Never Fear Winter Plowing Is Here

Today marks the official start of Winter and as many of us across the country have already seen, it has arrived with a bang and a lot of snow.

For families of deployed military personnel and post 9/11 veterans with a service-connected disability clearing driveways and sidewalks of snow can be a real challenge. To meet that challenge Project EverGreen established the SnowCare for Troops program to provide complimentary snow and ice removal services to these deserving individuals.

That is why the SnowCare for Troops program, supported by BOSS Snowplow, is looking for more volunteers to help deliver these valuable services. If you want to register to be a volunteer VISIT

In the spirit of snow plowing, here are some of the basic plowing practices from our partner BOSS Snowplow to remember while you’re out clearing roads and parking lots this winter:

* Before it snows, explore the properties you have to plow. Note items like speed bumps, shrubs, water drains, pipes, sidewalk edges and the like to prevent damage to the plow and area being plowed. Mark objects that will be hard to see after a snowfall.
* Plan your plowing pattern so you drive forward as much as possible.
* Come to a complete stop before shifting into reverse.
* When in reverse, do not rely on vehicle mirrors. Turn and look where you’re going.
* Do not exceed 40 mph when transporting a plow. Do not exceed 14 mph when plowing.
* When plowing on dirt or gravel, lower the plow shoes. This will prevent the blade from scraping the surface away.
* When plowing on asphalt or concrete, raise or remove the plow shoes to scrape the surface as close as possible.
* When you are done plowing, lower the blade to the ground and turn the plow control off for safety. It will also take stress of the hydraulic components.

Plowing Parking Lots

If you are responsible for clearing sidewalks as well as the parking lot, shovel these first so that this snow can be plowed away as well.

Plow areas in front of buildings and overhead doors first. With the blade raised, drive up to the building and the drop the blade to drag the snow away from the building. Turn your vehicle around and back into the cleared area and then push the snow to the outer edges of the lot.

After back dragging the front of the buildings, start by making a pass down the center of the lot. Push snow in windrows to the outer edges. If there is going to be a significant amount of snowfall, push as much bulk off the lots as possible. For larger lots, break the plowing up into smaller sections.

Plow in straight lines whenever possible and keep wind direction in mind. Piling downwind will prevent drifting. Do not pile snow near handicapped parking areas or by the road where it blocks the visibility of cars leaving or entering the parking lot.

Preparing for Heavy Snow Storms

When heavy amounts of snow are expected, it is better to plow during the storm rather than letting it accumulate. If snow gets too deep it can become near impossible to plow and the longer it sits the more likely it will harden.

Plowing during snow storms means snow and ice covered roads on the way to client’s property, high winds and low visibility. Always make sure that your plow and vehicle are in top working condition. Check the fluid levels, tire pressure, battery, and lights. You should keep an emergency kit for both yourself and your snowplow.

Your snowplow kit should have extra hydraulic fluid, hydraulic hoses, a pump solenoid, extra cutting-edge bolts and a trip spring. Your emergency kit should include a flashlight, flares, an ice scraper, jumper cables, a first aid kit, extra clothing, a blanket, shovel, gloves, water and snacks, and a phone or two-way radio.

The original story appeared on the Total Landscape Care WEBSITE

Stepping Up For Our Nation’s Heroes

The first Veteran’s Day or Armistice Day as it was known back then, took place on November 11, 1919 and honored those brave Americans who fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields of Europe in World War I.

The holiday evolved into Veterans Day in 1954 when President Eisenhower proclaimed “In order to ensure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.”

Tomorrow we will recognize our veterans and Project EverGreen needs your help. Project EverGreen is expanding its popular GreenCare for Troops and SnowCare for Troops programs that provide no charge lawn care and maintenance, and snow and ice removal services for currently deployed military personnel and their families to include wounded and disabled veterans.

How great is the need? According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are more than 3.6 million veterans with a service-related disability and the need for day-to-day household and lifestyle assistance services is a major need area.

SnowCare for Troops currently has more than 1,300 snow and ice contractors currently on board to provide these much needed services to the more than 3,700 families who have signed up to receive services. However, we need more contactors to join us in this effort, especially as the winter season arrives in certain parts of the country.

Its sister initiative, GreenCare for Troops currently serves more than 10,000 families with 4,000 lawn and landscape contracts participating. Military families participating in the program have received an array of services including aeration, fertilization, weed and disease control, mowing, tree removal and trimming, and general landscape maintenance.

SnowCare for Troops is underwritten by BOSS Snowplows and GreenCare for Troops is underwritten by the Toro Co.

Project EverGreen thanks you in advance for considering joining the effort – you will be glad you did.

How Can Contractors Volunteer?

If your company is interested in volunteering its services visit www.ProjectEverGreen.org to complete the registration form and learn more.

How Do Families Sign Up?

Families of deployed or wounded personnel or disabled veterans needing assistance with snow and ice removal or lawn care and landscape services can sign up at www.ProjectEverGreen.org

Green Spaces: A “Cool” Way to Make Our Communities A Better Place to Live

The benefits package when it comes to green spaces is pretty impressive. Green spaces provide environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits to communities big and small, and to people ages two to 90 and everyone in between.

Project EverGreen knows a greener, cooler and healthier earth helps everyone and that is why we have dedicated our resources to driving initiatives like “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” that renovate and revitalize athletic and recreational green spaces in communities across the country giving kids and adults a place to safely exercise, compete and connect.

How cool is this program? For example, did you know that grass is 14 degrees cooler compared to bare soil? And that grass is 30 degrees cooler than asphalt.

The above numbers don’t lie and reinforce the need for the further development and a commitment to maintain athletic and recreational green spaces in our communities.

Since the program’s inception in 2015, Project EverGreen and its volunteer green industry partners have renovated more than 607,000 square footage of recreational and athletic green space from Atlanta to Minneapolis.

How beneficial are athletic and recreational green spaces? Check these facts out:

Children age 5 to 17 should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis
A child can burn up to 100 calories in one hour of active play
Physically active young people demonstrate higher academic performance at school
Lawns that are fertilized, mowed at the proper height and watered will crowd out weeds and provide a safe playing surface for kids to run

For more information on Project EverGreen’s programs that promote the economic, social and lifestyle benefits of managed green spaces, visit www.ProjectEverGreen.org

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Project EverGreen, Exmark and Sports Turf Managers Association Join Forces To Raise Profile of “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.”™ Initiative

Municipalities Can Enter “Our Winning Green Space” Contest to Win a Exmark Lazer Z-X Series Mower Package and
Athletic Field Renovation Project

America’s parks and recreational green spaces need a pick me up, and Project EverGreen has its sights set on providing just that with its “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.”™ Initiative.

Project EverGreen, in partnership with Exmark Manufacturing, the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (SAFE) is sponsoring the “Our Winning Green Space” contest to give Parks & Recreation and Public Works departments a chance to win a top-of-the-line Exmark Lazer Z X-Series mower package – valued at $15,000 – and a “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” renovation project for their city.

Municipalities can submit an essay and photos online declaring why their city deserves the new equipment and renovated playing field, and how it will assist them in maintaining a healthier, safer area for kids to play. Submissions can be made at www.ProjectEverGreen.org from September 12 through November 1, 2016, and the winner will be announced in early December.

“Project EverGreen is thrilled to partner with Exmark and STMA on this opportunity to raise awareness of our “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” program and the importance of safe, grass play fields for kids,” said Cindy Code, Project EverGreen executive director. “It’s also a fun opportunity for cities to share their story and compete for a field make-over.”

Since the program’s inception in 2015, “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” has renovated more than 607,000 sq. ft. of athletic and recreational greens spaces in Atlanta, Cleveland, Milwaukee; North Chicago, Ill.; Belle Plaine, Minn.; Greensboro and Durham, North Carolina, and San Antonio, Ft. Worth and Round Rock, Texas. Additional projects are planned this year for Red Bank, New Jersey; Detroit; and Portland, Oregon.

Jimmy Simpson, Certified Sports Field Manager and STMA Board Member also views HTHK as a way to educate the public on the importance of safe athletic fields. “Our partnership with HTHK helps parents, field users and fans to understand that a well-maintained field helps to protect athletes from injury. Exmark’s generous mower package will greatly assist with essential ongoing maintenance to keep the field safe.”

For more information and to enter the contest VISIT

Our View: Green Space is Critical to Development

Project EverGreen Note: This article originally appeared in the Post-Bulletin on August 29, 2016.

They’re called pocket parks, and those little pieces of green space can seemingly appear out of nowhere when rounding an unfamiliar corner in many downtowns. They sit between buildings, providing respite from concrete and asphalt.

One of Rochester’s prime examples, Harwick Courtyard, popped into conversation unexpectedly last week as Jeff Bolton, chairman of the Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency Board and chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic, presented ongoing Discovery Square efforts to the DMC Corp. Board.

Amid talk of what could be up to 2 million square feet of Mayo Clinic development aimed to attract new research partners in what has been called DMC’s economic engine, Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede asked about the small park: “Is there going to be any attention to that, either to retain or create green space in the midst of all that building that may go on?”

Bolton quickly offered reassurance. While much of his planned comments were about attracting new development to fill the clinic’s 35 percent of the district, he noted green space has been part of the conversation and should have been part of his planned presentation.
“The idea of green space is a critical part of anywhere people are going to come together,” he said. “Green space — I think everyone on the board knows — is very important.”

That importance goes beyond creating places for people to meet. Green space also provides healthy options for breaks during hectic days and offers environmental connections amid towers of brick and mortar. It simply makes any city better.

That’s why we’re glad to hear the commitment to green space. As Bolton noted, much of what Mayo Clinic owns in the district, which primarily sits between Third Street Southwest and Sixth Street Southwest from Broadway to Fifth Avenue, is covered with parking lots. In its current state, much of the property doesn’t engage the pedestrian or offer inviting views.

Those parking lots, however, will likely make ideal building sites. We also hope parts of them will be considered for the creating inviting places for people to come together, whether it’s new pocket parks or something grander.

The downtown core already has limited park space, and the walk from one to another can be daunting for those with mobility issues. The idea of creating relaxing areas in addition to Central Park, Mayo Park and Soldiers Field Park needs to stay part of any development plan.

That’s why we’re glad to hear it pop up out of nowhere during last week’s DMCC board meeting and be welcomed with encouraging words.
We trust those words will sprout more opportunities for green space as development continues.

For more information on Project EverGreen’s programs that promote the economic, social and lifestyle benefits of managed green spaces, visit www.ProjectEverGreen.org

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