President’s Message
GROWTH AND LEARNING L
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
Michael Skelton VTC President
ife is finally getting back to some normalcy, although we may never get back to the life we all took for granted in 2019. One of the most notable and most hopeful situations is we can now get back together in person. This has put Dr. Tom Tracy in high gear making plans for in person VTC events. One event on June 24 was the 11th Annual HRAREC Field Day in conjunction with Virginia Tech. A critical part of the event was the education which included topics like preemergence and postemergence control of grasses, sedges and broadleaf weeds, drought tolerance in turfgrass and pollinator gardens, among many others. Also included was a much-needed pesticide recertification. As we move forward, the VTC will be working to ensure we meet our members’ needs for education and certifications. Please take time to visit our website vaturf.org and look under events to see upcoming events. One event on the immediate horizon is the “Blacksburg Turfgrass Field Day” being held August 30th and 31st. This is a great opportunity to get firsthand education from the Virginia Tech Turf Team and their grad students. The research is great, but we in the field must also be able to translate what they have discovered into what we can implement in our own environment. Therefore, meeting and talking to others in the industry is a critical part of the event. Your individual success and our strength as an industry depends on this attitude of growth and learning, so please take advantage of every opportunity the VTC offers. I would like to Congratulate Jon Dickerson being selected to fill Sam Doak’s position at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as the Instructor for the Agricultural Technology Program. This is exciting news; he is a special person who will add great value to the program and will be a draw for new students. We all are aware of his repair and maintenance skills on display at the Turfgrass Research Center and have enjoyed his soils course during the Virginia Tech Turf Short Course. Again, congratulations, and we know the Virginia turf industry will see a positive effect as your future students join the industry.
Mike Skelton VTC President
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
PUBLISHED BY Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com VTC OFFICERS President Michael Skelton (540) 718-4133 Vice President Phil Bailey, CGCS Isle of Wight County Parks & Recreation (757) 572-1981 Secretary / Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Past President Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms (540) 727-0020 VTC DIRECTORS Wes Bray Sam Burris Ray Funkhouser Tony Montgomery Bruce Sheppard T.J. Skirsky Craig Zeigler VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Cynthia Smith, Ph.D.
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 © 2021 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, Suite 200, 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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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058
