"Reel Mowers. Pushing On for the Planet." UPDATED!

"Honey, would you hand me the magazine that's on the kitchen table, please?" I ask my younger daughter as I settle onto the couch to rest a moment.

"The one that says Danger, Danger, Danger on it?" she asks, nonchalantly.

"Yes, that's the one. Thanks, hon," I answer, as she gives me the first issue of Pesticides and You that I've received as a result of ordering that Pesticide Free ladybug sign awhile back (was it all that long ago when I was young and carefree and used to read Glamour magazine, or was that a completely different person?!)

I haven't put the ladybug sign out yet on my front lawn because the transition is not yet complete. Yes, I canceled my lawn treatment people and am about to sign up with Earth Balance Organics for a customized, minimal treatment plan that includes things like sea kelp and corn gluten. But, I'll be honest here. The Earth Balance program costs three times the amount of my chemical guy. Three times. Not ten percent more. Two hundred percent more.

Yikes. I almost canned the idea, but then I sat down in my garden, where a member of our annual rabbit family has finally appeared again and is grazing on the clover in the back lawn that's been chemical-free for three years now (the rabbits have had no interest in my lettuces ever since I started "growing" clover), and I tried to think like Patagonia.

1. The chemicals are no longer a choice.
2. The organic methods cost three times as much.
3. My available funds haven't changed.
4. I have to find a way to save money somewhere else.

I thought a minute, and a problem-begging-to-be-solved emerged. My lawn maintenance service. I have them come every other week (I think most people in this neighborhood have a lawn maintenance service come weekly, although, to be fair, several of my neighbors mow their own lawns). They barrel across the lawn with a gas-powered ride-on mower, followed by gas-powered edging and gas-powered blowing.

5. Gas is no longer an option (and frankly, I'm guessing we'll be getting a letter soon about their increased prices because of the gas).

So I research manual push mowers (called push reel mowers). Turns out (a) they are cute, (b) they are only about 100 bucks (which, unfortunately, means say goodbye to two cute organic dresses from Patagonia!), and (c) they are great exercise. I talk to Greg at Earth Balance and he tells me that Bermuda grass (like mine) loves reel mowers because it snips the grass like scissors instead of whacking its head off like with the rotary mower. Using a reel mower leads to a healthier lawn. It's as simple as that.

So I call Home Depot and get an older guy on the phone from the Outdoor Equipment department. I ask if there are any push reel mowers in stock. He says, "You mean like the old fashioned kind?" I sense excitement in his voice.

"Yes!" I answer, enthusiastically.

He goes and checks and says that yes, they do have some. I ask if they are already assembled and he answers, "It's not like there's all that much to 'em, m'am!"

So I tell my friend Richard-of-the-Worms about this, and he says he's about to buy a new mower, too, but an electric one. I say, "Why electric?" Next thing you know, Richard is the proud owner of a push reel mower and he calls me raving about it. He loves it, as does everyone else whose comments I read on Amazon.com and other online review places. (I'm heading over to Richard's this morning to try it out.)

So I talk with my older daughter (who is completely on board with all this eco-stuff--her first-stop news source is ENN.com, and she is always on the hunt for extra forms of exercise) about the push reel mower and about working together on the lawn. She loves the idea. "One week you mow and I'll edge, and the next week we'll switch!" she offers enthusiastically. I think she's already choosing her mowing outfits. I love that I can let her do this, which I would not do if it involved gas or that long, electric cord (which I ran over when I was about 17 and from which I have yet to emotionally recover).

My husband is a bit reluctant, even though the work of this will fall to me (I'm the "outside person" in this relationship).

"The lawn looks so good, honey," he says. "I'm not so sure about it."

Sure, it looks good, but I don't even want our kids to cartwheel on it.

I tell him that we'll do it as an experiment, that we'll recoup the costs of the mower and a manual edger in about two or three months, and that will put us smack in the heat of the summer, and if it's not working, I'll bring back the lawn company.

But it has to work. Because that's the only way I can afford Earth Balance. And two conversations with Greg on the phone make it clear to me already that I have much to learn from him. He is a horticulturist, married to a naturopath, who has been offering both an "earth steward" and a completely organic program for five years now. He says about 80% of his customers go with earth steward (which does include some chemicals, only when they are the most effective choice for a targeted problem) and about 20% go with completely organic. He says of the 20%, the majority are parents with children with disabilities or environmental issues, many with autism. If that doesn't get you thinking . . .

And so, back to my Pesticides and You magazine. Right there, on page 4, the headline reads National Mall Tests Organic Lawn Care. Turns out that Safelawns.org (the folks from which I got the sign) will manage the National Mall Soil and Turf Improvement Project, using aeration, compost and compost tea applications and overseeding in order to build thick turf on four acres of this pedestrian greenspace in our nation's capital. The Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Stewardship Program is keeping records of the project, which is expected to run though August, 2009.

Safelawn.org's founder, Paul Tukey, is quoted as saying:

If we can grow resilient grass on the National mall, where 27 million people trample the lawn each year, then we have demonstrated that we can grow grass anywhere. Most importantly, we'll have proved that you can grow grass without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides that can harm wildlife and contaminate drinking water, as well as cause harm to people and their pets.

As for me, this move to chemical-free and "people power" is a step toward a ten-year plan of total lawn reduction, and the natural continuation of my family's personal journey toward simplicity, connecting with our neighbors, and teaching our children more about caring for the piece of land in the world that has been entrusted to us.

As I said to my husband, "The girls should learn how to mow the lawn. It's a great work ethic to have, a basic skill that is not being taught anymore, and wonderful exercise as well. And the years during which we have to teach them these things are slipping away."

So, push reel mowers. Richard has one. My friend John-of-the-Christmas-bottle-tree is planning on getting one, and I hope to have one today. I feel a movement coming on. The Reel Mowers. Pushing on for the Planet! Join us!

As for Earth Balance Organics, if you're in Atlanta and are considering making the switch, too, let Greg know I sent you and let's work together to make a difference. Every little bit counts. Be the one the neighbors talk about when they say, "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence." Your side.

UPDATE: Several hours later

Tried Richard's lawn mower. Easy to push. Light. Soft, squishy, continually adjustable (not locked in one position) handle. FUN.

Bought mine at Home Depot (although it wasn't marked with an Eco-Options tag), plus a manual edger and grass shears. Total cost: $181. Had a very nice talk with the assistant manager. Not sure if he liked my endless ideas or was just humoring me :)

Off we go!

"Reel Mowers. Pushing On for the Planet." UPDATED!