PRESIDENT’S TURF Looking Forward
2017-2018 TPI Board of Trustees
Jimmy Fox
You missed out! Tat’s right, you missed out! If you didn’t make it to New Jersey for the Summer Program, you missed out. Te International Turfgrass Research Conference, coupled with TPI’s program, was much more than I envisioned. Te tours of so many sod and turf related venues were excellent; Rutgers research facility and faculty were amazing; and getting to visit with other TPI friends and family was the icing on the cake!
I struggled finding time to make this trip, like many of you, but being on the board I felt obligated to go. Now I feel guilty for attending—out of obligation! Te TPI board and staff have been committed to providing top-level education and venues that promote learning and comradery in the Turfgrass Industry, and this trip did not disappoint. If you choose to attend a TPI event, you will never be disappointed. Tat is the board’s commitment to TPI!
Let’s talk youth sports. Te biggest craze sweeping the world right now is youth sports—and especially youth soccer! Tis may be the biggest opportunity to promote natural grass in our lifetime. Drought, chemical bans, GMO fears, and synthetic turf have all had a negative effect on natural grass and its acceptance. Youth soccer is overcoming all those negative issues. Soccer moms don’t want synthetic (plastic grass); kids don’t want “rug rash;” and people don’t worry about water issues when they are focused on player safety.
We as an industry need to help every elementary school, high school, and sports complex that is struggling with turf health. A poor field is our worst advertising. We owe it to our local communities and to our own businesses to get involved, even if it means time, effort, and no immediate return on our investment, to help educate local field managers on how to make the best use of their resources. Helping to keep good turf in our communities will raise the demand for natural grass!
New varieties are allowing us to push the limits of wear and water use. I saw a tall fescue trial at Rutgers with acceptable turf quality after 76 days without water! Some of the new hybrid bermudagrasses are seeing a 30-40 percent reduction in water use, while maintaining their color. Tis renewed push for natural grass by the soccer movement is creating demand for cutting-edge grasses that have a more positive impact on the environment and help protect our natural resources.
I firmly believe that being involved with TPI helps put us all in touch with researchers and growers that are experiencing success with this movement. We should all be pushing each other to reach a little higher, stretch our limits a little further, and take advantage of this positive business climate.
May God continue to bless your family and your business.
Officers President Jimmy Fox Evergreen Turf, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-480-456-1199
jimmy@evergreenturf.com
Vice President Eric Heuver Eagle Lake Professional Landscape Supply – CANADA +1-403-235-8873
eric@eaglelakelandscape.com
Secretary-Treasurer Hank Kerfoot Modern Turf – U.S.A. +1-803-713-8873
hank@modernturf.com
Past President Linda Pittillo Bradley Turf Mountain Sod, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-828-685-3642
turfmountain@bellsouth.net
Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD Turfgrass Producers International – U.S.A. +1-847-649-5555
creynolds@TurfGrassSod.org
Trustees John Coombs, Sr. Coombs Sod Farms, LLC – U.S.A. +1-856-358-4763
jhc@coombsfarms.com
Steve Griffen Saratoga Sod Farm, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-518-664-5038
steve@saratogasod.com
Randy Jasperson Jasperson Sod Farm – U.S.A. +1-262-835-2826
rj@jaspersonsod.com
Jim Keeven SelecTurf, Inc – U.S.A. 1-573-634-3444
jim@selecturfsod.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
Legal Counsel Monte B. Lake CJ Lake 525 Ninth Street, NW- Suite 800 Washington, DC – U.S.A. +1-202-789-8644
Science Advisor Dr. James B Beard International Sports Turf Institute College Station, Texas – U.S.A. +1-979-693-4066
isti@neo.tamu.edu
2 TPI Turf News September/October 2017
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