In a short amount of time, kids and pets will be able to roam freely in Central Park without the worry of pesticides. Stonyfield Organic, a popular yogurt company, is leading the charge on a major movement to make some of the nation's biggest parks and fields into organic landscapes. Among these parks are Manhattan's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and Chicago's Grant Park. Soon, visiting these areas can be perfectly safe for pets, parents, and children.
"At Stonyfield, we are obsessed with fields. Since 1983, we have prioritized providing green and organic pastures for our cows to roam and graze – always free from harmful pesticides," said the company's Public Relations director Kristina Drociak. "However, we realized that organically maintained playing fields and parks can have an even bigger impact on our families and pets."
The initiative has been in the works since 2018, but it is only now seeing the plan come to fruition in a big way.
"Whether you eat on them, get your food or ingredients from them, or play on them," Drociak continued, "We believe all fields (both farms and parks!) should be free from harmful chemicals."
Studies show that a child's early exposure to pesticides can lead to conditions such as childhood cancers, lowered cognitive ability, and behavioral issues, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.