7 minute read
Bring Grass to LifeTM Initiative aims to protect and promote the green industry
Bring Grass to LifeTM
Nationwide initiative aims to protect and promote the green industry
by Casey Reynolds, PhD, Executive Director, Turfgrass Producers International
Chances are by now you may have heard of the
U.S. Sod Industry Checkoff initiative that is in the early stages of promotion and consideration, but if not, that’s okay, too. There is plenty of time to explore it ahead of the upcoming referendum that is months or more away. Chances also are that checkoff-funded advertisements have impacted your buying choices in some way or another. From the ever-popular Got Milk? campaign through Pork. The Other White Meat and Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives, these campaigns are possible in part because of nationwide checkoffs. The U.S. Sod Checkoff program’s tagline BRING GRASS TO LIFETM could be just as impactful by not only encouraging consumers to bring grass to their lives, but also by funding important scientific research to bring our industry’s story to life.
The goal of any checkoff program is to increase product demand, expand markets, fund consumer and scientific research, and to fight regulations, building codes, local ordinances, and consumer attitudes that do not align with the uses, science, and value behind agricultural products.
A U.S. Sod Checkoff has been discussed at least as far back as 1996, and the idea is nothing new to other agricultural and specialty crops. There are currently 22 checkoff programs, formally called Research and Promotion programs, and they did not get created quickly. The path to a national checkoff is purposefully long with a number of checks and balances to ensure that everyone in the industry is represented fairly and has a chance to provide input.
How it began
Checkoff programs have been around since at least the early ‘80s when industries such as beef, dairy, and pork, passed individual legislation through the U.S. Congress. Since the mid-1990s however, most checkoff programs have been made possible through the Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996. This bill was introduced by Rep. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and was co-sponsored by 15 others including Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R) of Georgia, where political support has always been strong for checkoffs. The above-mentioned bill was supported 8-1 by Georgia representatives in the House and 2-0 in the Senate. The proposed sod checkoff was submitted to USDA in early 2020 under then Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue of Georgia.
The proposal
In 2017, representatives from the U.S. Sod Industry began exploring checkoff programs in detail and have spent the last four years developing a potential sod checkoff program for the industry to consider and vote on. The proposal creates a framework whereby a board of 13 sod producers would hire and oversee staff to run the estimated $14 million annual program.
The budget would come from an assessment of 1/10th of penny ($0.001) per square foot of sod sold and harvested each year. This proposed rate is less than one half of one percent of the sale price of sod per square foot, what many consumers consider to be a minuscule amount.
Some producers say it is a small enough amount that they would likely just pay it out of their operating budget, whereas other sod producers, particularly larger ones, say they may add it to their invoice (Figure 1). Many of the associations who represent those customers, such as the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Sports Field Managers Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association, American Farm Bureau, and others have signed on to support the program as they understand the need for large-scale research and promotion at the local and national level.
“There has never been a more important time to fund research and promotional efforts to tell our story about the benefits of healthy green spaces. The general public deserves to better understand the integral role that lawns and other green spaces have in our communities and ecosystems throughout the nation.”
Andrew Bray VP of Government Relations National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
Telling our story
What could the turfgrass industry do with $14 million or more every year? If passed, the U.S. Sod Checkoff would create what is likely the largest single, annually recurring funding source in the world that is devoted solely to the turfgrass industry. A set percentage of dollars would fund research and marketing in the state in which the sod is produced, and the remainder would fund research and marketing through a competitive grant proposal process administered each year through the national checkoff. Many in the green industry know the challenges and threats on the horizon. Cash for Grass programs where cities pay people to remove lawns are popping up everywhere, particularly in the south. Grass restrictions in building codes are increasing, as are market gains from competing products. National news stories such as those titled, Kill Your Lawn Before it Kills You (NY Times, August 9, 2022) get printed routinely now in local and national media.
The idea behind a sod checkoff program isn’t attacking other industries or telling people to plant grass everywhere. There is certainly room in the marketplace for all types of products. The checkoff program is really just about being able to tell our industry’s story by sharing the benefits of natural grass lawns, athletic fields and other healthy green spaces. If we can do that, consumers and legislators will better understand our product, its value in urban and suburban spaces, and have the freedom to choose natural grass. So, the natural question to ask is, “If we could do all of this for 1/10th of one penny per square foot of sod, is that something that sod producers, landscapers, athletic field managers, golf course superintendents, and others could get behind?” Well, we’d like to think that what’s good for natural grass is good for those who manage it. A checkoff program for sod can actually generate enough funds to make an impact nationally and locally in places like Georgia to show consumers, city planners, and others the value of keeping green space a key part of urban and suburban life. By protecting and growing the market for natural grass, you also protect and grow the market for lawn care operators, sports field managers, golf course superintendents, and all of their supporting industries.
What’s next?
While we don’t know the exact timeline, we do know the process. There will be a 60-day public comment period opening soon in the U.S. Federal Register, followed by a review period, a notification of the vote, and then the voting period. If passed by a majority of sod producers, the industry would nominate producers to the board, seat the board, and then get off and running soon after.
Sod Farm Co.
Real Grass, Real Fast 12345 Grass Hwy - Anytown - USA Phone: (888) 555-1234 Fax: (888) 555-4321 Email: SodFarmCo@email.com www.SodFarmCo.com
Fax #
Invoice
Invoice #: 00056031
Bill To: ABC Landscape 789 Yard Way Metropolis, US 12345 Ship To: ABC Landscape 456 City Ct
Andrea SALESPERSON PO # SHIP VIA Happy Town, US 12345 TERMS DATE Qty 6,300 9 1 6,300 Item No 6060 5090 7020 1500 Roger Description KBG Sod, P/U, W, Tier 1 Pallet Deposit Base Delivery, W Sod Checkoff C.O.D. Price $0.235 $15.00 $350.00 $0.001 Unit Sq Ft Each sq ft 5/12/2022 Extended $1,480.50 $135.00 $350.00 $6.30 Tx X X
** If payment is not made by due date, a 2% service change will be added to the unpaid balance - retroactive to the date of invoice. Carrier assumes all liabilities during transport and delivery. Not responsible for accidents to sidewalks, driveways, etc. Purchaser acknowledges sod is perishable even under the best of conditions and particularly perishable in hot weather or when the purcahser does not immediately install and water sod. If the sod is defective, purchaser agrees to immediately contact Sod Farm Co. to notify of the defect. If purchaser makes a payment with a check that is dishonored for any reason, purchaser acknowledges they shall reimburse Sod Farm Co.'s attorney fees, including litigation, administrative costs and expenses, related to Sod Farm Co.'s efforts to collect on the check. SOD IS PERISHABLE - MUST BE INSTALLED SAME DAY
Thank you!
Returned checks will be subject to a $30.00 service charge.
Sale Amount
Sales Tax
Total Amount
Paid Today $1,971.80
$109.83
$2,081.63
$0.00
BALANCE DUE $2,081.63
Figure 1. Sample invoice including Sod Checkoff assessment.
If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest information on the proposed sod checkoff program, sign up for notifications, or read the proposal in its entirety, please visit:
