We’re excited to have both Needham Garden Center and Automated Outdoor Solutions of New England (AOS) joining us at this year’s GreenEXPO/Harvest Fair in the Newton Center parking lot on Sunday, October 16 from 11-4 to showcase electric lawn equipment and share tips on how to achieve a sustainable yard.
Needham Garden Center is a family owned store that has been in business since 1939. They sell garden supplies, equipment, and other high-quality products for your yard, many of which are organic and chemical free. Garrett Graham, owner of Needham Garden Center since 2001, is invested in providing organic and safe solutions for his customers. “We pride ourselves on having an organic solution to every project or problem. From soils to insect controls to sustainable products we can find something for our customers that can get the job done with a lower impact on our environment,” says Graham.
Graham has also seen an increase in demand for electric-powered lawn equipment in recent years, “We are able to offer a replacement battery powered tool for almost any gas version. We have lawnmowers from 21 inches to 52 inches, inverters for power outages, snowblowers, trimmers, and the list goes on. We have a new line of commercial EV mowers coming this spring so our landscaper base can make the switch.” According to the EPA, a gas lawn mower can emit 89 pounds of CO2 per year, so going electric can make a huge impact in reducing carbon emissions as well as pollution near our homes. Many electric-powered machines are not only better for the environment, but are also quieter, which helps residents and commercial landscapers adhere to Newton’s leaf blower noise ordinance.
Automated Outdoor Solutions of New England is a new company devoted to sustainable, electric lawn care with several products on the market. The products will on showcased at the GreenEXPO, including robotic mowers that can handle virtually any lawn. Founder Michael Jaffe of Dover, MA, explained, “Our robots are ‘smart’ mowers that ‘learn’ turf parameters on the job using a combination of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and buried wires. They are conversation-quiet and are designed to continuously operate day and night, rain or shine, to produce an ‘always cut’ look.” Jaffe recently founded the company after learning more about the disproportionate environmental harms caused by toxic and noisy emissions from gas-powered lawn equipment and experiencing the benefits of using robotic mowing in his own yard. Formerly a utility-scale solar executive and a long-term civic volunteer, Michael is committed to facilitating incremental environmental and social benefits to local communities.
Together, Needham Garden Center and AOS work together to provide a suite of sustainable lawn tools to homeowners and professionals alike. They look forward to showing you a variety of battery-powered tools and equipment, including trimmers, blowers, mowers, and Ego snow blowers capable of handling most driveways in Newton. They’ll also be sharing plenty of expert advice to help you make your yard truly “green.”
Headline photo courtesy of Needham Garden Center.