2003 Year in Review

Renkes Has New Leaf Vacuum

Renkes Lawn Care's New Leaf Vacuum

Usually when something “sucks” it’s a bad thing, but the sign on the new Renkes Lawn Care truck advertises, “We suck!” (That is they suck leaves). Katie and Randy Renkes purchased a leaf vacuuming system after traveling to Kentucky for a “Green Convention”.

Katie investigating it on the Internet and felt it was the right thing to do. There are a lot of carcinogens in smoke from leaves that are bad for everyone. And those communities that ban burning and go completely to leaf removal have a remarkably lower amount of hospitalizations and treatment for respiratory illnesses.

Leaf vacuuming works quickly by chopping the leaves and throwing them into a large bin. It takes about 10 minutes for them to remove a pile of leaves about the size of a car. If the owners rake their own leaves there is curbside removal or they will include leaf raking. There is a minimum charge of $20 for curbside removal. If neighborhoods can coordinate their leaf removal, they can get a discount.

They currently have the unit attached to the back of their pick-up truck with a wooden box as a prototype but each time they unload they have to remove the unit and do a hand removal. Randy and Katie plan on investing in a dump truck and then mounting the leaf removal over the cab.

For more information on the dangers of leaf burning visit
Wisconsin DNR

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
November 10, 2003