American's biggest crop: lawn

[Brian Howell]

The United States has 50,000 square miles of lawn. That's right grass (no, not the type that is Humbolt County’s biggest crop). Lawns cover more than five times the acreage of corn. For that you can thank English engineer Edwin Budding, who in 1830, developed the manual push lawnmower. After that lawn upkeep no longer required a phalanx of workers armed with scythes to keep one's turf neatly trimmed, and they started sprouting up everywhere. 

Bloomberg reports that Americans spend $6.4B per year keeping up their lawns. That includes 70M lbs. of fertilizer. 

The National Wildlife Federation states that 50% to 70% of residential water use is outdoors, primarily for irrigating lawns. Of course businesses and municipalities have lawns, too, such as in municipal parks.

http://io9.com/how-america-s-most-useless-crop-also-became-its-most-co-1724553276#_ga=1.222449051.146391928.1414885495

http://www.bloomberg.com/consumer-spending/2012-06-21/the-real-cost-of-an-enviable-lawn.html

http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening-Tips/Cut-Your-Lawn-In-Half.aspx

At least lawns are a carbon sink.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Lawn/lawn3.php