Scotch Broom? How’s this for a healthy idea?
By Bruce Mason, Gabriola Sounder
Monday, August 20 2007
The island is awash in fundraisers for worthy causes but this one is slightly different, designed to address two major challenges that face us all: the ongoing need to improve healthcare, and ridding the island of the invasive Scotch Broom that seems to be taking over here and throughout the region.
Thanks to an inventor in Shawingan Lake and Merv and Annette Sweeney at Wild Rose, we now have the tool and the means in our hands to meet both head-on.
You can now rent an Extractigator at Wild Rose for a donation to the permanent healthcare clinic
Extract a what?
The revolutionary new tool has a name that may be slightly difficult to say, but emphasize the entire word ‘Extract,’ which is what it does, very well, with minimal effort.
It’s a cinch to use, the easiest and most effective way yet to remove invasive plants, roots and all, such as Scotch Broom, Alder trees, blackberry bushes, thistles, nettle, Buckthorn, Juniper, choke cherries and more, including garden stakes.
Shawn Taylor, a mechanical engineer invented the Extractigator in 2000 to get rid of broom and small alders on his property in Shawnigan Lake. The ingenious device worked so well he decided to make more and offer them for sale on a website. The world beat a path to his door.
“It’s really catching on all over North America,” he told the Sounder. “Oregon has a broom problem that is worse than ours, back East they are using it to remove Buckthorn and it is being heavily utilized by the California Invasive Plant Council and other groups and individuals.”
Folks all over the continent are raving about it, saying they removed acres of invasive plants, without any wear and tear on their backs.
Mike Phillips has had one for several years on island and swears by it after single-handedly clearing acres and acres of broom. He predicts that if there were Extractigators all over the place, Gabriolans could make quick work of Scotch Broom. We will hear more from him next week.
The unique design enables the operator to use the maximum force, based on their weight rather than physical strength and apply the greatest force at the beginning of the pull, when it is needed, increasing the pulling distance as the plant is removed.
It automatically opens when it is lifted, releasing the plant.
When we first stopped by Wild Rose on North Road for a demonstration, employee Vargha Webb had heard about the tool and asked the owners, Merv and Annette Sweeney to order a few.
Across Tin Can Alley we spotted stands of tall, tough looking broom. It was the first time the 5 foot 3 inch Webb had used the device. Her initial reaction was: “This is so easy, it’s amazing, and in fact it’s addictive.”
Like many of us, she has been fighting a losing battle with Scotch Broom in her neighbourhood and was thrilled to have an effective new weapon in her hands.
Her verdict: “The Extractigator is what we’ve been waiting for,” she said. “If everyone makes an effort with this, no matter how small, we can finally get a handle on Scotch Broom.”
After our story in the Sounder, readers got curious and the tools were sold. So more were ordered. The Extractigator retails for $179, but is also now available for rent for a donation toward building a permanent health care clinic, at least $15 a day, which is what it is currently renting for.
People who have used it say it is virtually effortless compared to pulling broom by hand, lightweight, tough, effective and a highly rewarding activity and exercise.
“Parents could use it extract a teenager from the house for a while,” suggested Annette, a quote we couldn’t resist using. The point is that family and neighbours can bond, kill two birds and be thanked on both counts for generations to come
Stop by Wild Rose for a peek. Visit: www.extractigator.com for more information.
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