U.S. SOD CHECKOFF UPDATES By Casey Reynolds, PhD
We are still likely more than a year away from an industry- wide referendum on the proposed U.S. Sod Checkoff, and there is plenty of time to learn more, provide public comments, and ultimately vote. I’ve provided an update in this article, and there will certainly be other opportunities to learn more ahead of the upcoming referendum.
Tere are currently 22 USDA Research and Promotion Programs (aka checkoffs). Checkoffs have a long, proven history of funding research and promotion of agricultural products and have been around since the 1960s. To combat the decline in the demand for cotton brought on by competition from manmade fibers, particularly polyester, the cotton industry proposed legislation designed to strengthen cotton’s competitive position. Te resulting statute is the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966, which created the Cotton Research and Promotion Program.
While early checkoffs like cotton had to go through Congress, that all changed in 1996 with the passage of Te Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, also known as Freedom to Farm Act or the 1996 Farm Bill. Tis bill contained legislation that became the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996, and it delegated checkoff programs to the USDA. Now, instead of industries having to go through Congress to get a checkoff passed, they simply go through the USDA. Tis bill was sponsored by Rep. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and 15 Republican co-sponsors and passed the House (318-89) and the Senate (74-26).
Since then, the current 22 checkoffs combined routinely raise up to $1 billion each year to fund research and promotion of their products. Just like the cotton checkoff, many checkoff programs arise out of an industry’s need to push back against market threats, misinformation, and shifting consumer trends. Just google the term “lawns are” and you will see that our industry is no different. Te top hits include colonialism, useless, bad, a waste, stupid, ecological disaster, and so on. Tere is no doubt that consumers simply do not understand the benefits of natural grass for lawns and sports fields. Te good news for our
74
industry though is that the science behind natural grass is on our side. We simply need to fund the research to show it, package it, and then shout it from the rooftops both locally and nationally.
So how do we get there and what’s the latest update? Te proposed U.S. Sod Checkoff Program was submitted to USDA for review in late 2020. Since then, I have been traveling the country to visit with sod producers to get feedback on the proposed checkoff as well as discuss any changes to it. One of the most important components of implementing any checkoff program is industry feedback. In talking with checkoff directors at the 22 USDA Research and Promotion programs, they all spent significant time in promoting their programs ahead of the vote, getting input from industry stakeholders, and making sure that they did everything they could to widely publicize the program.
Also, why not? Checkoffs are not designed to be programs that can be implemented overnight. Tere are many checks and balances at USDA to make sure that checkoffs are properly written before coming up for an industry-wide vote and of course that takes time. For example, our initial submission of the proposed checkoff was in 2020 and was 39 pages long. It included an industry analysis and justification, market threats and opportunities, a proposed budget, initial language, and more. One of the primary objectives of this process being a rather lengthy one is that it allows industries an opportunity to discuss the checkoff, suggest any proposed changes, and ultimately make an informed decision on it prior to the referendum.
Much of the discussion at meetings over the last 18-24 months has revolved around key details of the proposed program such as board formation, nomination and selection; voting; costs; compliance; and what type of research and promotion could or should be funded with checkoff dollars. Te proposed program would be administered by a board of 13 sod producers with four producers from northern states, five from southern states, and four from transition zone states. Tey would be nominated by other sod producers and/ or associations such as the Turfgrass Producers of Florida
TPI Turf News July/August 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
