Te ITPF “Idol” Karaoke Contest, the ITPF fundraiser, generated great participation. Tours included: Tree Top Walk, Albert River Winery, Turf Force Farm, Brisbane Cruise, Australia Zoo and Twin View Turf.

TPI/ASPA celebrated its 40th Anniversary during the 2007 Summer Convention and Field Day held at the Madison Marriott West, Madison, Wisconsin, July 23-26. Field Day Hosts were the Midwest Sod Council (MSC); Wisconsin Turfgrass Association (WTA) and TPI at the University of Wisconsin-Madison O. J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Education Facility, which included tours of the TPI/ MSC/WTA turfgrass research plots. Another tour visited the House of Rocks. Arthur Milberger presented the 2007 President’s Leadership Award to Randy Graff, Graff’s Turf Farms, Fort Morgan, CO. George Brandt, American Sod Corporation, Palatine, IL, was elected TPI 2007-2008 President. TPI published a History of Turfgrass Producers International book and CD-ROM. Te CD version was provided to all TPI members.

James McCurdy and Mindy Brandt were awarded the first two ITPF Scholarships. ITPF changed its name to “Te Lawn Institute” (TLI). A new website and several other educational tools, such as the Lawn Guide E-Newsletter and Ask Te Expert service, were created to better inform, educate, and provide timely information to consumers, professionals and educators. Terri Berkowitz, TPI’s membership and marketing manager for nearly 20 years, left the staff. TPI’s Tenth Study Tour visited New Zealand and Australia.

Te National Turfgrass Federation (NTF) officially separated from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) to focus on its primary mission—the National Turfgrass Research Initiative (NTRI) seeking turfgrass research funding through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS).

Attendees get an overview of Emerald Island Turf Farm’s operations during the 2008 TPI Orlando Conference Tour.

2008 TPI’s 2008 Midwinter Conference was held at the Caribe

Royale, Orlando, Florida, February 4-8. Twenty countries were represented. Pre-conference event choices were the TLI Memorial Golf Tournament fundraiser and a tour of Winter Park. Te seminar, “From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table: Family Business Success,” Show & Tell presentations, and Dr. James B Beard’s “Overview of the Sod Industry,” were a few educational program highlights. Te banquet was held at Sea World. TPI Awards presentations included: Innovator of the Year to Dr. Doug Brede, Jacklin Seed of the J. R. Simplot Company; Distinguished Service to David Doguet, Bladerunner Farms, Poteet, TX; Honorary Member to Dr. Harry Niemczyk, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Te Ohio State University; and the first Turfgrass Educator of Excellence to Dr. Laurie Trenholm, University of Florida. Te post-conference tour visited Emerald Island Turf Farm 2.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was the location for TPI’s 2008 Summer Convention and Field Day, July 28-August 1, at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel. Te TLI Memorial Golf Tournament fundraiser and a tour of Banff National Park were the pre-convention choices. With the down economy, educational sessions focused on business management and agronomic issues. Te new TPI cookbook, Mow Food, Please, Bounty from the Farmer’s Table, was introduced. Randy Graff, Graff Turf Farms, Fort Morgan, CO, was elected TPI 2008-2009 President. Te tour visited the Olds College research facility and Mountain Sod & Seed Farm, Ltd., Red Deer County, Alberta. Te evening ended with a Family Night at Eagle Lake Turf Farms, Ltd., Strathmore, Alberta, which also served as the Field Day Host the following day. Harvested sod was donated to, and installed at, Red Deer Lake School on Friday.

Tis truck drew attention during the 2007 Field Day in Australia. TPI Turf News November/December 2016

TPI revised all the existing marketing materials into a series of educational brochures called Turfgrass Lawn Guide. Tis convenient guide is a pocket folder which may

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