Witch's Hat Brewing Co. observes No Mow May despite citation

While No Mow May has come to an end, a brewing company owned by a married couple in South Lyon is playing the long game — despite receiving a warning citation for their overgrown grass.

"Our livelihoods really depend on the bees. If there's no bees, there's no beer. If there's no bees, there's no food," said Ryan Cottongim, one of the founding owners of Witch's Hat Brewing Co. "That's what we do, we supply our community with beer, food and a gathering place."

Witch's Hat has been participating in No Mow May for the past two years, and its owners want the entire city of South Lyon to be able to participate each year, too. Even though they have a "No Mow May" sign up, the warning citation was received on Wednesday, May 24, after a complaint was made to the city; the brewery has not been fined yet.

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"Last year, we didn't get a citation," said Witch's Hat co-founding owner Erin Cottongim. "This is an environment where we feel like there's a lot of building, a lot of development, around us. We just thought that if we left this space in a city setting natural, then our pollinators would really be given a chance."

Currently, grass around the Witch's Hat Brewing Co. ranges from 4 to 20 inches tall. Perennial flowers planted in wooden barrel pots surround the brewery, as the married couple works on removing the grass, little by little, to create a full perennial landscape that attracts pollinators.

"We do have a lot of intentional flowers there. We also planted a whole bunch of geraniums" to naturally repel mosquitoes, hornets and other pesky insects, Erin Cottongim said. "We've attracted more bumblebees and carpenter bees."

The warning stated that the grass should be brought down below 8 inches, following the city ordinance, otherwise the brewery will be fined, Ryan Cottongim said. He and his wife were not given a time period in which they should trim their grass, or an estimate of what the fine would be, even after reaching out to the city, seeking further information.

Although they might still be fined, the couple plans on trimming the grass on June 1. While the reason these ordinances are in place is to prevent people from being negligent toward their lawns, the Cottongim family is being highly purposeful with theirs.

Changing the ordinance or updating it with new information would allow the city of South Lyon to participate in No Mow May "without the fear of a fine or citation," Erin Cottongim said. "We have reached out to several council members, and they are very interested in bringing this to a council meeting and voting on it. ... We feel really excited that if we can make this change in this community, it's going to pave a path for the rest of the communities in Michigan to follow soon."

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As the annual movement grows, so do the concerns and misconceptions surrounding No Mow May. Just letting your grass grow, without the right weeds and flowers, does not provide any kind of food for pollinators.

"Bees and other pollinators need two main things from gardens. They need nectar and pollen," said David Lowenstein, an extension educator with Michigan State University Extension. "It's more about the correct kind of flowers. Just having weeds might include some good flowers, like white clover or violets, but a tall lawn that grows multiple inches isn't going to do as much for bees."

No Mow May can be a year-round effort. A list highlighting the best native plants to grow in the Great Lakes region can be found here. Plant a variety of flowers that will bloom at different periods of the year.

"Native plants, which are adapted to local soils and climates, are usually the best sources of food and shelter for native pollinators," according to Xerces Society. "Most native plants can flourish in poor soils and require minimal irrigation."

You can also continue to mow your lawn less frequently. This will encourage more weeds like white clover to grow, strengthening your lawn with extra nutrients. Once you spot the weeds, raise the blade on your lawn mower about 3 or 4 inches to avoid getting rid of them.

"Mowing high is good throughout the whole season, not just in May," Lowenstein said.

When you go to mow your lawn again after participating in No Mow May, make sure you check your lawn for any small animals nesting in your grass — such as rabbits, rats or mice.

"No Mow May is good from the perspective of raising awareness about pollinators and their importance in the garden and for our food, but there are better actions that could be taken than just not mowing your lawn for a month," Lowenstein said.

Contact Nour Rahal: [email protected]