Lawn-care company relies on green-friendly products

When Shannon Thomas started researching organic lawn care last summer, she realized the potential for a business venture she believes provides a safer environment for children and pets.

//

"We hear about organic fruits and vegetables and organic milk, so when we began talking about organic alternatives to lawn care, I became intrigued," said Thomas, whose husband, Gene, owns a landscaping business and has been involved in lawn maintenance for 15 years. "I began researching it and found that it's really much safer and has great benefits."

A nurse anesthetist by profession, Thomas said she was "taken aback by the potentially dangerous and serious consequences to the environment of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and weed control."

The Thomases started their Evans-based EcoPro business as a measure of bringing a lawn maintenance service that uses all organic products to area homeowners. They produce their own liquid fertilizer.

"We produce our own liquid fertilizer, but we're not really in the market to sell products," explains Thomas. "Instead, we sell a service."

Like many other lawn care companies, the Thomases analyze individual lawns and propose a service schedule.

"Probably the No. 1 benefit is peace of mind in that you're not being exposed to so many chemicals," said Thomas. "Children and pets aren't being exposed to dangerous chemicals, which can be absorbed through the skin."

Thomas contends that lawns are actually healthier when organic fertilizers, pesticides and weed controllers are applied.

"The difference is below the grass," she said. "We are literally feeding the soil."

Organic care leads to thicker, greener lawns that need less fertilizer and maintenance, she said.

Most of the materials used in organic lawn care products are natural and Thomas adds that eco-friendly lawn maintenance is competitively priced to traditional lawn-care products.

"You typically need less application with organic products," said Thomas.

"I have two children and two pets, and I want them to be comfortable and safe in the yard," she said. "And I think anyone who spends a fair amount of time in their yards should feel just as comfortable."