know the same about mowers? And that ignores the energy used in mining to create the necessary batteries, after which the analysis is still conflicting as to what is "better". And is it a.slam dunk that longer grass is better for us all? Seems like longer grass probably retains more heat, which is in part why is is mowed here in FL as often as possible. Might be a good thing in VT? Just asking. I am not a climate change denier, but tend to wonder about green initiatives that seem obvious but are not forthright about obvious and not so obvious offsets.
Keep up the good work regardless; I look forward to visiting again when VT and Canada fully reopen. But also understand that it is frustrating that it has not happened; out kids went back to school 100% last September and most everyone here is now vaccinated.
More electric power!
Thank you for all you do. I would encourage you to add more and more electric mowers and lawn management equipment and consider the "Raise the Blade." campaign to reduce nutrients into the lake.
If it weren't for invasive plants and new tree seedlings, we wouldn't mow at all. How do you time your mowing vis-a-vis invasive life cycles?
What I would really like to know, is the limits of grass growth - when the seed heads arrive - that is the end of growth? How do you deal with the thatch created from leaving the mowed grass on the fields/lawns? Our hay fields, which we do not hay, just cut as infrequently as possible - they are managed for bobolinks - are prone to invasives. How do you deal with that?