TURFGRASS INDUSTRY NEWS
Digital Infrastructure Recent changes to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program mark a shift away from the Biden administration’s “fiber-first” strategy. Under the new rules, fixed wireless and satellite technologies will now have greater access to BEAD funding provided they meet minimum performance benchmarks. Tis new direction introduces both strategic opportunities and competitive threats for rural broadband providers. Operators that choose not to participate in BEAD may find themselves vulnerable to government-funded fixed wireless competitors. Alternatively, rural internet service providers can go on the offense and pursue BEAD funding to expand their own footprints, especially in areas where fixed wireless is eligible. Te CoBank Quarterly provides updates and an outlook for the Macro Economy and U.S. Agricultural Markets; Grains, Biofuels and Farm Supply; Animal Protein; Dairy; Cotton and Rice; Specialty Crops; Food & Beverage industries and Rural Infrastructure. Read the full July 10, 2025, quarterly, “Where Have the Workers Gone?” at the link that follows.
https://www.cobank.com/web/cobank/knowledge-exchange/quarterly/ quarterly-2025-q2-july CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. It provides loans, leases, export financing, and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water, and communications providers in all 50 states. Te bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 78,000 farmers, ranchers, and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
Exhibit Space at Equip Exposition Sells Out for a Fourth Year in a Row A June 25, 2025, press release reported that, for a fourth year in a row, Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living, and equipment exposition, has sold out its available exhibit space at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). Te Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) owns and manages the show, which will be held from October 21 to 24, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. “We have 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, including the Outdoor Demo Yard. Every inch of the Kentucky Exposition Center that can be used for exhibit space this year has been sold, as of mid-June 2025,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of OPEI. “Tat translates to thousands of products and services that can help landscapers, contractors, and dealers expand and better their business.” Equip Exposition drew a record-breaking 28,500 attendees last year from all 50 states and 50 countries and is one of the top five largest trade shows in the U.S. Equip Exposition also provides attendees a unique platform to learn from each other through peer-to-peer networking events and unique classroom, training, and education sessions. Tere’s a Welcome Reception at Churchill Downs sponsored by Caterpillar, a Wednesday night 4th Street Party sponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council, and a Tursday concert with Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson at the Kentucky International Convention Center sponsored by Gravely—and more. For more information, visit
www.equipexposition.com.
TPI Turf News September/October 2025
National Association of Landscape Professionals Names Wilson360 Preferred Provider for Industry Peer Groups On July 28, 2025, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) announced a partnership with Wilson360, a premier consulting firm specializing in strategic business, operational, and leadership consulting for the landscape industry. Under this new collaboration, Wilson360 has been officially recognized as NALP’s Preferred Provider for landscape industry peer groups. Trough this partnership, NALP members will gain streamlined access to valuable peer networks, a model highly valued within the industry for its proven ability to drive shared learning and best practices. For more information about Wilson360 Peer Groups, visit
www.wilson-360.com/peer-groups. For more information about NALP visit
www.landscapeprofessionals.org.
USDA-ARS pyfao56 Project Named 2025 IA Vanguard Award Recipient On July 31, 2025, the Irrigation Association (IA) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service pyfao56 Open-Source Evapotranspiration and Water Balance Tool has been named the recipient of the 2025 Vanguard Award. Te IA’s Vanguard Award honors an innovative project in the irrigation industry executed by a team of individuals, companies, organizations or other group entities. Projects chosen for this award exemplify the IA’s mission of promoting innovation in efficient irrigation and supporting industry growth and sustainability. pyfao56 is an open-source, community-driven software tool designed to improve the way evapotranspiration and crop water use are calculated and applied in irrigation management. Led by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the project is built on the globally recognized FAO-56 guidelines and overcomes the limitations of earlier tools. By applying modern software principles, including a modular, object-oriented design, pyfao56 allows ET modeling to be more transparent, customizable, and accessible. Its open-source structure, hosted on GitHub, promotes collaboration, customization, and scientific transparency, making it a widely adaptable resource for research, education, and practical irrigation decision-making. Daren Harmel, USDA-ARS Director of the Center for Agricultural Resources Research, says, “By making the standardized FAO-56 methodology freely available and customizable, the pyfao56 tool empowers a wide range of stakeholders—from university classrooms to commercial farms and public agencies—to make smarter, data-driven irrigation decisions. We encourage anyone involved in water management, agricultural research, or irrigation technology to explore pyfao56 and join the growing user community and contribute to its continued innovation and expanding impact.” More information about this and other IA awards and past recipients can be found at
irrigation.org/awards.
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