March/April 2023 Tu Ne The only ma The only magaz e evo zinine devoted exclexclusively to u gr IN THIS ISSUE


The Big Picture What You Can Do April is… National Lawn Care Month


... And Much More T rf News A publication of Turfgrass Producers International usively to t turfgrass produc on s productiion


Focus:Tackling Labor Issues


IN THIS ISSUE


FEATURE ARTICLES FOCUS: Tackling Labor Issues


Cover: Evergreen Turf, Inc. Chandler, AZ Photo courtesy of Jimmy Fox


TURF NEWS Vol. 47 No. 2 March/April 2023


Published by


Turfgrass Producers International 444 E. Roosevelt Road #346 Lombard, IL 60148 U.S. & Canada Tel: 800-405-8873 International Tel: 1-847-649-5555 Fax: 1-847-649-5678 Email: info@TurfGrassSod.org Website: www.TurfGrassSod.org


TPI Contact Information


Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD creynolds@TurfGrassSod.org


Membership & Marketing Manager Allie Shriver ashriver@TurfGrassSod.org


Advertising Sales/Classified Ads Geri Hannah ghannah@TurfGrassSod.org


Co-Editors Steve & Suz Trusty stevetrusty@TurfGrassSod.org suztrusty@TurfGrassSod.org


Art Director Jane Tomlinson jane@inkumbrella.com


Director of Meetings Liz Lonsbrough liz@lsquaredevents.com


Policy Consultant Jonathan Moore jonathanm494@gmail.com


Editorial Advisors John Sorochan, PhD University of Tennessee (warm-season grasses) sorochan@utk.edu


Aaron J. Patton, PhD Purdue University (cool-season grasses) ajpatton@purdue.edu


Turf News is published bi-monthly (January/ February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) with a $25 subscription fee from Membership dues, by Turfgrass Producers International 444 E. Roosevelt Road #346, Lombard, IL 60148 Periodical postage paid at Jefferson City, MO


POSTMASTER Please send address changes to Turf News 444 E. Roosevelt Road #346, Lombard, IL 60148 USPS no. 003 255; ISSN 0899-417K Canadian Post: Publications agreement No. 1479148


TPI Turf News March/April 2023


12 Tackling Labor Issues—The Big Picture Looking at the big picture will help you identify what you are up against.


16 Tackling Labor Issues—What You Can Do You need help? Tere are great potential employees all around. It’s up to you to find them.


20 Make Safety Training a Priority Whether it’s a new employee, new equipment, or operating procedures, safety training is essential.


22 NASDA Policy Recommendations for the Ag Workforce Your state’s secretary of agriculture is a powerful ally, especially for specialty crop farmers.


24 Protecting Temporary Workers: Best Practices for Host Employers Adopt the latest safety and health practices for host employees developed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.


26 Landscape Conversions: Trading turf for Turf See how Salt Lake City uses natural grass to encourage water conservation.


28 Sod Checkoff Updates From the Road Catch up on Dr. Casey Reynolds’ travels to communicate, answer questions, and get feedback on the upcoming checkoff referendum.


32 Rooted in Research—Bermudagrass Breeding History in Georgia Te University of Georgia in Tifton has been an important player in Bermudagrass since the early 1900s.


34 April Is… National Lawn Care Month Once again, the turfgrass industry has the opportunity to showcase the benefits of natural grass.


38 Farm Outlook Updates 2023 How things look for farmers, especially sod producers, in 2023.


42 Natural Grass Stars on the Path to Super Bowl LVII Natural grass got to shine in both conference championships and the Super Bowl in 2023.


44 The Evolving Green Industry Marketplace How home sales, new home construction, and the value of green spaces might affect your market.


46 TPI Members Among SFMA Honorees Two TPI members receive top honors and one member is elected to SFMA Board in January.


DEPARTMENTS


President's TURF…...…..................……...… 2 Executive Director's TURF …...................... 4 TPI News…………………….…................... 6 Te Lawn Institute News ........................ 8-10 Association Updates....................................48 Happenings...........................................50-51 Turfgrass Industry News ................. 52 & 54


Weather Watch…................................60 Classified Ads.........................................62 Welcome New & Returning Members.....62 Advertisers Index....................................63


Turfgrass Industry Calendar.................64 BONUS


Temperature Anomalies…................. 56 Tree Month Climate Predictions .... 58


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