Mushroom Country Compost Meets Robot Mowers in Kennett Square

Kennett Square has spent more than a century learning how to build soil. Its mushroom farms run on compost — mixed, turned, tested and refined until it grows a crop. A few miles away, robot mowers have been quietly shaving lawns a sliver at a time, every day, all season. This fall those two worlds ended up in the same 400-pound bag.

Organic Lawn Builder is a certified-organic soil builder made in Kennett Square by MYCOguard and delivered across Chester County and the surrounding area by Zippy Lawnz. This is how it came together, what’s actually in it, and why late fall is a good time to put it down.

How did a robot mower company end up selling compost?

By accident, through two experiments that had nothing to do with each other.

On our side, we were testing micro-clipping on local lawns. A robot mower trims a little every day instead of a third of the blade once a week, so it leaves tiny clippings that fall to the soil line and break down within days. We wanted to know how much of the lawn’s feeding those clippings could take over. On the lawns we manage, the answer has been a lot — our approach has helped homeowners cut their fertilization needs by up to 25%, in line with what university extension research says returned clippings can supply. (How clippings fit a feeding plan.)

Across town, Eric Toedter — who has done research and development for the mushroom industry since 2010 and founded MYCOguard in 2021 — was testing organic material to improve soil. MYCOguard works with mushroom farms across Southeastern Pennsylvania on compost and integrated pest management, so soil is the day job.

When we compared notes, the fit was obvious. Clippings recycle nutrients the lawn already has, but they don’t fix thin, low-organic soil. Eric’s compost supplies exactly the organic matter those lawns were missing — and the robots’ daily passes help work it down into the turf.

“We kept seeing the same thing on the lawns we tested. When you feed the soil instead of just the grass, the whole lawn gets stronger. Eric’s compost and our robotic mowers turned out to be a perfect match.” — Paul Richards, Zippy Lawnz

“Kennett Square has been building great soil for more than a century. It’s exciting to take what we know from mushroom farming and put it to work on people’s lawns.” — Eric Toedter, MYCOguard

What’s actually in the bag?

We didn’t want to sell a compost on adjectives, so it went to the lab. Organic Lawn Builder is certified organic by NuFiber, and a January 2026 batch was analyzed by Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory:

That organic matter is the point. It helps soil hold moisture through dry spells, supports deeper roots, and builds the dense turf that crowds weeds out on its own.

Why put the fertilizer inside the compost?

Because of where spray-on fertilizer goes after it rains.

Most lawn feeding is a fast-dissolving fertilizer applied on top of the grass. It greens things up quickly, but whatever the lawn doesn’t grab in time can wash off into storm drains and, from there, into the creeks that feed the Brandywine and the Christina. The newest version, Organic Lawn Builder Plus, takes a different route: organic blood meal fertilizer is blended into the compost before it reaches the lawn. The nutrients arrive already mixed into a layer of organic matter that holds them in place and releases them steadily.

“Spray-on fertilizer can wash right off into storm drains and streams. When the feeding is built into the compost, it stays where the grass can use it. We think that’s a better result for your lawn and for our community.” — Paul Richards

For a homeowner, that’s a full seasonal feeding plus long-term soil building in one delivery, with no synthetic chemicals involved. (If you want the longer cost-and-results comparison, see rent your lawn, or own your soil?)

Where do robot mowers come in?

They’re the other half of the program. Zippy Lawnz uses organic fertilization only and mows only with electric equipment, and on our customers’ lawns the three pieces work together:

1. Organic Lawn Builder every one to two years, ideally with spring or fall aeration.
2. Daily electric robotic mowing that mulches micro-clippings back into the turf — and whose light wheels help work the compost in without rutting soft ground.
3. Organic feedings — or a Plus bag — in place of synthetic ones.

“We draw a hard line against excess chemical use. It’s part of who we are. Between organic soil building and electric mowing, we’re helping our neighbors keep beautiful lawns while cutting runoff and carbon emissions.” — Paul Richards

You don’t need a robot to use the compost. But if you have one, it keeps feeding the soil you’ve built every single day. (Here’s how to topdress around one.)

Isn’t it too late in the season?

Not at all — heading into November is one of the better times to feed a cool-season lawn. Top growth slows, but the roots keep growing and storing nutrients for winter. Compost and organic fertilizer applied now work down into the soil over the cold months, so the lawn comes back thicker in spring.

“People think lawn season is over, but November is when you set up next year. Get a bag down this month, follow up with a spring feeding, and you’ll see the difference.” — Paul Richards

Can I get it delivered?

If you’re within 30 miles of Kennett Square, yes — and November delivery is still open. That covers West Chester, Downingtown, Media, Wilmington, Newark and most of Chester and Delaware counties, plus northern Delaware and nearby Maryland and New Jersey. (Check the delivery map.)

We recommend a follow-up application in spring. To order, call or text 410-725-7500, or see the full details on the Organic Lawn Builder page.

Zippy Lawnz is an authorized robotic mower dealer and service center for Segway Navimow, Mammotion and Yarbo, focused on eco-friendly lawn care automation — organic-only fertilization and all-electric mowing. It was founded by Paul Richards, who previously co-founded broadcast camera company PTZOptics, and serves the Kennett Square area along with PA, MD, DE, VA and CO. MYCOguard was founded in 2021 by Kennett Square researcher Eric Toedter and serves mushroom farms across Southeastern Pennsylvania with integrated pest management and compost expertise.