PRESIDENT’S TURF Sod Family and Friends,

2016-2017 TPI Board of Trustees

Linda Pittillo Bradley

Protecting your investment is the focus for this issue. What are the investments, as a group of sod farmers, that we need to protect for better returns? My initial thoughts lead to future generations and our 50th Celebration. Our theme, “Celebrating our Past and Inspiring our Future,” is certainly worth protecting.

Protect is the first part of this theme. I recently read an article about men and their protective instincts at ParentLeadership.com by James B. Stenson:

“Men are different from women. Tey are wired differently, think differently. Tey have instincts and attitudes and physical strengths that empower them for tough- minded, sacrificial service to those people who count most in their lives, starting with their families.

All special features of an adult male’s personality, developed from boyhood— muscles, will power, stamina, competitive drive, aggressiveness and assertiveness, mathematical and abstractive powers of mind, love for strategic planning and manipulating physical reality, strong sense of fairness and ethical conduct—all coordinate toward a single great purpose in life: protection.”

Protecting the family begins at birth and truly continues until death. I believe many of these things listed above are what make each of our businesses successful. God knew exactly what he was doing when He created male and female. Having men that support me is, and has been, very important. Tere is also a protective gene in mothering; that’s where the term ‘mother hen’ originated.

I believe also that protecting our investments goes beyond family; it spills over into all of life’s relationships. To name a few: farming/stewards of creation, employer/employee, suppliers/equipment, community involvement and being a TPI member.

Investment certainly requires time and resources. Often we only think of money, but we know that money cannot buy the most important things in life. Te definition of investment that I prefer reads: an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

Once you attend a TPI conference with this attitude of investment, you will gain several times over in the monies saved by simple applicable processes, new techniques, and incredible networking to be more efficient and productive.

I’ve been blessed to get to know the folks of TPI. We are all at different points in our journey of protecting our investments. I am extremely grateful for my heritage. A wise Proverb says, “God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children.” Proverbs 20:7

Te values of TPI that we need to protect and continue investing our time and effort in include: Education, Research, Advocacy and Networking! Our heritage of TPI needs you. May we all continue to protect our investment in TPI.

Blessings, 2

Officers President Linda Pittillo Bradley Turf Mountain Sod, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-828-685-3642 turfmountain@bellsouth.net

Vice President Jimmy Fox Evergreen Turf, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-480-456-1199 jimmy@evergreenturf.com

Secretary-Treasurer Eric Heuver Eagle Lake Professional Landscape Supply – CANADA +1-403-235-8873 eric@eaglelakelandscape.com

Past President Will Nugent Bethel Farms – U.S.A. +1-863-494-3057 willnugent@bethelfarms.com

Interim Executive Director Sandy Reynolds Turfgrass Producers International – U.S.A. +1-847-649-5555 meetings@TurfGrassSod.org

Trustees John Coombs, Sr. Coombs Sod Farms, LLC – U.S.A. +1-856-358-4763 jhc@coombsfarms.com

Hugh Dampney ECO Turf – ENGLAND +44 1202 572 166 hugh.dampney@parleycourt.co.uk

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

Hank Kerfoot Modern Turf – U.S.A. +1-803-713-8873 hank@modernturf.com

Mark Tribbett JB Instant Lawn, Inc. - U.S.A. +1-503-581-7823 mark@jbinstantlawn.net

Tim Wollesen Sales Midwest, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-913-254-9560 salesmidwest@sbcglobal.net

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

TPI Turf News September/October 2016