Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
September/October 2019
All for One: Fostering Cooperation Across the Turf Industry Plus, Highlights from Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Field Day
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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | September/October 2019
18
20
24
16 Upcoming Event Save the Date for Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo
Departments
18 Recent Event Highlights from Virginia Tech Blacksburg Field Day
8 Director’s Corner
20 Cover Story
All for One: Fostering Cooperation Across the Turf Industry
6 President’s Message
from Scott Woodward
from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.
8 Virginia Tech Turf Team 10 Editor’s Perspective
Mark Vaughn, CGCS
11 Index of Advertisers 12 VTF Report
from Brandyn Baty
24 Feature Article Virginia Tech Turf Team Expands Efforts in Youth Recruitment and Engagement in Turfgrass Science
4 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
14 VTC Membership Benefits and Application
30 Turfgrass Calendar
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President’s Message Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net
Collaboration Scott Woodward 2019 President Greetings Members, A group of VTC members and I recently attended a workshop and met with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, to provide recommendations to the Businesses for the Bay (B4B) Steering Committee to help them broaden that program. We were hosted by David Gunnarson at Lockheed Martin in Manassas, Virginia. By working with B4B, our goal is to educate them and their members that properly maintained turfgrass is the best filter for the bay. We are trying to build relationships with all the “Save the Bay” groups to gain their trust so that they can understand that turfgrass is not a bad thing. Some additional reasons are as follows:
By working with B4B we can broaden VTC’s outreach to increase membership and reach more diverse businesses Impact VTC revenue by increasing membership Opens more doors to reach other “Save the Bay” groups
Our relationship with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is strong and we need to continue to collaborate with them as it benefits both parties. As we continue to educate them, they will understand all the benefits that turfgrass brings. Thank you,
Scott H. Woodward
President, Virginia Turfgrass Council
Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editor Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms (540) 727-0020 Vice President Michael Skelton Culpeper County (540) 727-3412 Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Secretary Phil Bailey, CGCS Virginia Green Lawn Care (757) 572-1981 Past President Rick Owens, CGCS Laurel Hill Golf Club (703) 674-6934 VTC DIRECTORS Wes Bray Scott Caskie Tony Montgomery David Smith T.J. Skirsky Craig Zeigler VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. Executive Director/ Director of PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 Virginia Turfgrass Foundation Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058
6 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
SEC TournamEnT Tough.
www.TheTurfgrassGroup.com
Virginia Tech Turf Team
Director’s Corner
“We Have A Great Team”
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-5807 saskew@vt.edu
Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D.
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
“T
hank you, but we have a great team. I did nothing special,” said Jon Dickerson, Research Specialist at Virginia Tech. Jon’s immediate response to my praise for his efforts at the Field Day clearly demonstrates a foundation of collaboration. He acknowledged his own contribution but quickly shifted focus to the team and to the multiple inputs that enabled the event to succeed. I am convinced Jon’s response was not unique. I am sure the same would be said by Whitnee Askew and Kevin Hensler, two other members of the Turf Team that do so much work behind the scenes. Any member of the team would have given the same answer. The Virginia Tech Turf Team consists of individuals from several areas of expertise who choose to work together. Do they all like each other? I don’t know. But I do know they join forces to accomplish great goals, and they did this long before the formation of the new School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. I also know I have never heard them speak disparagingly about other members of the team. Over the years, I have interacted with many companies and institutions. The Virginia Tech Turf Team’s collaboration is unique and serves as a model for us to follow. Collaboration is essential in these times of anti-green industry bias. Once again, our industry is under attack. Several bills were introduced at the 2019 General Assembly session that, if passed, would have adversely affected your ability to conduct business. For instance, House Bill 2023 sought to give each and every city and county in Virginia the authority to “limit the amount and number of applications of fertilizer.” What is the possibility of a similar piece of legislation being introduced next year? A person in the know told me, “The possibility is about 100%.” Several of us worked behind the scenes over the past few months to prepare for the expected legislative onslaught. We reformed the legislative committee and met with delegates and key decision makers. Now we are preparing for fall visits and for a January Legislative Day. Our chances for success increase dramatically as long as our attitude is the same as Jon Dickerson’s. As Benjamin Franklin said, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3912 jderr@vt.edu
Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D.
Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-2951 goatley@vt.edu
David McCall, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu
With Support from: Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-6129 tkuhar@vt.edu
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Editor’s Perspective
A Little Help from our Friends
T
his is the most extreme weather ever! The world is coming apart at the seams. I’ve never seen this country more divided… and other pontifications. Or the opposite take: golfers (or fill in the blank with your favorite entertainment/entertainer) and folks of today are SO much better than those of years past. REALLY?! One of the blessings/curses of getting older is the road behind you is longer than the road in front. So if you take the time to stop and think, or cheat and Google up some facts, you may find that it ain’t necessarily so. Or, if you lived through a year like 1969 and just happen to be approaching a big anniversary year, 50 years later, you get these great prompts to drift back to the Age of Aquarius (like I said, Google it, whippersnappers). So let’s wipe our 2019 minds and hop in the tie-dyed VTC time machine. Whew… glad we get a break from that crazy summer weather of 2019. Let’s open the hatch and see how it feels on August 19, 1969. Yep, just as I suspected — it’s a nice cool summer evening in Nelson County. Those folks had it MADE back then. Does look a little like rain though. Somebody said something about the remnants of a nasty hurricane that hit the gulf coast a couple of days ago. (For the rest of the story: https://www.washingtonpost. com/weather/2019/08/19/virginias-deadliest-naturaldisaster-unfolded-years-ago-hurricane-camille/) Man! Glad the time machine turns into a hydroplane. Hey, this place looks familiar. Looks like we ended up on the mall in D.C. It’s cold and gray outside — we must have skipped into November. The half a million folks around us don’t look too happy either. They’re holding banners and yelling something about a war and stopping the killing of thousands of Americans and Vietnamese. Some of them are still reeling from the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy last year. Let’s hope the Molotov cocktails don’t come out this time. Hey, I thought this was the generation of peace and love. Flip that switch and get me to a safer place. Now this is more like it! A dairy farm in Upstate New York is a perfect place to chill. Apparently about 400,000 other folks feel the same way. I don’t know about this music though. Some group called The Who. I guess they’re okay,
Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor
but I sure miss the Jonas Brothers. One thing is for certain, they won’t be playing WHO music 50 years from now. Oh no, it’s starting to rain! This isn’t gonna be good. Put the pedal down and get us out of here! That was close. You knew with all that mud, lack of food and water, and no shelter it was gonna get ugly. Wait — you mean people actually remained calm and shared what they had? Nobody shot anybody? It looks like the calendar has flipped to September 20 and we’re across the pond at some golf club. A sizeable gallery is around; let’s see if we can get some information. “Pardon me sir, I’m from the future. Can you tell me where we are and what’s going on?” With a puzzled look he exclaims “well Sir, you’re at Royal Birkdale and this is the final round of the Ryder Cup.” Ah… time to kick some Euro butt. We HATE those guys, don’t we? Look, there’s a young Jack Nicklaus playing with some pint sized Brit. Looks like the entire Ryder Cup has come down to this. If Nicklaus makes his seven-footer and this other guy misses, the Cup is ours once again. Jack drains it! Now miss that three -footer little guy! Wait a minute, Jack just picked up his mark and put his arm around the little fella. What — a tie? You’ve got to be kidding me! This is not how sports work. Get me outta here! Finally, back to 2019. So is it better or worse? Yes and yes. You know maybe the August heat and drought wasn’t so bad after all. And the folks I see out and about aren’t really at each other’s throats. Jack Nicklaus could really pound a golf ball with inferior equipment, but even more, he was a gentleman — win or lose. And yes, bad things happen daily, but when you think that 330 million of us share this land from sea to shining sea I’d say the percentages are really low. Maybe we should turn down the TV and social media a notch or two. Think a little more about what this industry has done so well for years, and what this issue of the VTC Journal is all about — cooperation. Or in the words of a fairly well known musical group (who happened to perform their last live gig from a London rooftop 50 years ago), get by With a Little Help From Our Friends.
Mark Vaughn
10 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Index of Advertisers Agronomic Lawn Management.................. 30 www.FertilizerWithALM.com Alliance Material Handling, Inc................. 19 www.alliancemat.com Beam Clay..................................................... 11 www.BEAMCLAY.com • www.PARTAC.com Buy Sod, Inc......................Inside Front Cover www.buysod.com Carolina Green Corp................................... 30 www.cgcfields.com Central Sod Farms of Maryland, Inc.......... 13 www.centralsodmd.com Chesapeake Valley Seed.............................. 17 www.chesapeakevalleyseed.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm.............................. 19 www.collinswharfsod.com CoverSports USA......................................... 17 www.coversports.com Daniel Sod Farms......................................... 30 www.danielsodfarm.com Harmon Turf Services, Inc.......................... 29 www.harmonturfservices.com Harrell’s LLC................................................. 5 www.harrells.com Leading Edge Communications................. 29 www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com Luck Ecosystems............................................ 3 www.luckstone.com McGill Premium Compost.......................... 30 www.mcgillsoilbuilder.com Mid-Atlantic STIHL....................................... 9 www.stihldealers.com Modern Turf, Inc......................................... 11 www.modernturf.com PBI Gordon Corporation............................ 27 www.pbigordon.com ProEdge........................................................ 25 www.proedgesprayer.com Progressive Turf Equipment Inc................. 14 www.progressiveturfequip.com Revels Tractor Co. Inc.......Inside Back Cover www.revelstractor.com Smith Seed Services..................................... 11 www.smithseed.com Smith Turf & Irrigation................ Back Cover www.smithturf.com
800-247-BEAM www.BEAMCLAY.com
The Cutting Edge of VA.............................. 13 www.tce-va.com The Turfgrass Group..................................... 7 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Virginia Sand & Stone................................. 13 www.virginiasand.com Weed Man.................................................... 30 www.weedmanfranchise.com
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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
| 11
VTF Report
Cooperation Between Us All As
the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation (VTF) celebrates 30 years of supporting turfgrass research, we celebrate the many organizations and the cooperation between us all. Our current Board of Directors represents a diverse group of professionals in the industry; Golf, Grounds, Athletics, Commercial & Residential Development and Environmental. This team of professionals encourages cooperation throughout the area. Each year the VTF board meets with the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Team to understand and support their annual research proposal needs. After this meeting the VT Turfgrass Team submits the selected research projects to the Virginia Agriculture Council. At this time, the VTF encourages the approval of funding by endorsing their specific projects presented. This teamwork has led to having the funds necessary for research to move forward within Virginia Tech while supporting the industry. Our relationships with the industry associations continue to remain strong. For example, the Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) and Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association (VGCSA) have been our biggest supporters by organizing and coordinating an annual golf tournament with Virginia Tech’s Turfgrass Team. This by far has been our biggest fundraiser each year! The collaboration between these organizations has given the VTF consistent exposure to the industry and has contributed to the success our fundraising efforts. Overall, cooperating with everyone involved in the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation has led to many amazing relationships being formed within the industry. The need for turfgrass research is important to us all and working together has proven to be successful. We have raised over
Brandyn Baty VTF Manager
$2M to support research and started an endowment in 2008 to ensure we fund research for many years to come. Promoting the need for turfgrass research has been our focus since 1989 and we still remain focused in this area. We are growing in many ways; 2019 brings us a new website, new look, new tagline and new energy! We look forward to our future and the continued cooperation that supports turfgrass research throughout Virginia. Be on the lookout for upcoming fundraising events the VTF will be bringing your way! For more information, contact us at (757) 585-3058.
Brandyn Baty VTF Manager
The VTF is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization and relies on the support of donations from generous organizations and people like you. All donations help our efforts to increase funding towards turfgrass research and is 100% tax deductible. EIN 54-1503158
12 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
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VTC Membership
Join the
Membership Benefits For ALL members include: ree pesticide recertification training at the one-day F regional seminars. ree Certified Fertilizer Applicator training at the MidF Atlantic Turfgrass Expo in January (M-A-T-E) and the Come to the Bay (February) and Come to the Valley (October) regional conferences. ree entry to the research tour of turfgrass studies in F June at the Hampton Roads AREC. ree subscription to our bi-monthly Virginia Turfgrass F Journal, offering research and industry updates. aluable assistance on state and local legislative and V bureaucratic issues. Do you know that every member of Virginia’s General Assembly receives our bi-monthly Virginia Turfgrass Journal? Several Delegates and Senators have said how much they appreciate being on our mailing list. Monthly email of job postings. Discounts to every one of our activities.
Today!
Join as a Group or as an Individual Individual Membership One Year — $85 Individual Membership Two Years — $150 Diamond Group Membership Benefits of Platinum Group Membership plus assist with our government relations activities. Minimum of $3,000 Platinum Group Membership Membership fee of $1,500 includes: 11 to 20 members. Send up to 50 of your employees to one of our Regional Pesticide Training Classes — AT NO COST. Year-round membership listing and link from VTC website. Fertilizer Certification Training or Pesticide Recertification Training (3A, 3B 60) at your site. Gold Group Membership Membership fee of $800 includes: 6 to 10 members Silver Group Membership Membership fee of $400 includes: 1 to 5 members
14 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Membership Application Complete this application form and —
OR Join/Renew online at
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• Mail it to the address at the bottom of this page. • Or fax it to 757-282-2693
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Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 • Phone: 757-464-1004 • Fax: 757-282-2693 Email: vaturf@verizon.net • Web: www.vaturf.org Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
| 15
Upcoming Event
Save the Date for M-A-T-E January 21 – 23, 2020
Fredericksburg Expo Center • Fredericksburg, Virginia Don’t miss Virginia Turfgrass Council’s biggest event of the year! Make plans to attend and take advantage of our exciting program, including: Education for all industry segments Pesticide and Fertilizer certification and recertification Networking Cornhole Tournament Vendors And More!
Presenting Sponsors
For more information, visit
www.turfconference.org 16 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
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Recent Event
VA Tech Turfgrass Research Field Day August 20 • Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA
18 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
The
Turfgrass Field Day at Virginia Tech Blacksburg, this year sponsored by Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA), was an excellent event with good attendance and great industry support. With an average attendance of around 100 people, the Blacksburg Field Day is only one in a series of specialized Field Day events held by the Virginia Tech turf team; other events include a golf-centric field day held at Independence Golf Course, and the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center with long time TWCA Cooperator, Dr. Jeff Derr. Each year Dr. Mike Goatley hosts the annual Suds ‘n Spuds Mixer at his house the night prior to Field Day, and this year was no different. This year, as usual, the suds portion of the event was generously donated by Williams Brothers Tree & Lawn Service. Despite some uncooperative weather, the event was well attended and enjoyed by all. Registration and check-in were made easier by the breakfast donuts and beverages provided by Smith Turf and Irrigation. Special thanks to Virginia Turfgrass Council and their Executive Director, Tom Tracy, for all his support and assistance in putting on a great event. TWCA was proud to unveil the newest addition to the program; the Rainout Shelter on the Blacksburg campus with an introductory discussion about the TWCA program from Dr. John Stier, touching on the qualification process and scope of the trials. With over 30 acres of ground at the Turf Center, the Virginia Tech turf team can engage in lots of different projects including partnerships with industry evaluating chemical management regimes and evaluations of the cost effectiveness of the Stihl iMow robotic mower. Temperatures in the high seventies with high humidity made the water stations sponsored by NexGen Turf Research a much-needed refreshment. After a full and informative morning, the event took a lunch break at 11:30 am to enjoy sack lunches from Macado’s, sponsored by TWCA with lunch drinks sponsored by Brad Farmer and the Pennington Seed Pro Turf Team.
The event split into different tracks in the afternoon to accommodate different interests and earn pesticide and fertilizer recertifications for those seeking them. One group went to the Hahn Garden to learn about pruning techniques for sustainable landscapes and shade plants, while a second group went on a continued turf tour before getting a tour of Lane Stadium. The final group separated out to the
Washington St. Greenhouse Classroom to complete their Pesticide Recertification classes. Altogether, attendees and sponsors were able to raise over $4600 for Virginia Tech turfgrass research. Special thanks to the entire Virginia Tech turfgrass team, especially Jon Dickerson, Whitnee Askew, and Dr. Mike Goatley; your efforts made this event great! c Jack Karlin, TWCA
Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
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Cover Story
All for one:
Fostering cooperation across the turf industry A superintendent discusses collaborating with professionals in other sectors of turf management and offers steps fellow supers can take to promote a united front. By Logan Freeman, Mountain Branch Golf Club
W
The following story was originally published in the June 2019 issue of GCM and is reprinted with permission.
hile there is no debating that the turf industry has come under increased attacks from activist groups and one-sided legislation in the past few years, I believe there is a potentially dangerous gap in our defense. Though not often talked about, a lack of cohesion among the different professions within turfgrass management has left us isolated and separated. In the specific world of golf course management, we often discuss the importance of communication between the superintendent and golf shop staff, golfers, boards and committees. We also recognize the benefit of camaraderie and shared knowledge among golf course superintendents. Although the collaboration and community in golf is critical to the success of our work, the lack of communication and support across the various sectors of turfgrass management — golf, sports turf, home lawn care, university professionals, distributors, sales representatives — is rarely addressed. (Photo 1)
1
The origin of this divide is difficult to pinpoint. Perhaps we superintendents felt that cultivating this long-term supportive relationship would have taken too much time and effort away from our immediate day-to-day operations. Or maybe we just saw no value in immersing ourselves in its complexities. Whatever the history, this disconnect now seriously undermines the future of our industry as a whole.
An eye-opening gathering Like so many in our profession, I used to think that sports turf and lawn care just did their thing, and we as golf course turfgrass managers did ours. That’s the way it had always been and likely would remain. Then I went to a meeting for the formation of a local chapter of the Sports Turf Managers Association. This organic creation of the MidAtlantic STMA (https://mastma.org) opened my eyes to an entirely different approach to my profession. Of the hundred or so in attendance, I was the only golf course superintendent in the room. Yet instead of feeling alone and territorial, I felt a sense of connection and an appreciation for my presence. I also felt the support of what the people attending the meeting were trying to achieve. I discovered a side of turfgrass management I had never before experienced, and I formed bonds with local sports turf managers I likely never would have met had I not attended as a sign of support for the new organization. (Photo 2) Immediately following that meeting, I couldn’t stop wondering why the golf and sports sides of the industry were not more jointly associated. After all, we have far more commonalities than differences. We all manage turfgrass for its playability, in addition to juggling the management of people, budgets and the environment. Sales representatives are among those who bridge the gap between the different sectors of turfgrass management. Here, author Logan Freeman, superintendent at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Md., (right) and his assistant superintendent, Erik Dittmar (left), visit with Scott Orndorff, a sales representative from Landscape Supply Inc. Photos courtesy of Logan Freeman
20 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Forging relationships with fellow professionals in the various fields of turfgrass management — as Freeman (left) has with Nicole Sherry, head groundskeeper for the Baltimore Orioles — is a powerful piece of any effort to advance turfgrass managers’ collective interests.
2
I also began to question why lawn care and other sectors were not a part of this supportive mix. If we are looking to move the turfgrass industry forward and address all the adversity facing us, we must come together in support and appreciation. No matter our titles — golf course superintendent, head groundskeeper, lawn care provider, researcher, distributor — we all have a passion for this industry as well as a part to play in the narrative of its future.
The future of the turf industry Our industry is increasingly challenged. Part of this growing tension is positive, as ever-restrictive pesticide- and nutrient-management laws lead to innovation, ingenuity and leadership. The downside, however, is equally present, as lawmakers who view the turfgrass industry as an easy target issue uninformed, blanket statements with little regard for repercussions. Their caustic words and changing tactics frequently appear as attacks aimed at our methods and the products we use rather than as honest attempts at finding common ground and viable solutions. All too often, legislative bills are introduced at the last second to catch the turfgrass industry off guard. New legislation rarely comes directly on the national level; instead, legislation is brought forth at the county or township level. And while these restrictions are directed primarily toward a specific local aspect of turfgrass management — lawn care, sports turf, golf — the law is often expanded to other issues and geographical areas in subsequent years. This is where a united industry front becomes critical, because legislation that comes uninformed and with destructive intent stands a greater chance of gaining a foothold and becoming commonplace if we remain an isolated and separated body. Now is the time for us to become unified and vigilant.
How golf course superintendents can be part of the solution Each one of us must make the effort to reach out locally, regionally and statewide. Here are some next steps. Locally Find out who manages the sports fields in your area. Communicate with them and form a bond by helping each other. This also goes for lawn care providers, sod farmers and others who work with turfgrass in your community, as we are all potential partners.
Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
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Cover Story continued
A field of milkweed — which is monarch butterfly-friendly — at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Maryland.
3
Consider becoming involved in local outreach efforts such as the First Green (https://www.thefirstgreen.org) program, which effectively shows our commitment to area youth and extends past golf into sports turf and lawn care. Engaging young people about the turfgrass industry can help educate away fears or misconceptions they and/or their families might have. Proactively share with golfers, patrons, homeowners, legislators, educators and the general public the environmental benefits of golf course green space. Utilize programs such as Operation Pollinator (http://www.greencastonline. com/operationpollinator) and Monarchs in the Rough (https://monarchsintherough.org) to help you get started in providing habitat to benefit even the smallest of creatures. Simply reducing or eliminating inputs between fairways and in out-of-play areas provides habitat for a whole range of ecology. (Photo 3) Sports field managers and lawn care providers can recommend pollinator-friendly flowers and reduced-input options. Planters outside a stadium and single landscape beds at a home are small actions, but they often lead to educational opportunities and serve as conversation starters. Often, it seems people see our industries as a “silent spring,” adversely affecting the environment by constantly applying dangerous chemicals. The responsibility now falls on us to showcase our benefits and diversity of wildlife, and to educate those concerned.
Regionally At the formation meeting of the Mid-Atlantic STMA, I noticed the one common thread among all turfgrass groups: sales representatives/distributors. To me, therefore, it seems obvious that regional sales reps and distributors serve as the primary conduit through which industry information is initiated and exchanged throughout all sectors. University and private researchers are additional common threads that can help the profession coalesce. Chapter leaders should actively encourage joint functions among all the branches, whether the events are social or educational. Communication between different sectors and the leaders within them is crucial in the process. And if open lines of communication do not currently exist between the industry professionals in one’s area, an emphasis must be placed on improving and streamlining the exchange of information and mutual support. Statewide When legislation impacting our industry is misinformed or unnecessarily restricting, it is important that we take the time to educate our legislators regarding our products and their usage. An established method of any proactive body is the development of best management practices (BMPs). The creation/implementation of BMP documents is already proving to be a powerful tool in the defense of our industry.
22 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Simply reducing inputs in out-of-play areas helps provide habitat for creatures big and small. By working together, diverse branches of the turfgrass industry can facilitate the adoption of such environmentally conscious initiatives throughout the profession as a whole.
Cover Story continued
4
When our practices are called into question, a BMP manual can provide evidence that we take our profession and its effects on the environment seriously. (Photo 4) We are proud that Maryland was the first state to complete its BMP turfgrass manual (http://www.marylandgolfbmp. org), and we’re beginning to discover its benefit during legislative sessions. The BMP document is a positive first step in unifying the turfgrass industry here in Maryland, and we applaud GCSAA for its effort to encourage all states to follow our lead. Current and future challenges facing the turfgrass industry will require a multifaceted effort. Documentation like the BMPs, community outreach programs like First Green, and proactive communication with legislative officials, the public and all facets of the industry will serve vital roles in shaping the community’s understanding of our industry.
A unified front Rather than standing silent, segmented and unengaged, we must work as a fully functioning alliance of turfgrass professionals in order to address today’s challenges effectively. We must personally reach out to the different sectors within our own turfgrass communities, for we will engage more willingly if we have a friend or close colleague being affected by new legislation. Chapters, associations and councils from around the industry must reach out to each other and work as a unified group. For those of us in Maryland, the Maryland Turfgrass Council will serve as a catalyst for solidifying relationships among different turfgrass groups within the state, especially via events like joint turfgrass profession trade shows. National organizations such as GCSAA and STMA can help consolidate industry support through timely messaging via social and print media. Proactive and courageous leadership will be paramount. The true strength of an industry comes down to the passion, engagement and vision of the individuals who underwrite it. It has been my experience that turfgrass management is full of hardworking, dedicated and driven people. I believe that, with the right balance of camaraderie and shared knowledge, our industry will adapt and thrive despite the challenges that lie ahead. c
Logan Freeman is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Md., and a 10-year association member.
Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
| 23
Feature Story
Virginia Tech Turf Team Expands Efforts in
Youth Recruitment Engagement and
in Turfgrass Science
By Michael Goatley, Ph.D., Shawn Askew, Ph.D., David McCall, Ph.D., Tom Kuhar, Ph.D., and Sam Doak
D
uring the month of June, the VT Turf Team hosted two youth-oriented educational and outreach events on the campus of Virginia Tech. These events served as great opportunities for Virginia Tech to tout turfgrass science as a two- or four-year major and utilize our highest profile sporting venues in exposing dozens of young men and women to this industry and the opportunities for education, jobs, and careers in turfgrass and allied green industries.
93rd Annual Virginia State FFA Convention. The first event we hosted on June 18 was the inaugural FFA Career Development Event (CDE) for Turfgrass Science, an initiative that has been in development for several years, and thanks to FFA administration and the efforts of the VT Turfgrass Team, became a reality in 2019. The Turfgrass CDE is one of dozens of coordinated student contests held during the state FFA convention on campus, and instead of turfgrass being a small part of the annual Floriculture
FFA Students tour VT sports fields
24 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
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Feature Story continued
Turf and Pest ID quiz
contest, the subject area of Turfgrass Science had its own contest this year. Special thanks to VT Turfgrass Club Vice-President Tyler Morris and recent four-year graduate (and current MS Candidate) Emeline Daly for leading the development of the contest and to our industry sponsors that each contributed $650 in support of the awards and pins for all participants: the Virginia Turfgrass Council, the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Virginia Sod Growers Association, and the Virginia Sports Turf Managers Association (who donated $1000). This year’s contest hosted three high school teams from Atlee High School (Mechanicsville), Tunstall High School (Dry Fork), and Sherando (Winchester). The students participated in a general written turfgrass agronomic quiz to begin the day, transitioned to a 25-part identification quiz on turfgrasses and turf pests, and completed the contest with 12 ‘field problems’ designed to challenge their intuitive skills in problem solving in a variety of turfgrass issues. The half day event was hosted at Lane Stadium and the VT Track and Field Complex, and it would not have been nearly as successful without the support of our VT Athletics department colleagues that opened their facilities to us as unique testing venues for our participants. As first-time contest hosts we learned quite a bit ourselves regarding how to conduct the contest, as we were just as green as our contestants were in terms of what to expect with the exams and exercises! All segments were designed to be challenging, but we were particularly very pleased with the comments from our participants that regardless of the
difficulty of the tests, everyone eligible to participate in 2020 indicated they were definitely planning on representing their school again in 2020. The winning team for 2019 was Atlee High School, a multi-time winner of various high school field of the year awards from STMA (coached and taught by Certified Sports Field Manager Marc Moran). Tunstall High School finished second, and Sherando third. In the individual contest, Atlee’s Emmet “Trey” Wilkerson finished first, Tunstall’s Megan Pollock second, and Atlee’s Hunter McRay came in third. Atlee’s reputation preceded it as one of our state’s leading high school turf programs, so we very much appreciated Tunstall and Sherando for sending teams and sharing so much interest in the inaugural Turfgrass CDE as these schools do not have formal turfgrass programs at their schools (a big ‘shout out’ to Ms. Pollock in particular for her second place individual finish!) What are we hoping for in the future for the FFA CDE? Significant growth in teams competing in the contest for sure. Based on feedback from other school faculty that learned about the contest while at FFA Convention this year, we are already expecting 7 teams for the CDE in 2020. From a national perspective, there must be 18 state contests before National FFA offers a National Turfgrass CDE in Indianapolis, but we are well on our way toward that objective, and this initiative is being championed by representatives from both GCSAA and STMA, as well as various university academics. Beyond the formal CDE, perhaps our most successful part of the FFA State Convention in 2019 was an impromptu
26 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
Feature Story continued
‘turfgrass tour’ developed by Tyler Morris and Marc Moran for the opening day of FFA Convention; this spur of the moment educational opportunity brought over 100 students and teachers from FFA programs from all across Virginia together for a ‘turf training’ opportunity. It is our goal to formalize this event in 2020 and include our industry supporters in meeting and greeting with the students so that they can share more about job and career opportunities from their segments. 99th Virginia 4H Congress. The student members of the Virginia Tech Turf Team hosted 18 high school students from all across the state for a three-hour workshop entitled ‘Turfgrass STEMs’ on June 26, where they highlighted various aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in the management of turfgrass systems. Ph.D. candidates Caleb Henderson and Wendell Hutchens (Dr. McCall’s advisees), and VT undergrad and Baseball/Softball Field Manager Tyler Morris described and demonstrated the future of remote sensing in predictive turfgrass management strategies with a drone flight; discussed how GIS mapping and precision spraying are being used to combat Spring Dead Spot on bermudagrass fairways and athletic fields; and demonstrated a relatively inexpensive FLIR camera attachment for a smart phone that showed the students the visual effects of evapotranspirational cooling (by using an
infrared thermometer) of natural turf when compared to synthetic (85o F vs 126o F on this particular day!) MS candidate Emeline Daly (advised by Drs. Kuhar and McCall) gave the students hands-on training in the identification and management strategies of the major turf pest insects of Virginia using living, pinned specimens and specimens in vials. MS candidate Matthew Herrmann (Dr. Goatley advisee) detailed the unique modular field system of Worsham Field and the specialized cultural management programs employed in the management of such a coarse sand soil profile, and Ph.D. candidate John Brewer (Dr. Askew advisee) showed the students clumps of sulfonylurearesistant annual bluegrass and perennial ryegrass on Worsham Field and discussed the mechanisms of herbicide resistance within plants. As an industry, we already know that a big part of turfgrass management involves the management of stems, and as suspected, STEM is what turfgrass science and its management is all about. With the arrival of a new Collegiate Turfgrass Faculty member at Virginia Tech this fall and the continued support of all segments of the Virginia Turfgrass Industry and allied associations, the VT Turf Team feels that we are all poised for a surge in student interest in education, jobs, and careers in the turfgrass industry. Thank you for your current and future support of these efforts! c
Emeline Daly presents insect specimens
28 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2019 www.vaturf.org
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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
| 29
Calendar of Events
October 8 – 9
December 9 – 12
January 21 – 23, 2020
Come to the Valley
Turfgrass and Horticulture Short Courses
Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo
Frontier Culture Museum Staunton, VA
Belmont Recreation Center Henrico County
Fredericksburg Expo Center Fredericksburg, Virginia
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Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright ©2019 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to VTC, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Virginia Turfgrass Journal allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to VTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064-3394, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)
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