MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON
DAN JOHNSON Groundskeeper
Quabbin Regional School District Barre, Massachusetts
Where did you go to school? What was your major? I went to Stockbridge School of Agriculture and majored in Landscape Contracting. After completing my associates degree, I received my bachelor’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences within the University of Massachusetts. How did you get your start in the sports turf industry? After spending 18 years in the nursery industry, I decided to change my career path and began my next step by accepting a Grounds/Athletic position at Northfield Mount Hermon in Gill, MA. This is where I gained a lot of my knowledge in turf management, athletic field setup and grounds maintenance. Where did you go from there? Since Northfield Mount Hermon I accepted a position at Quabbin Regional Middle/High School. It is here that I brought my previous work experiences to maintain 30 acres of grounds and athletic fields. We maintain two baseball fields, two softball fields, four soccer fields, two field hockey fields, a football field, track, and a cross country course as well as the landscape.
12 • New England BLADE • Spring 2024
Who helped you the most when you first started out in the sports turf industry? A few people have helped me out tremendously in the turf field positions. Mike Henderson was the Assistant Director of Grounds at Northfield Mount Hermon when I began my career there. He introduced me to a lot of turf maintenance techniques, field setup guidelines as well as many other experiences. Since working at QRSD I have met others that have helped me along the way. One of which is Scott Mackintosh from Atlantic Golf and Turf. He has been a wealth of knowledge in our fertilizer and seed needs and is always a great person to talk and ask questions regarding the turf. What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? Some of the best advice that I have received is to take pride in your work. Do the best you can and the results will show when you are done. After a long day at work, it is always rewarding when practices or games begin, and the fields are full of athletes.
