Manderley Renews Their Commitment to Environmental Sustainability
We are happy to announce that Manderley has once again earned ‘Green Certification’ at our Moose Creek, Ontario production facility. This achievement demonstrates our renewed commitment to environmental best practices at all levels of our business. But what does it really mean to be Green Certified, and why is it important?
The Green Certification program, the first of its kind, was created by the Nursery Sod Growers Association of Ontario (NSGA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the betterment of the turfgrass sod industry. The NSGA is committed to the creation and enforcement of turfgrass quality standards, funding of turfgrass research programs, and leadership of consumer and professional education initiatives.
The objective of Green Certification is to increase the level of professionalism in the sod industry and promote awareness of the sustainable practices used by sod growers to consumers and industry peers. This certification was created with the intent to produce a third-party auditing program of best management practices for nursery sod production in Ontario that went above and beyond government requirements.
The Green Certification program is voluntary and provides assurance to consumers that certified members are committed to achieving or surpassing environmental standards in sod production.
To become certified, a producer must satisfy water management, nutrient management, pesticide use, soil condition and erosion, record keeping and documentation, worker safety and standard operating procedures requirements. Producers must undergo a third-party audit, conducted on all sites owned or leased by the grower, submit annual reports, and have an on-site verification completed at minimum once every three years.
Having these standards in place allows for the continued promotion of environmental responsibility that is vital to the sustainability of the green industry. Irresponsible use of commercial agricultural practices can negatively impact soil quality, increase nutrient run-off and ground water contamination as well as waste a great deal of water. Like any agricultural practice there are governmental standards designed to mitigate such risks, but the NSGA promotes further improvements with their Green Certification program. The Green Certification program is just one way sod farmers can continue to produce a quality products and participate in environmental sustainability simultaneously.
Manderley is proudly committed to going above and beyond in our day-to-day operations to do our part to help protect the environment while continuing to provide the best quality sod product to our customers. Not only are our production methods green certified, but we also aim to produce reduced impacts products. Our Less Water Sod and Grass Seed are certified drought-tolerant which means, once established, they require up to 50% less water to thrive than conventional turfgrasses.
To learn more about our Less Water Grass Seed and Less Water Sod along with our other products, visit the “Products” section of our website.
It takes a great deal of care and commitment from all levels of the organization to meet the NSGA Green Certification standards. Congratulations to the entire Manderley Team!
