Table 1 - Current And Remaining Steps to a Proposed U.S. Sod Industry Research And Promotion Program, Aka Checkoff Steps Completed
Steps Remaining
Initial Discussions with USDA-AMS (2017-18) Met with American Farm Bureau (2019) Formation Committee (2020) Draft Proposal to USDA-AMS (2021) Updated Language to USDA-AMS (2022) Public Comment Period Opened (Oct 2023) Public Comment Period Closed (Dec 2023) Pending (Projected for April 2024) Announcement of next steps (TBD)
Results of Public Comment Period (2024) If Comment Results Positive, proceed to below: Notification of Voting Period (TBD) Notification of Voter Registration (TBD) Voting Period Opens (TBD) Voting Period Closes (TBD) Notification of Results (TBD)
If Voting Results Positive, proceed to below:
Board Member Nominations (TBD) Board Formed (TBD) Checkoff Begins (TBD)
Te majority of comments came from sod producers, but individuals in the golf, sports field, and landscape industries, along with associations such as GCSAA, SFMA, and NALP who represent them, also logged on to provide public comment. Tey recognize that their industries depend on our natural grass products, and anything we can do to promote natural grass will also be beneficial to those industries whose jobs depend on natural grass. Andrew Bray of NALP tells USDA “Te landscape industry is reliant on access to sod, but more importantly public misconceptions, outdated research and sod alternatives present tremendous challenges to the value of healthy green spaces throughout the U.S. As the primary purchasers of sod, the landscape industry accepts very minor fees associated with the checkoff program to benefit all the verticals within the green industry.”
While traveling recently, I had a sod producer ask me why anyone other than sod producers gets to provide public comments if they don’t get to vote, which of course is a fair question. If you are wondering that, too, the answer is that this type of input is important to USDA because it answers one of their key questions as to whether or not this will burden consumers if producers pass this cost along to them. Te answer those industries have presented here is no.
It’s also important to point out that while USDA accepts comments from anyone, comments from sod producers carry the most weight. Tey want those the most, they value those the most, and they weigh those the most heavily when considering all of the comments submitted during the public comment period. Again, this step in the process is
TPI Turf News July/August 2024
just meant to give USDA-AMS a general sense of awareness and support. It is not a vote. Historically speaking though, there have been checkoffs that have failed at this stage due to lack of support, just as there have been checkoffs that have moved forward to a vote.
Moving Ahead So what do we anticipate next? On February 9, 2024, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services published that the next step in the process would be posted publicly in or shortly after April of 2024. As of early June, that information had not yet been posted. After they have compiled, reviewed, and summarized all of the comments, this announcement will likely include a recommendation of whether or not there is enough industry support to proceed to the referendum stage. If the answer to that question is no, then it likely all stops here. If the answer to that question is yes, then as you can see in Table 1, there will be future announcements on how to register to vote, when the vote will occur, and how it will occur. If the U.S. Sod Checkoff were to pass in a nationwide referendum of sod producers, it would then move on to the next steps of opening the call for nominations for board seats, forming the board, and then ultimately starting the checkoff.
Tere are still many steps to go through in this process, and in the meantime, I’ll continue to get out on the road to visit with producers and answer any questions about this important initiative. As always, please feel free to call me at 847-737-1846 or email me
atCReynolds@TurfgrassSod.org at any time, and I’ll be happy to visit with you.
Casey Reynolds, PhD, is executive director of Turfgrass Producers International.
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