McCurdy’s title was research superin- tendent. He reported to, and worked directly with, the head agronomist, Randy Witt. “We built the facility and started maintaining it to golf course specifications while evaluating grow-in, playability, and other characteristics. My crew and I also managed the 10 or so acres of on-site sod production, which included greens height grasses. It was a tremendous opportunity and a challenging learning experience.”
Upon his return from China, Mc- Curdy and his wife, Vicky, pursued their doctoral degrees at Auburn. That in turn led him to MSU. He says, “The best thing about my current position is there’s no routine. There’s not a single day that I do the same thing over and over again. There’s a good balance be- tween the teaching, and the research, and the Extension outreach. There’s also travel involved, nationally and internationally, which allows me to see and experience interesting places. And it gives me the opportunity to give back to the industry that has given so much to me.”
Much has changed on the McCurdy Farm over the years. Now, Dr. Mc- Curdy is only occasionally available to assist in farm operations. With updated equipment and planting and harvesting advancements, sod is now the biggest part of the farm. They’ve added tall fescue and zoysiagrass to their bermu- dagrass production and offer the options of big rolls or slabs for the sod, along with sprigs for the warm-season grasses. McCurdy says, “My sister maintains and operates a pumpkin patch. They still do minimal sod installation. Dad continues to raise cattle.”
CONSIDER ALL THE OPTIONS McCurdy shares the career-planning advice he offers his students. “Don’t rule out the option of going back home to the sod farm,” he says. “It’s a cool place to be, working together with family. You’ll have much to contribute
to the business in both the short- and long-term. It can be great and it can be challenging, sometimes within the span of an hour. But if you’re willing to be flexible, it could be the best move for you—and the family business.
“There are many opportunities within the turfgrass industry, es- pecially if you’re willing to explore a wide range of options. Too often students are so locked into one category, such as golf course or athletic field, that they miss out on an opening that could be an even better fit for them. It’s fine to focus, but keep an open mind and be willing to make adjustments that will make you more marketable.”
There are so many more jobs outside the turf industry that demand the same general qualifications as those in turfgrass management and these can be open to you. “Students often don’t recognize that,” McCurdy says. “Your degrees and transferable skills lend themselves to most commercial opera- tions, but you must be willing to be flexible and bold enough to step into new situations.”
The physical labor of working on the sod farm is just that, notes McCurdy. “The ability to operate equipment and understand the basics of maintaining it is certainly valu- able. Even more important is what I call being grounded. You’ve seen so much personal interaction and you’ve had to work with so many other people within the company and with its suppliers and custom- ers that you’ve developed a set of skills that will transfer to nearly any situation. In addition, you’ve learned how to identify a problem and how to think through that problem to a workable solution. It seems to me that many students that didn’t grow up on a farm lack basic knowledge of the working world. You owe all those skill sets to your family
TPI TURF NEWS • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
sod farm.”
Suz Trusty is co-editor of Turf News.
The Dr. Henry W. Indyk Scholarship
The Dr. Henry W. Indyk Scholar- ship was established by The Lawn Institute Board of Trustees in 2006 as a way to honor a found- ing father of Turfgrass Producers International and help mitigate the rising costs of college and post- graduate education.
This scholarship is available to all Class A and B TPI members, their family members, their employ- ees and their employees’ family members who are pursuing higher education (an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree). TLI thanks all of you who have con- tributed to the scholarship fund. This financial support and the encouragement the recipients re- ceive from knowing their industry stands behind them is instrumen- tal in enhancing their future—and through them—the future of the turfgrass industry.
TPI and TLI hope that all those eligible will apply for the schol- arship. To learn more and to download the application form, visit The Lawn Institute website at
www.TheLawnInsitute.org. Applica- tions for the 2016-17 scholarship are due January 8, 2016.
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