SHEBOYGAN, Wisc. — JoAnne Friedman is better known by the Sheboygan community as "Grandma Jo." She's an advocate for both human and animal lives as they pertain to public lawns.
Over the last decade, Friedman has been a champion for white clover, a plant that can be used in place of, supplementary with, traditional grass.
She already has a couple of local communities on board. Whitefish Bay was first and Sheboygan followed suit.
But why make the shift?
"It does stand the test of time," she noted. "It can handle traffic, it can handle kids playing on it, it’s drought-resistant because of its deep roots...holds up to dogs.”
The little white flowers and shamrocks are durable and low-maintenance — no water, no fertilizer, no pesticides needed.
Clover used to be a regular part of lawn seed mixtures but was basically eradicated after World War II when weed killers and other pesticides came into play.
The Sheboygan Yacht Club landscaping is one of the earliest examples of the original clover lawn.
Friedman wrote about her childhood memories of lush green clover lawns in her book "White Clover for Honeybees." Now, she said she's trying to bring it back for the sake of the things that thrive on and under the soil.
"Without pollinators, we won't have any food to eat," she said. "[Pesticides] affect all of our birds, our animals, and especially our children who are playing on the lawn."
Clover is a main source of food for many insects like bees and butterflies, but it also restores underground health. With its ability to react with a bacteria called Rhizobia, the soil becomes richer in color, nutrients, and moisture.
Thanks to Friedman's advocacy, Sheboygan parks have been pesticide-free for over a year. Since the city made the switch to clover-infused lawns, Parks and Forestry Superintendant Joe Kerlin said they've saved money on lawn maintenance products and labor costs.
As for our children, nearly 40 states have passed school pesticide regulations since 2005, according to Beyond Pesticides.
“That’s my goal," Friedman explained. "Is eventually to have the state of Wisconsin become one of the states to ban pesticides on schools grounds, in parks and on sports fields.”
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