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c economist sunsuntribune saturday april 22 2006 3 some municipalities still using pesticides by serena willoughby staff writer are you concerned your chil dren may be playing on sports fields sprayed with harmful pesticides while many municipalities have cut back on their use of pesticides some still spray to keep sports fields free of broadleaf weeds such as dandelions east gwillimbury and rich mond hill still spray sports fields when broadleaf weeds become wet they can become slippery posing a safety risk for children playing in fields said kelly williams parks and recreation manager for east gwillimbury however he said pesticides are used only as a last resort only when absolutely necessary east gwillimbury has been pur suing a fairly aggressive strategy for pesticide reduction he said tracey steele director of opera tions of maintenance for rich mond hill said the town has strin gent processes to determine when pesticides should be used on play ing and soccer fields vaughan georgina king markham newmarket and whitchurchstouffville didnt use any pesticides last year the canadian cancer society has called for a ban on the use of pesticides for ornamental purpos es citing research done by the international agency for research on cancer qarq that states some substances used in pesticides are classified as known probable or possible carcinogens maintenance of sports fields is possible without using pesticides markham councillor erin shapero said the danger from pesticides isnt only from direct physical contact pesticide runoff can end up in streams and rivers and pesticides are airborne allowing them to be inhaled she said ms shapero would like to see a townwide ban on pesticides simi lar to that in effect in toronto where pesticides are only used to control noxious weeds such as poi son oak tall grass organicfertilizer makes difference keeping your lawn weed free the natural way is easier than you think here are a few tips to keep your lawn lush and pesticide free mow high and leave grass clippings on the lawn set your lawnmower to the highest setting allowing grass to grow longer tall dense grass blocks the sun from getting to weeds and will help kill weed seedlings water infrequently but water well this forces the roots of the grass to grow deeper in search of water as the soil at the surface becomes dry the weeds get choked and die wait until the grass starts to curl before water ing watering on a schedule will only encourage weed growth when you do water put out a cup and allow it to fill up about three centimetres use a high quality organic fer tilizer slow release organic fertiliz ers provide vital nutrients to grasses without risk of burning or harming the grasses these natural products help support the health and vitality of the grass and soil lengthening and strengthening grass roots and helping the grass fight off pests and disease commercial fertilizers may harm grass and environmental health leach soil nutrients and fos ter lawn diseases like brown spot and snow mold most lawns only require a spring and fall feeding though stressed lawns can benefit from additional applications control bugs naturally many bugs can be killed using a dish washer soap and water solution sprayed on plants consider installing a bird feeder since birds eat up those pesky bugs and add compost about one part compost and two parts dirt is what you should be striving for better quality soil and more of it will pro mote grass growing deep roots that will choke out the weeds the town of richmond hill is holding an organic lawn care work shop april 27 from 7 to 9 pm at elgin west community centre the york region environmental alliance and toronto region con servation authority is also holding organic lawn care workshops see schedule at wwwmai1hamcamariam channelsparkslawncareprgms htm from weeds to salad one persons weed is another persons culinary delight here are some uses for the dandelions that will soon be popping up grandma di iorios dandelion salad use the leaves of the dandelion but avoid the stem of the flower which has a bitter milk dandelion greens have a slight bite to them they are best picked early in the spring because they are more tender mix the leaves with other leafy greens such as spinach romaine let tuce or arugula also add olive oil onion sea salt lemon flax cayenne pepper a clove of garlic dandelion fritters this recipe uses the flower of the dandelion a great source of vitamin a 1 cup wholewheat flour 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup dandelion flowers 1 pinch salt legg nonstick vegetable oil spray 12 cup lowfat milk or water in a bowl mix together flour bak ing powder and salt in a separate bowl beat egg then mix with milk or water and olive oil combine with dry mixture stir in yellow flowers carefully tak ing care not to crush them lightly spray a griddle or flying pan with vegetable oil heat until thoroughly warmed pour batter onto griddle by spoonfuls and cook like 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