PRESIDENT’S TURF Show Your Support for #KeepItREAL!


Greetings to TPI members near and far.


I hope your seasons are going well and that you’re managing to make time to stop and smell the roses.


I want to talk about the new TPI PR campaign, Keep It REAL, and how we’re all talking about turfgrass sod.


We have developed a new TPI website www.TurfGrassSod.org to launch with the 2019 Summer Convention & Field Day and are in the process of updating the new TLI website www.TeLawnInstitute.org. Casey’s excellent column on page 4 of this issue has lots more information on this and the good news is that we are quantifying scientifically the benefits of natural grass, both environmentally and from a sporting and recreational use standpoint. TPI’s PR firm, FleishmanHillard, is doing a great job of presenting the argument but it’s up to those of us at the coalface to keep the message clear with the #KeepItREALTM


campaign.


We will continue to develop tools to prove the benefits of our industry, so let’s make it really clear to our audience that this is real grass, it’s safer for athletes, our kids and ourselves to play on, and it’s better for the planet. Tis should be a no brainer, but we all need to wrestle back the initiative and reclaim the language used so that the words Turfgrass, Sod and Grass refer to natural, farm grown sod and turfgrass instead of anything artificial, plastic, synthetic, fake, phony or unsafe.


To show my commitment to the cause as President this year, I recently got ‘inked.’ And while the scars are still fresh, as a personal challenge to the past presidents that have served you all, I’m calling on them all to make a permanent commitment to natural turfgrass by following suit and getting some ink. So come on Dave Dymond, Bobby Winstead, Bob Weerts, Ed Keeven, Will Nugent, Linda Bradley, Jimmy Fox and all the rest, get some ink!


Te arguments we’ve given our kids and grandkids about not getting tattoos don’t really apply, as most of us are a little older and wrinkly already and it might just give you some street cred. Before you all mention it and despite evidence to the contrary, this is not definitive proof of a midlife crisis and yes, I am still nervous about showing this to my Mom.


Tis may seem a little extreme, but I’ve had fun doing it and the message is loud and clear—Keep It REAL.


So please keep up the good work, use social media and your own social channels to share and celebrate the benefits and beauty of natural grass. Be proud of the industry we’re all involved in and have fun with it. Let’s reclaim the language we use. Don’t be afraid to shout it from the rooftops. In conclusion, Keep It REAL!


, All the Best,t,est 2 TPI Turf News July/August 2019 p


2019 TPI Board of Trustees


Officers Eric Heuver


President Eric Heuver Eagle Lake Professional Landscape Supply – CANADA +1-403-235-8873 eric@eaglelakelandscape.com


Vice President Hank Kerfoot Modern Turf – U.S.A. +1-803-713-8873 hank@modernturf.com


Secretary-Treasurer Steve Griffen Saratoga Sod Farm, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-518-664-5038 steve@saratogasod.com


Past President Jimmy Fox Evergreen Turf, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-480-456-1199 jimmy@evergreenturf.com


Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD Turfgrass Producers International – U.S.A. +1-847-649-5555 creynolds@TurfGrassSod.org


Trustees Jim Keeven SelecTurf, Inc – U.S.A. 1-573-634-3444 jim@selecturfsod.com


John Keleher Australian Lawn Concepts - Australia +61 61755430145 john@alcturf.com.au


Bob McCurdy McCurdy Farms - U.S.A. +1-731-692-3515 mccurdysodfarms@gmail.com


Aaron McWhorter NG Turf – U.S.A. +1-770-832-8608 amc@ngturf.com


Mark Tribbett JB Instant Lawn, Inc. - U.S.A. +1-503-581-7823 mark@jbinstantlawn.net


Keith Wittig Central Turf Farms, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-979-657-1122 kwittig@centralturffarms.com


Tim Wollesen Sales Midwest, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-913-254-9560 tim@salesmidwest.com


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