We were working in the field at one of our auxiliary farm lots when a neighbor stopped by and asked what we were going to be growing there.

Me: “We’re doing a bunch of flowers.”

Him: “Oh, y’all can have the flowers. I don’t grow nothing I can’t eat!”

Of course, I tried to convince him of the many benefits of having flowers on-site. Truthfully, I didn’t try very hard though because I quickly remembered that this is the same person that spends HOURS each week tending to his sprawling, green lawn. Hmm…but, you can’t eat the grass!

Lawns cover 40 million acres, or 2%, of land in the U.S., making them the single largest irrigated crop we grow. Our friendly neighbor offered to cut our grass too – since we obviously aren’t keeping it cut. LOL! That’s no accident. On each lot, we have areas designated for re-wilding native species. We do not cut the grass in those areas and allow nature to do its thing. I was so excited to discover Red Crimson Clover growing on one of the lots! This bright “weed” is not just beautiful. It’s also beneficial to the ecosystem. If we constantly cut our grass low, we would’ve blocked our blessings.

Lawns are mowed, raked, fertilized, chemically treated, weeded, and watered. Whew! As April quickly comes to an end, I want to encourage you to participate in No (or Low) Mow May. Yep, it’s a real thing! If you’re nervous about not cutting your lawn for a month, try cutting it every other week instead of weekly or consider gifting an area of your lawn to nature. Could you mow less all year or incorporate flowers into your lawn? It’s time we begin seriously re-thinking the American lawn.