MowGreen.US Reel Mowing

Antonio Valverde

2012-02-09T05:01:11Z

I recently had the pleasure to meet Antonio Valverde, professional trainer, high end men's-wear designer/tailor, all around amazing athlete and scholar, great family friend, and soon to be famous blogger with his on line effort TheStylishGentleman initiative.

Well there is too much to say about news and views from Brotonioland, but for now, let's note that there is pent up convergence between fitness and ecology for which he is partnered to promote, and he has shared a fun photo entitled "GymSwag".

Here it is (Courtesy of TheStylishGentleman - The MowGreen Embroidered Fleece Cap):

TheStylishGentleman & MowGreen. We goin' to pahmp, you ahp!

Hey, there's two gyms in town - Antonio @ EliteCityFitness & MowGreen.US!

MowGreen Featured in the Daily Fairfield

2011-04-27T13:03:00Z

Click here to read all about it!

"Dan Delventhal signs his emails “Dan QuiMOWte,” a play on the title character from the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The nickname is apt because Delventhal, like Don Quixote, is on a quest to take down machines with loud, spinning blades. But the Fairfielder’s enemies aren’t windmills — they’re lawnmowers...."

April Newsletter

2011-04-18T20:44:00Z

Click here to read the April 2011 MowGreen Gazette.

Come see MowGreen at these upcoming events!

2011-03-15T20:44:00Z

To spread the word and promote earth-friendly lawn care, MowGreen will be exhibiting this Spring at the following events:

Fairfield Garden Expo
March 19th & 20th, 10am-4pm
Fairfield Ludlowe Highschool

Fairfield County Home and Outdoor Living Expo
March 26th & 27th, 11am-5pm
The Stamford Plaza Hotel

HCC Environmental Fair
April 28th, 10am-2pm
Housatonic Comm. College
Lafayette Hall

Fairfield Earth Day Celebration
April 30th, 10am-4pm
Fairfield Warde Highschool

Wilton Go Green Festival
May 1st, 11am-4pm
Wilton Library and
Wilton Town Green

Hope to see you there!

MowGreen Gazette Launches with March Issue

2011-03-09T03:49:00Z

MowGreen has now launched its own newsletter, to keep the community up to date on the latest development and offer tips on green lawncare. The March issue included news about MowGreen New Haven's organic certification, reviews of earth-friendly snow-removal gear, and a call for friends of MowGreen to get the word out and help shrink pollution.

To view a copy of the March MowGreen Gazette online, please click here. If you would like to receive future issues in your e-mail inbox, please send an e-mail to mow@mowgreen.us and we will include you in the list!

MowGreen.US 2010 - 3rd Year > 100% Growth

2010-12-16T03:24:00Z

The MowGreen customer base grew by over 100% for the fourth year straight. The revenue growth rate was slightly higher, representing an increasing amount of ancillary services beyond the traditional Mow, Trim, Edge, Sweep routine, including hedge trimming, leaf cleanup, weeding, over seeding, etc.

We hope to maintain high growth rates (80-100%) through 2015, a year when we will reduce air pollution by the equivalent of 20 Million auto-emission miles! 2010's reduction was 100,000 miles!

Dan QuiMowte says "congratulations to all of MowGreen's conscientious customer and service provider partners - cleaner air and sanity in lawn care is less the impossible dream thanks to you!

Reel Mowing Two Acre Lawn - Feasibility Testing Update

2010-06-08T03:57:00Z

Reel Mowing the Two Acre Lawn - Feasibility Testing Update

Ultra Successful Grass - Final Stage Organic Program - High Speed Spring Growth Challenges Reel Mowing Adequacy

We reported earlier that testing push reel mowers for feasibility on a 2 acre lawn was a success, not only as an aesthetic and healthier alternative, but also as an economically and humanly possible achievement. Natalie Johnson and Jack Besel, two marathon-running, athletic and nature-loving college students had successfully mowed a two acre lawn with push reel mowers in 3 hours, including trimming and cleanup. However, as this lawn is in the final stages of an organic treatment program including over-seeding, and considering the healthy rain supply and balmy spring weather, the grass has thickened and taken off like nothing we have seen. Is organic treatment a superior alternative? Uh, yeah, this lawn is thicker and growing faster than any other lawn MowGreen has mowed to date. And it has now become difficult to complete a mowing visit in under 5 hours for two people. Uncle! We need power gear! Mind you we have dozens of other lawns that are easily done with reels, but this one has become a challenge. There are good lessons in this challenge; 1. Organic treatment, when applied for 3 years is the best alternative for maximum results, 2. Come on! Lighten up on the treatments, it's not as if we are growing food here!-), 3. Self sharpened ("grit back-lapped") reel mowers may decline in effectiveness, and 4. grass gets healthier and thrives when mowed by reels. The big surprise of this ultimate test of viability came when a new Scott's reel mower was deployed and it seemed to cut the grass "like butta " compared to the other older reels.

Some benefits of reel mowing are: lightest eco impact option available with no fuel and no weight to the equipment (less compaction), and low cost as well. It has a small transportation footprint which helps rid our roads of trucks and trailers and more emissions and traffic! So in going to power gear, we proceed with caution, opting to maintain a small transportation footprint and capital cost (although higher than reels, much lower than mongo units and trailers). Cordless battery powered self propelled residential oriented units may provide some relief. They are quiet like reels, yet the material mining for the batteries and power to charge them and the disposal or recycling of them has a heavy eco impact (better than gasoline - hello Gulf Spill!). MowGreen.US is unique in that it has converted gasoline systems to burn hydrogen, and has a source of inexpensive hydrogen supplied by solar power. Although these systems are loud like gasoline systems, they burn hydrogen and a little oil - lower emissions and less gasoline consumption and spillage! We tested a self propelled mulching residential mower units there as well. A problem with them is time consumed changing and filling tanks of hydrogen. Another problem we discovered was that this lawn was so healthy and lush that the 4 day growth also choked back the 6.5 horse power Hydromow rendering it less useful than the new Scott's 20 inch reel which cut better than any other reel we have seen previously. We believe it has been re-designed or something.

By using reels as much as possible, and by augmenting them only when necessary with small footprint cordless battery powered electric units and gasoline to hydrogen converted small systems. MowGreen hopes to remain as a viable alternative to the gas guzzing, fume spewing, gas spilling, road congesting fleets that plague us today - on a large scale, including lawns as large as 2 acres. If all our reels worked like the new Scotts we just tried out, this nightmare (for mowers) lawn could still be viable without the need for large power equipment. But the situation does obviate the counterproductive relationship between fertilizing lawns and mowering required. Always, the more you fertilize the lawn, the more money you need to spend (and often, pollution you need to create) to grow a non-food crop in a world tormented by hunger, no less.

Did I mention gasoline powered blower noisemakers? Well they ought to be illegal. We don't use them. We use quiet cordless battery powered units with fast chargers. They blow 120 MPH - that is good enough to move a little grass off the walks, patios and porches!-)

We look forward to more technological advancements like highly efficient reels, push and pull reel gangs, gasoline to hydrogen converted systems, and if we must, battery powered systems. Although lawncare is just 5 to 10% of our air pollution problem, we hope to make a difference environmentally and to spread the practice of fitness and philosophical consistency through reel mowing.

Sincerely,
Dan QuiMowte, Man of LaMowGreen

http://www.MowGreen.US - Reel Mowing; Quiet, Clean & Green

MowGreen.US In the News Again - Westport Magazine

2010-05-18T16:34:00Z

MowGreen Profiled by Moffley Media - Westport and Stamford Magazines

Here is the link:

http://www.mofflymedia.com/Moffly-Publications/Stamford-Magazine/May-2010/Town-Green/

About MOWGreen.US:
MowGreen.US reduces pollution, consumption, noise, gas spillage, dust, traffic, obesity and unemployment with reel mower lawn services - at similar prices as conventional “dirty” lawn care (5 to 10% of US air pollution), while encouraging lawn reduction with native plants and organic gardens.
Established in 2007, MowGreen.US is in Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties in CT and expanding. MowGreen seeks territory owners/partners to grow, offering extremely modest licensing fees. Please visit www.MOWGreen.US , for more information, or call 203.209.5979.

Benefits of Reel Mowing - Detriments of Gasoline Mowing

2010-05-16T02:39:06Z

6 to 10% of our Air Pollution comes from gasoline-based lawncare. The mowers and blowers create 10 to 25 times more pollution per gallon of gas burned in an automobile. An acre of grass mowed emits the approx. equiv. of a 1,000 mile of car ride!

Reel Mowing
- Benefits
  - Low Impact Strength Training
  - Low Impact Aerobics
  - Quiet
  - Clean Air
  - No Fuel Required
  - Snips rather than Rips Grass - Better for the Grass
  - No oil or gas
  - Less cost for purchase ($125 vs $200 to $600)
  - Less cost for fuel
  - Lightweight (20 to 35 lbs vs 100 to 500 lbs)
    - Healthier soil - less compaction
      - No aeration services mandated
  - Less cost maintenance
  - Easier transport (fits in economy car, no trucks nor trailers needed)
  - Easier starting (no pull chord, choke, nor battery ignition to charge)
  - Higher Frequency Mowing:
    - Less % of blade per cut
    - Healthier roots
    - Better mulching
    - Fresh cut look more often
  - Doesn't spray grass on walks, driveways and roads
    - Less cleanup required
  - Doesn't blow dust clouds in bare or dry patches
    - Preserves top soil
    - Cleaner air for operator
  - Easier Storage
  - Easier Sharpening (5 minute operation can be done without grinding wheel)
  - .....to be continued

MowGreen New Haven Coverage by New Haven Register

2010-05-10T16:44:00Z

MowGreen New Haven Coverage by New Haven Register

Here is the link:

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/05/06/life/doc4be2a8037aaa8726547362.txt

About MOWGreen.US:
MowGreen.US reduces pollution, consumption, noise, gas spillage, dust, traffic, obesity and unemployment with reel mower lawn services - at similar prices as conventional “dirty” lawn care (5 to 10% of US air pollution), while encouraging lawn reduction with native plants and organic gardens.
Established in 2007, MowGreen.US is in Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties in CT and expanding. MowGreen seeks territory owners/partners to grow, offering extremely modest licensing fees. Please visit www.MOWGreen.US , for more information, or call 203.209.5979.

MowGreen.US HydroMow(TM) Gasoline to Hydrogen LawnMower Conversion Successfull

2010-04-22T13:27:00Z

MowGreen.US and Enabling Technologies Create HydroMow(TM) Gasoline to Hydrogen LawnMower Conversion!

Fairfield: Dan Delventhal, Founder of MowGreen.US has collaborated with Tim Dolan of Trumbull, CT, founder of Enabling Technologies to convert a traditional gasoline propelled lawn mower to run Hydrogen. The MowGreen HydroMow™ has been tested through two development phases and performs just like originally, except that it now burns emission free hydrogen.

Dan Delventhal with the MowGreen® HydroMow™ - It fits nicely in the back of the MowGreen Hybrid!

The unit has a small ride along tank which can be filled from a master tank for about 20 minutes of run time per fill-up.

Tim Dolan managed the project and conversion and he makes hydrogen with his own Solar-powered Electrolyzer station that he assembled, acquired, and maintains. Enabling Technologies, Dolan's company, supplies MowGreen with their hydrogen.

MowGreen Couple Makes Reel Mowing History in Greenwich CT - 1.25 Acres, 3 Reels

2010-04-19T01:40:35Z

Press Release 4/17/2010
Contact: Dan Delventhal
Dan@MowGreen.US
http://www.MowGreen.US
203-209-5979

Greenwich MowGreen Sets Record for Push Reel Mowing - 2 Acre Lawn - 3 Hours

Uconn Students Natalie and Jack Succeed with Massive Reel Mower Proof of Concept

Fairfield, CT: Natalie Johnson and Jack Besel, partners at Fairfield-based MowGreen.US, cut the grass at a client in Greenwich, CT - a 4 acre+ property with 2 acres of organic landscaping, including 1.25 acres (66,000 Sq. Ft). of very healthy grass, the quiet, clean and green way.

Cathy Beauregard, Beauregard Horticultural Services, enlisted MowGreen.US to complement her Organic Landscaping. Shown above at client site, Greenwich, CT in March before the grass growth of Spring.

They didn't use gasoline nor electric powered machines - they did it the new old-fashioned way, with push reel mowers. In an experiment to test the feasibility of today's push reel mowers for commercial lawncare, they were able to mow the entire lawn without engines nor motors. They had a little help from the MowGreen.US Reel2Reel(TM), which allows two or three 20" reel mowers to be ganged together for a wider cutting swath (38 to 56 inches wide with some overlaps).

Dan Delventhal, MowGreen.US Founder, Tests the Reel2Reel(TM) Dual Gang Reel Adaptor Proto-type

Natalie Johnson and Jack Besel, first connected with MowGreen.US to garner support for fund-raising they were doing for Greenpeace by running marathons. When Cathy Beauregard suggested that MowGreen.US expand to Greenwich to complement her organic lawncare at a client in Greenwich, CT, Delventhal hoped that this lawn could be mowed completely by hand, without gasoline engines nor electric motors. He found two very enthusiastic partners in Natalie and Jack of Stamford, CT and they met the challenge with ease, to the delight of all! While Natalie pushed a single reel, Jack pushed a double, and they found the 66,000 s.f. of lawn could be cut in less than 3 hours!

Jack V and Natalie Johnson, Replaced team of 3 Gas Guzzling, Noise and Pollution-Spewing Lawnmowers at Greenwich, CT client using push reel mowers.

Jack V, Natalie Johnson, Dan Delventhal - MowGreen.US Fairfield/Greenwich Team

Cathy Beauregard of Beauregard Horticultural Services praised the team of two science and business - major college students exclaiming "These two youngsters have the best quality consciousness and work ethic I could have imagined! And they are so pleasant - I want to adopt them! I was skeptical at first about testing reel mowers to more highly refine my organic lawncare practice at a property this large, but they have made me a believer! The lawn is gorgeous and their attention to detail is a supreme. Plus, when you consider the lack of fuel or electric power, it's an organic lawn/environmentalist's monumental milestone. I'll send you the picture showing how amazingly little equipment is actually required for this huge estate!"

Dan Delventhal, who founded MowGreen.US in Fairfield and has since expanded into Greenwich, Stamford, Torrington and New Haven shook his head and observed, "Nobody took reel mowing seriously for large jobs, part of why I created the Reel2Reel(tm) gang adaptor. I have dreamed of the day when we could take a shot at a 2 acre lawn - armed with only people power; Jack and Natalie have made the dream come true! They are just the type of environmentalist athlete/scholars we needed to further the mission of displacing gasoline-based lawn services (5 to 10% of our air pollution) with reel mowers, proving that it can be done on a large scale effectively. Natalie and Jack are two of my favorite heroes! I am also a huge fan of Cathy's, of course, for her organic work and for bringing us to this project. It shows how effective Daphne Dixon's Fairfield (and other) Green Drinks networking sessions can be - that's where I met Cathy and many other conscientious folk."

"Jack and I are so happy to be working outside with nature, getting a great workout in the sunshine, And helping to beautify properties which haven't been poisoned with chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. With all this, its worth noting that the income is pretty good when considering options available to college students these days - doesn't hurt to pay the bills! And we have loved working with the smart and fun organic experts of Beauregard Horticulture Services, especially Cathy. With great associates like her and courteous and conscientious clients we are loving going greener in Greenwich!" proclaimed Natalie Johnson.

Jack noted, "The MowGreen.US Reel2Reel(TM) made by Thommen Welding of Blackrock, CT is really quite easy to push! I can't wait to try the Reel2Reel(TM) Triple adaptor! Reel mowing is great work, and I'm happy to report that after mowing over an acre, we're okay with skipping our "Cross-Fit Intensive Workouts" for the day - still staying strong and fit!"

9 Yr. Old at Go Greener Greenwich Eco Fair in 2009 Pushes MowGreen Reel2Reel(TM) with One Hand

Please visit MowGreen.US, exhibitors at upcoming eco-events:

"Tapped" The Movie - Greenwich Audubon Society, April 23rd
http://greenwich.audubon.org/Programs_SpecialEvents.html

Wilton Go Green Festival, Wilton Library, May 2nd
http://www.wiltongogreenfestival.com

Fairfield's Earthday Celebration, Warde High School, Fairfield, May 8th
www.fairfieldearthday.org

About MOWGreen.US®:
MowGreen.US reduces pollution, consumption, noise, gas spillage, dust, traffic, obesity and unemployment with reel mower lawn services - at similar prices as conventional “dirty” lawn care (5 to 10% of US air pollution), while encouraging lawn reduction with native plants and organic gardens.
Established in 2007, MowGreen.US is in Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties in CT and expanding. MowGreen® seeks territory owners/partners to grow, offering extremelymodest licensing fees. Please visit www.MOWGreen.US, for more information, or call 203.209.5979.

About Beauregard Horticultural Services:
Founded by Cathy Beauregard, Horticulturist and Landscape Designer, Beauregard Horticultural Services can beautify estates with organic, sustainable, and expert services. Cathy Beauregard owns and manages Stamford MowGreen® and Greenwich MowGreen®.
Please visit www.beausbouquets.com for more information