A new Grand Junction company is using steam to kill unwanted weeds.
Rocky Mountain Steam N’ Weed opened Feb. 1 and uses 235- to 245-degree steam to kill weeds in a way that is 100 percent organic.
The business is owned by John and Connie Hager, who also own All Phase Lawns, a lawn care business that has been operating for several years.
John Hager said he was interested in getting into weed control but didn’t want to use chemicals. He found a company in Australia that used this technique and the steam-making machine is manufactured in Fresno, California.
The steam explodes the cells within each weed, killing it instantly, but will not harm surrounding plants.
In addition to the service, the Hagers are also the distributor for the machine within a 250-mile radius in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. They recently sold machines to the University of Colorado in Boulder and a community college just outside of Salt Lake City.
“We are the only ones in Colorado doing this commercially,” John Hager said.
Rocky Mountain Steam N’ Weed has one employee that runs the steam machine and two lawn-care crews. The Hagers are also looking at buying another machine to add to their inventory.
So far, John Hager said, he has met a lot of skeptics when pitching the product, but after each demonstration, people have been sold on the idea.
For more information or a quote, call 970-433-7638.
“It’s a great alternative for people who do not want chemicals,” Hager said.
â– One Grand Valley City Market is part of a pilot program aimed at easing the shopping experience for some customers.
The City Market at 569 32 Road is the only one in the Grand Valley that has the new Scan, Bag Go technology that its parent company, Kroger, rolled out earlier this year.
Customers can come in the store, receive a hand-held device or open an app on their phone. They then walk around the store, scan whatever they want to purchase and place it in a Scan, Bag, Go bag or a reusable bag from home. Then the customer goes to a U-Scan station and transfers the order to the register, pays for the goods and leaves. There is no fee to use the system and no item limit.
The City Market launched the system locally on May 6, according to assistant store manager Missy Janes.
So far, Janes said feedback on the new technology has been positive and customers have mostly found it more convenient.
“It’s another option of how to shop,” she said.
Janes said the technology will stay at the store long term and the company is looking at adding it to other stores in the future. During the pilot process, some customers may go through a verification process to make sure the system is working properly, Janes said.
â– The Horizon Sunrise Rotary Club selected Richard Keller as Rotarian of the Year on June 28.
The honor is voted on by club members via a secret ballot and is meant for someone who dedicates many hours of service to the club and community.
Keller has been a Rotarian since 2005 and is a past president of the club. In 2018, he chaired the A La Mode: A Sweet and Savory Experience fundraiser, bringing in nearly $20,000.
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