Board Member Bruce Sheppard Places
Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
PLUS Taking a Team Approach to Leadership
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Wes Bray VTC President
VTC and VTC Environmental Institute have been doing many things that you may or may not know about.
We provide free initial training and recertification for Certified Pesticide Applicators and Registered Technicians who are members. That training is through our Webinars, Online Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification programs, Field days, Road Shows, Come to the Bay Conference and Short Course. We will travel to your place of choosing and provide on-site recertification for all employees at no cost if you are a Platinum Member.
We communicate through timely e-mail blasts that inform members of important events, legislative updates, industry issues (for example, a recent email blast warned to be on the lookout for fall armyworms because they had been spotted in Virginia), and our bi-monthly Journal.
We maintain good working relations with VDACS and other regulatory agencies. When occasional concerns for compliance issues or glitches occur, we help members to attain as favorable an outcome as possible. When regulations or policies affecting member business operations appear, we closely monitor them and offer feedback from the industry perspective.
We educate members of Virginia’s General Assembly through our outreach programs with our annual free grass seed and native flower seed distribution (made possible by generous sponsors and volunteers) to senators, delegates, aides, and staff. The outreach efforts include our willingness to work with any of the above to strengthen the Lawn, Landscape, and other associated industries. We remind our Legislators of our industry’s importance both as an economic concern and protector of the environment.
We maintain good relations with the Virginia Agribusiness Council. Because of a very generous sponsor we were the official Reception Sponsor at the Annual Agribusiness Council Gala this past January. With our presence we were able to elevate the importance of our industry.
We are becoming well known for our VTC Environmental Institute’s Service Projects. In addition to projects in the eastern part of the state, we are starting to spread state wide. For example, one Service Project was completed in Petersburg and we have an upcoming one in Prince Willam County. This January we will be at Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia Beach headquarters and the City of Virginia Beach’s Pleasure House Point. This January we will plant more American Beach grass and perform biannual maintenance on the bio-swale we installed two years ago. We build meaningful partnerships with each project and much good will for our industry.
We know how much you appreciate what we do from the positive feedback you provide. Thank You!
We need your help! We can only do the above because of volunteer and sponsor efforts. We need you to contact us and let us know what committee you can strengthen. We know time is precious so maybe a sponsorship will show your support. Please contact us to let us know how you can help.
Wes Bray
VTC President
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
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Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200
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VTC OFFICERS
President
Wes Bray Lawns & Gardens Plus (757) 422-2117
Vice President
Harris Wheeler, CTP
Richmond Public Schools (retired) (804) 475-4561
Secretary / Treasurer
Ray Funkhouser
PBI Gordon (retired)
Past President
Phil Bailey, CGCS
Isle of Wight County Parks & Recreation (757) 572-1981
VTC DIRECTORS
Sam Burris
Jack Findling
Richard Linsday
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.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004
VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION
Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058
TheTom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Hampton Roads Agriculture Research and Extension Center (HR-AREC) needs a dedicated PhD Turf Specialist to research needs of industry members who grow, install and maintain warm season grasses.
As recently as 2000, warm-season turfgrasses such as Saint Augustine, Seashore Paspalum, Centipedegrass, and many cultivars of Bermudagrass were rare in Virginia – they were relegated to our southern neighbors. Now, these plants are regularly grown in Eastern Virginia.
We need robust research to guide us in establishing policy that will mitigate the urban heat island effect, something that turfgrasses are uniquely positioned to do. Additionally, turfgrasses are nature’s filtration device, removing all manner of natural and man-made pollutants from the environment and incorporating those elements into their tissue in a process known as bioremediation.
For the State of Virginia, our challenge is to foster a program that incorporates the warm-season turfgrasses; plants that are not hardy enough to withstand the cold winters of much of Virginia. With the addition of a Ph.D. level position at Hampton Roads, the turfgrass program at Virginia Tech will continue to expand and serve our state.
The need for such a position is highlighted by industry leaders choosing to send their children to southern universities because of the strength of those institutions in warm-season turfgrass. One such leader is the owner of an expanding business that currently has 85 employees and services over 17,180 lawns. He is willing to pay out-of-state tuition because his son needs to focus on warmseason turfgrass.
On Thursday, July 11, Wes Bray, Harris Wheeler, Craig Zeigler, and Tom Tracy (VTC President, Vice President, Board Member, and Executive Director, respectively) traveled to Blacksburg to meet with Virginia Tech officials regarding ways of meeting the industry need for increased research on warm-season turfgrasses. They met with Virginia Tech researchers Mike Goatley, David McCall and several administrators.
We presented letters expressing the need for additional research from
• National Association of Landscape Professionals,
• Virginia Agribusiness Council,
• Virginia Sports Field Management Association,
• Agronomic Lawn Management, and from the
• VTC Environmental Institute.
Several promising paths towards a solution were discussed. It is too early to mention details but we will keep you posted.
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Virginia Tech Turf Team
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu
Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech
Hampton Roads
Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu
Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D. 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
Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9775 dsandor@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
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 © 2024 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
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.)
eck Stanley has joined VTC as its contract lobbyist. Stanley leads Rural Results Public Affairs, where he specializes in matters involving VDACS. He spent four years lobbying for the Virginia Agribusiness Council. Prior to lobbying, he managed more than two dozen winning political campaigns and now teaches a course on lobbying and political influence at the University of Richmond. At the age of 16, he co-owned and operated a landscaping company in his hometown, later working on the grounds crew at Bedford Country Club. He can be reached via cell at 540871-9001.
By Bob Mann Senior Director of Technical & Regulatory Affairs National Association of Landscape Professionals
August 20th, over forty scientists with both the Office of Pesticide Programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service attended the annual field day event hosted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The event began at the Manassas, Virginia branch office of Virginia Green Lawn Care where staff there demonstrated a state-of-the-art pesticide mixing and filling system. After a lively question and answer session, the group reboarded the bus and traveled to Marshall, Virginia for lawn care demonstrations at the Northern Fauquier Community Park. Presentations there included an explanation of personal protective equipment, basic lawn care equipment, and calibration exercises. The focus then turned to field demonstrations of liquid and granular application equipment including a Chemlawn gun and a ride-on applicator. Finally, the attendees were treated to a demonstration of emerging GPS technology that is able to gather very precise data on quantity and location of pesticide applications. Tremendous thanks go to NALP members that participated in the event including Virginia Green, Weed Man, TruGreen, King Green, SteelGreen and Optix Technology.
How? We use a virtual format with synchronous and asynchronous training in turfgrass management through Virginia Tech’s web-based learning management system, Canvas. We also provide you access to a 200+ page training manual for study. But the most important thing we provide is your access to all members of the VT Turf Team and industry leaders from all segments of the turf industry.
What? VT-STEM offers 13 weeks of training in the principles of turfgrass management delivered by each member of the VT Turf Team and industry guests.
When? School opens online on Nov 4, 2024 and continues with 13 weekly updates of new material, lasting until midFebruary, 2025.
Where? All training and testing is done on-line within the week on your schedule; weekly Zoom meetings to review material, quizzes, and meet with VT Faculty/Staff and industry guests takes place from 7–9 p.m. eastern on Wednesday nights (all are recorded for later viewing when necessary). Why? Increase one’s knowledge, professionalism, and ability to grow in their jobs in the turfgrass industry. Through the school’s first four years, 236 students (primarily from the mid-Atlantic, but 10 other states and Puerto Rico are represented) have participated in VT-STEM. An additional bonus opportunity with your registration: all students that complete VTSTEM requirements are eligible to sit for the Virginia Cooperative Extension Certified Turfgrass Professional exams that are offered online until March 31, 2025 (there is no additional charge to enroll in the CTP program for successful VT-STEM students). To date, over 120 students have demonstrated their mastery of the subject by becoming a CTP.
Price? $600. (Discounts for Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, first responders, veterans, school teachers - check with us regarding your eligibility!)
Questions or more info? Contact Mike Goatley (goatley@vt.edu), Dan Sandor (dsandor@vt.edu) or Whitnee Askew (waskew@vt.edu). Registration is open through Nov 18, 2024 at https://tinyurl. com/VT-Turfgrass-School
Virginia Turfgrass Council – Environmental Institute is a 501(c)(3) Corporation focused on building a bridge between the Green Industry and Environmental groups.
With YOUR support, VTC-EI can continue in its work in service projects, legislative advocacy and building goodwill.
To learn more about VTC-EI and to get involved, please contact us at virginiaturf@gmail.com
On July 15th, longtime VTC member and industry advocate Bruce Sheppard laid the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This honor was part of the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ participation in the 28th Renewal and Remembrance event. NALP volunteers showed their dedication and appreciation for our veterans through service, and VTC is proud to support these individuals and the industry they represent so well.
corching temperatures did not daunt over 400 volunteers participating in the 28th Renewal and Remembrance event, presented by NALP and powered by Stanley Black & Decker, on July 15, 2024.
“This profession works in any condition, and they’ve more than proven it today,” says Britt Wood, CEO of NALP. “We’re going to have temperatures that are going to reach nearly 100 degrees, and it’s going to feel like 115. It’s just incredibly impressive that all these folks are willing to do it. No one is complaining. No one even batted an eye when we talked about that. That’s pretty impressive.”
This year’s event featured various projects at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial (AVDLM) and Arlington National Cemetery (ANC).
Volunteers installed 13,000 plants at AVDLM. The plants included mondo grass, Lenten rose, blue switchgrass, lily turf, white creeping mazus, ‘Blue Zinger’ sedge, Virginia bluebells, and 12 8’ – 10’ holly trees.
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Matthew Morrison with the National Park Service says the impact of the project at the AVDLM is tremendous.
“Introducing all these plants just gives a nice calming effect to the human psyche,” Morrison says. “To take some time to walk through these facilities and they’re beautifully landscaped is just a wonderful experience.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of AVDLM, a space where a grateful nation can appreciate their veterans. Filled with ginkgo and cypress trees, the memorial provides a place of respite that combines strength with vulnerability.
President-elect Pam Dooley stressed to attendees that they should be present as they planted and think about those who sacrificed and their stories, which were shared on the glass walls.
Meanwhile, at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), projects included applying lime, mulching tree rings, adding lightning protection to trees and various irrigation and hardscape projects.
Don Irby, a general manager with TruGreen, based in Memphis, Tennessee, says they’ve helped out at ANC in the past, but it was cool getting to help with installing the holly trees.
“This is going to provide some shade and a quiet area from the traffic noise in this new section here,” Irby says. “As they were talking about earlier this morning, it’s just a place where you can come and enjoy some peace and quiet away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. It just beautifies this area, so it’s nice to have this area for the disabled veterans.”
First-time attendee and Air Force veteran John Murphy, professional development manager for Stanley Black & Decker, says he hadn’t been to the cemetery since he was a young kid.
“I deployed and did my part, but here I stand, full body and other folks aren’t as lucky and obviously some don’t make it back,” Murphy says. “So being here now, it certainly resonates with me a lot deeper in my heart. It’s a small little token, giving something back in a way, but it’s certainly near and dear to my heart. I was happy when they said we would come here and do this.”
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Murphy helped with lime applications while another first-time attendee Nathan Boczon, market director of lawn operations for Green Lawn Fertilizing, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, applied mulch and installed hardscaping.
“Just every little thing that makes it more and more beautiful, whether it’s family members that come to see past relatives or people flying in from other countries to visit this great cemetery, every little thing that we do to make it a little bit more beautiful just helps in every way,” Boczon says.
Brandon Sheppard, president of NALP, keeps coming back to Renewal and Remembrance because of the personal impact he gets from participation. His family has been participating in the event close to its inception.
“I view it as part of our civic responsibility,” Sheppard says. “Much like voting and picking up litter and part of being a responsible citizen. Understanding that all the gifts we have, being Americans aren’t just a birthright, they’re an obligation.”
Sheppard says Renewal & Remembrance is an opportunity to show respect and the ways landscape professionals care for the environment.
“We have people literally digging ditches with pickaxes today in 100-degree heat with smiles on their faces because this is work they want to do,” Sheppard says.
The overwhelming sentiment from the volunteers was what a great experience the event is and they do it as a way to say thanks.
“You really don’t have to say any more than just what our veterans have done for us,” Irby says.
“Digging those holes, it’s hot. It’s 100 degrees. It’s hard. It pales in comparison to what they went through and the struggles and the loss that they suffered. To give back to them, it’s our privilege and honor.”
Thank you to our Elite partners – Aspire, Caterpillar, Stanley Black & Decker, and STIHL – as well as our additional partners who help support this event!
This article and photos were originally published by NALP at landscapeprofessionals.org and are reprinted with permission.
By Jay McCurdy Ph.D., Associate Professor, Turfgrass Extension Specialist Department of Plant & Soil Sciences
Mississippi State University
In part one “Origins of Turfgrass,” we delved into the history and roots of turfgrass. Here we explore turf’s march towards modernity by focusing on the game of golf.
popularity of lawns, the ability to maintain turf, and turfgrass in general, are all interlinked with the game of golf. Golf courses comprise less than 3% of maintained U.S. turf, yet the turfgrass industry is heavily impacted by the technology and agronomics that make the game possible. Golf’s origins are unclear and debatable. The earliest mention of colf (dutch for club) was in 1261. In 1297 Utrecht (modern day Netherlands), there’s mention of the colf or kolf used to play a ball sport.
Golf was banned at various points throughout its history: in 1360 the Council of Brussels banned the game under penalty of 20 shillings (or confiscation of one’s overcoat); in 1457 King James II prohibited golf due to distraction from archery practice; in 1471 and 1491 it was banned in Scotland because it was said to be an “unprofitable sport”; it was banned again in 1490s
by King James IV; and in 1592 it was prohibited on the Sabbath in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Modern golf’s 18-hole format originated in Scotland, and most consider that country’s landscape and culture to be formative to the role of turfgrass on modern golf courses. The oldest sanctioning golf club is disputed—either the Royal Burgess Golfing Society (1735) or the Honourable Company of Edinburgh (records dating to 1744; originally played at the Leigh Links near Edinburgh and now hosted by Muirfield). The “Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf,” the oldest surviving rules of the game, are dated 1744 and are preserved in the National Library of Scotland.
Scotland and the North Sea coast of Europe share similar landscapes and environments that have shaped the game of golf and turfgrass culture over the centuries. Their proximity to the sea
moderates temperature and assures ample and frequent moisture for the growth of common forage grass species. Those cool-season species thrive in this environment and have been shaped for millions of years by foraging livestock. Furthermore, the area’s linksland landscape (Photo 1) has harsh reliefs and rocky crags that are inviting to wallowing livestock seeking shelter and grazing. The seaside terrain is characterized by rolling hills of sand or links (via the Scottish or Northumbrian language from Old English “hlinc” which means “rising ground or ridge”). Away from the coast, the terrain remains pock-marked with the familiar “Kame and Kettle” topography that is mimicked by golf course architects the world over. These environments were shaped by glaciation—having been covered several times by ice over the last 500,000 years. These glacial landscapes are as dramatic as the Scottish Highlands and as placid as the moraine landscapes further south. These conditions were conducive to the original game of golf—played by shep-
herds and yeoman farmers with their crooks while tending their livestock. In fact, the “bunkers” that have evolved into common penal features of most modern courses originated in these sandy landscapes.
The earliest golf course architects highlighted the natural beauty of the game’s home at new locations, and the game (and the grasses) spread. The game of golf had evolved from a yeoman’s sport to one for the wealthy who could afford custom equipment.
Allan Robertson (1815-1859) (Photo 2) is widely considered one of the earliest influential golf course architects and greens keepers. He was also the period’s renowned ball and club maker and oversaw course renovations and general supervision of the St. Andrews Links as well as the 10-hole course that eventually became Carnoustie.
His protégé Thomas Mitchell Morris (Old Tom Morris) assisted Robertson in his shop, and they played as a pair with great success. Robertson ultimately fired him after Morris beat him using the gutta ball, a competitor to Robertson’s featherie ball, and a superior piece of equipment that soon replaced other alternatives. Morris became greens keeper at Preswick in 1851 and returned to St. Andrews in 1865. He mentored the likes of C.B. Macdonald, Donald Ross, and A.W. Tillinghast. He is credited with more than 60 course designs and remodels throughout the British Isles. He was an early advocate for frequent sand top-dressing to improve playing conditions of greens.
In the late 19th century, golf began to spread worldwide. Golf course architecture and greens keeping became popularized as professions/careers. Renowned Scottish Architects Harry S. Colt, Willie Park Jr., and W.H. Fowler moved to the United States. The Chicago Golf Club opened in 1892. Architect C.B. Macdonald, famous for National Golf Links of America (1911), coined the term “Golf Course Architect.” In 1913, Francis Ouimet won the U.S. Open sparking a golf boom in America.
He is considered by many to be the father of amateur golf in the U.S.
In the 1920s, the rapid growth of the game led to more than a thousand new courses. Prominent architects included A.W. Tillinghast (Bethpage State Park), Donald Ross (Pinehurst), William Flynn (Merion), and Alister Mackenzie (Augusta National). Between 1930 and 1950, golf’s growth in popularity slowed tremendously due to the Great Depression and World War II.
Tremendous post war expansion and an exodus of intercity middle-class fueled the growth of suburbs and accompanying amenities, including golf courses, but also parks and community green space. This was the era of “free-way” style golf courses, characterized by straight forward golf game rather than strategy and risk. This simplistic design commodified the game for the masses and led to a great golf-boom.
Expansion slowed in the 70s and 80s due to oil shortages and economic contraction. In the 90s and early 2000s, there was tremendous growth of the industry sparked by economic growth and
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the peak golfing age of baby-boomers. The game of golf, and the diverse industry surrounding it, has waxed and waned due to the prominence of professional golfers, the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. A post-pandemic golf boom has most recently strengthened the industry around the world.
Throughout its history, golf course architecture and maintenance has pushed the bounds of technology necessary for cultivation of turfgrass in some of the harshest environments on the planet. Equipment spawned for the manufacturing of textiles (principally, the modern reel mower, Photo 3) quickly became available for golf course maintenance—first drawn by horses or pushed by man, but then mechanized with early combustion engines. Modern, high-maintenance golf courses would be almost unrecognizable to the earliest golfers, but the game remains reliant upon the people that design, build, and maintain the turfgrass playing surface.
This article was originally published in Mississippi Turfgrass, Winter 2023 and is reprinted with permission.
By Neal Glatt, CSP, ASM
Are you feeling tired lately? Perhaps the thought of another season just seems to weigh heavier this year than the past few years? It’s a common feeling right now. With all the pressures we must face as sport field managers, from the weather to the economy to the job market to the supply chain, it seems like change is the only constant in a world that is becoming more uncertain every day. Fortunately, we don’t have to navigate it alone.
This feeling of being depleted or exhausted often arises from workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. For leaders, the issue isn’t necessarily that there is too much workplace stress, but rather that they often try to manage all the stresses themselves. It’s almost like the more they try to do, the worse the problem gets.
Some leaders have said, “It’s lonely at the top.” This sentiment is a self-created mistake, and certainly not the best way to lead. Great leaders understand that by building real connections with their people, they foster trust, loyalty, and development that helps the whole organization thrive in difficult situations. They create a team environment where everyone can say that they have a “best friend at work” and engagement peaks.
When a whole team is united and shares a common set of values by which to make decisions, it becomes much easier for leaders to trust others with leadership initiatives. Instead of driving each change, process, or idea themselves, leaders can feel free to allow other team members drive initiatives. Sharing the load allows everyone to better manage the workplace stress and work can become enjoyable again.
What’s more, the best leaders will recognize the individual strengths that their team members contribute and often discover that delegating responsibility for driving initiatives doesn’t only free up time and energy but has the potential to deliver better results as well. There are usually only a few things that we can do great in life, so partnering with those who have complementary talents allows our teams to reach new heights with a better range of competencies.
Have you allowed those around you to realize their potential by driving important initiatives? Or are you still trying to muster the energy to shoulder the entire load yourself? Let’s make this season our best yet by empowering those around us to shine and become refreshed by working as a member of a true team.
