Tag Archives: gardening

Sustainable Yard & Garden Tour – Sunday, 6/22, 3–5:30 pm

From Helen Dewey, of Medfield Environment Action –

Sustainable Yard and Garden Tour

Medfield Environment Action will be hosting another Sustainable Yard and Garden Tour on Sunday, June 22, from 3 – 5:30 pm. Attendees will travel to four different gardens in Medfield. The homeowners will walk attendees through the yard and provide an overview of their garden and what makes it sustainable. Homeowners will discuss what they have planted, how they maintain it and any equipment that they use. The garden on Pine St and the one on Stagecoach Rd. were featured in the last tour in September, 2024. Come see the gardens in full bloom in June! It will be set up like a crawl in which folks move from garden to garden, at specific times, providing their own transportation. Car-pooling is encouraged!  There is no cost to attend, and all are welcome. Register ahead of time at tinyurl.com/SustainableGardenTour-2025 to receive more information about each garden and any weather related updates.

Why would one want to strive for a yard that has a low impact on the environment? Conventional yard care can be time consuming, is destructive to the eco-system and harmful to an entire food web. For example: poison the grubs, birds are harmed by eating the grubs, use chemicals to achieve green grass, storm water becomes contaminated, moreover turf offers nothing in the way of food for nature. In addition, children and pets can be harmed when exposed to grass and yards with a lot of chemicals.

The homeowners on the tour will show how a sustainable, low impact yard is a work in progress but the benefits include lower maintenance costs, cleaner air to breath, (no gas powered leaf blowers), improved visual appeal, no secondary poisoning through the food web, re-use or composting of leaf materials on-site, conserving water, supporting biodiversity, “the living earth”, precious time available to focus on other activities and a sense of helping rather than harming, everybody wins.

Whether you are an avid gardener interested in learning some sustainable practices that you can implement or just curious as to what it is all about, join us on Sunday, June 22 to take a walk around some beautiful, thoughtful and eco-friendly gardens in Medfield. The flyer with the addresses of the gardens is posted on the MEA website, meamedfield.org. Any questions please email meamedfield@gmail.com

Curbside Compost Collection Now in Medfield

From Jackie Alford –

Curbside Compost Collection Now Available in Medfield

Medfield residents can easily reduce their organic waste by participating in the new curbside compost collection program provided by Black Earth Compost. This program is the easiest way to divert food scraps from the trash and build a resilient local food system.

How It Works
Participants receive a curbside collection cart and certified compostable bin liners to sort their food scraps into. All food scraps, including meat, bones, dairy, soiled paper products, and certified compostable products, are accepted. The material is picked up every other week and taken to one of Black Earth’s four local compost facilities, where it is mixed with carbon, like leaves and sticks, to make finished compost. Participants receive a voucher for a free cubic foot bag of compost, redeemable at participating garden centers in the spring.

Environmental Benefits
Curbside composting is gaining momentum as cities and towns across the state support these programs to meet the MA DEP’s Waste reduction goal of 30% reduction by 2030. In addition to reducing waste, composting addresses several environmental crises:
• Builds Healthy Soil: Compost improves soil ecology and adds nutrients, leading to healthier foods and higher yields.
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: It reduces methane created in landfills and sequesters atmospheric carbon in the soil, supporting our climate.
• Protects Our Waterways: Composting reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers and improves soil moisture retention, reducing runoff.
• Creates Resilient Communities: It supports the local agricultural system, reducing our dependence on imported goods.

Subscription and Pricing
Subscription plans for every other week pick up are $89.99/6 months or $16.99/month, plus the cost of the bin. The price lowers for everyone as more people sign up. When 350 Medfield households are signed up or pre-registered, the price will be lowered by 20%.

To Enroll
Please complete the signup form at https://blackearthcompost.com/residential-curbside-compost-pickup/?town=Medfield,%20MA. Interested in helping increase curbside composting in Medfield? Contact medfieldcurbsidecomposting@gmail.com

Learn More About curbside composting and other town options for food waste:
https://community.massenergize.org/MedfieldMA/actions/3715
https://community.massenergize.org/MedfieldMA/actions/2372