7-12 IAN Grass Clippings

 The Idaho Statesman ran an article that said: “A garbage-collection company hopes they've found a nutritional use for residential lawn clippings. After being kept for some time in order to allow for fermentation,  the pickled clippings will be added to a mixture of hay, corn and other ingredients and fed to cows.” I called Idaho Farm Bureau range manager and cattle specialist Wally Butler: “My first reaction to that article was the headline itself with the question mark.  I have the same kind of question. Most folks to keep a green lawn throughout the summer use  more fertilizer and herbicide than farmers do on their agricultural land and many times more so than naturally grown grasses that really have none of those outside inputs. I would have concerns about pesticides and herbicides as well as the pet residue that would be involved. It is something that should probably be explored as a resource that could be used in some fashion. It will be interesting to see what the end product is like.