President's Message

How about this weather?

In my career in sports field management, I had never experienced the weather ups and downs we have had this summer. Extreme heat, torrential rain and flooding, tornadoes – and we got off easy compared with other parts of the country.

We are experiencing changes in our climate. As turf professionals with a wide range of experience and expertise, we need to help our stakeholders manage what’s ahead. “No Mow May,” pesticide bans, noise and gas emission regulations, and synthetic turf restrictions throughout the region are a threat to the way we maintain our facilities. They are also an opportunity for us to put science, technology, and our knowledge to work in our communities.

It is time for us to adapt and adjust our perspective. Fraise mowing, sustainable practices, and battery powered equipment are the tip of the environmental protection iceberg.

Turf has a target on its back, and it is up to us to educate our constituents about the environmental benefits of natural grass fields. We need to demonstrate best practices in turf management and communicate how we are implementing these sciencebased strategies into our individual programs.

New England’s land grant university turfgrass faculty are a tremendous resource for current research and recommendations. I learned a lot at UMass’ Turf Research Field Day this summer and I’ve put what I learned into practice. I encourage you to reach out to your local turf grass faculty and researchers. I guarantee they want to hear from you.

Chris McGinty

NESTMA President