INAG News
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES | INSTITUTE OF APPLIED AGRICULTURE | WINTER/SPRING 2020
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CONTENTS IAA Brings Ag Marketing to Southern Maryland
4 Ag Forward: 5 Years in Review
6 Turf Terps Take Top 10
9 Maryland Misses Find Home at IAA
10 IAA Student News
12 Alumni Class Notes
14 Cover: Sustainable Ag major Claudia Torrieri at Terp Farm.
Glori Hyman Director Rebecka Jones Graphic Designer
Instagram and Twitter: @iaa_umd Facebook and YouTube: /iaaumd INAG News is published twice a year by the Institute of Applied Agriculture. You, the reader, are encouraged to share comments, alumni updates, and agriculturerelated news.
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From the Director’s Desk
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any of us have heard the adage “Knowledge is Power.” Well, I disagree. Knowledge is not power.
Adages float around our society and are considered to express general truths. But that’s not the case with this one. Okay, maybe if the knowledge you have is a secret about someone that could damage or alter his or her life, then that piece of knowledge gives you a certain unethical power over that person. But if we take the statement at face value and assume nothing sinister, then, I’d say knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power. With the internet, we all have immediate access to just about anything we want to know. We literally have all the information we could ever need at our fingertips. However, we need to know what to do with that information. We need to be able to apply our knowledge. That’s why the IAA’s mission is more important now than ever. To prove my point, I googled “how to treat dollar spot.” Step one said, “Cut grass at the recommended maximum height.” Since I didn’t know the maximum recommended height, I googled “recommended maximum height for mowing lawns.” I learned that the general rule of thumb is that the “optimal height for a cool-season grass generally is about 2.5 inches.” That raised even more questions: If 2.5 inches is optimal, what is the maximum? What is a cool-season grass? How do I determine what type of grass I have in my lawn? Heck, I don’t even know how to set the mowing height of our mower blades to 2.5 inches, and I’m only on step one of treating dollar spot! Truth be told, I don’t know how to diagnose a dollar spot to begin with, so I wouldn’t even make it to step one. I now have a bunch of knowledge that I can share with friends at our backyard cookouts should anyone happen to inquire about straw-colored, silver-dollar-sized patches in the grass. But I am powerless to improve the health of my lawn. Therefore, knowledge gave me no power. Point proved. As a side note, I really need to start taking some IAA classes. This past semester, the IAA faculty provided some really cool new opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and hone their skills. Our Turfgrass Management advisor, Geoff Rinehart, had his students tackle a Paint Branch turf dilemma and present their solution to a real-life client, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The project was nominated for the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission’s Sustainable Growth Challenge, which “engages Maryland college students in developing creative solutions to sustainable growth while also providing them with a career-building, real-world learning experience.”
In November, IAA’s Agricultural Business Management advisor Tope Fagingbesi’s student entrepreneurs tested their skills, products, and services at UMD’s Terp Marketplace. They were required to produce and sell their products to real customers. Although the experience both exhilarated and frightened the students, it empowered them with confidence should they ever decide to launch a business. See the article on page 12. The fall semester culminated with our first Mock Interviewing and Network Event, during which a dozen IAA alumni and other industry professionals graciously volunteered their time to conduct one-on-one interviews with IAA students, provide valuable feedback, and help students navigate the ever-terrifying networking event. Students, alumni, and industrial professionals praised the event. “This event was the real deal,” commented Golf Course Management major Tyler Johnson. “I was able to actually apply everything I had learned in the classroom to a real-life scenario.” Brooke Knauss, an Agricultural Leadership and Communication major, said, “I was able to utilize my personal pitch that I had developed during the course and present my resume.” Often, applying our knowledge tests our critical thinking skills and requires us to step outside of the classroom and out of our comfort zone, but it’s well worth it. Scott Hosier, a 2017 IAA graduate who made the trek to campus from Philadelphia where he is the Superintendent at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, commented throughout the event how he wished he had had this experience when he was an IAA student, adding that he still gets nervous when going on a job interview. Well, Scott, truth be told—I think we all get nervous in that situation. But the more opportunities we have to apply our knowledge, the more confident we become and the more we are able to influence the outcome. And, that my friend, gives us the power. Mission applied!
Glori D. Hyman
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NEW ACADEMIC YEAR, NEW FACES WELCOMED By: Rebecka Jones
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s the Institute of Applied Agriculture welcomed the new academic year, we also welcomed four new faces to the IAA team! Each of them was eager and excited to begin their new journey as Terps. This particular group of individuals brings a wealth of diversity, experience, and passion for higher education. Traveling across the country with her furry friend, Briggs, from South Dakota is Shala Larson, Oral Communication Lecturer and Advisor for Agricultural Leadership and Communication. Saying goodbye to colder weather and hello to warmer weather is George Kurtzweil. Kurtzweil is not your typical Oral Communication Lecturer; how many lecturers do you know who scuba dive with sharks? Bringing an abundance of international, financial, and farming experience is Tope Fajingbesi. As well as our new Lecturer and Advisor for Agricultural Business Management, Fajingbesi is an Africa-focused social entrepreneur and a published author. Joining us from across campus is Luisa Cortes. Cortes has been with the university for 16 years; as the IAA Business Manager, she is an invaluable asset by handling our departmental finances.
“This new group of faculty and staff are so full of energy and joy; they make me smile every day and I am anxious to see the new ideas they bring to our learning communities.“ GLORI HYMAN
Faculty Accolades Tope Fajingbesi and her husband, Olaniyi Balogun were featured in the Washington Post sharing their story
of Dodo Farms, truly practicing what she teaches here at the IAA. Looking to get started? We strive to teach new and aspiring farmers how to get started on their own journey! Read about hers at go.umd.edu/tope-WashPostarticle.
Shala Larson sees many differences between Maryland agriculture and agriculture back home in South Dakota.
In a podcast guest spot she was featured in, she discusses those differences, and more about our Agricultural Communication and Leadership program. Give it a listen at go.umd.edu/shala-IAA-podcast.
At the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission Agricultural Marketing Conference, Meredith Epstein and Heather McHale presented “Staying Fresh with Products and Prices” and “Logos, Ethos, Pathos: Choosing Words that Sell,” respectively.
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Ag Marketing Conference Hits Target
A Challenging, BEAUTIFUL Idea
By: Glori Hyman
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or the past two years, the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) has joined forces with Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) to bring agricultural education opportunities to Southern Maryland. This successful partnership culminated in November at the Maryland Agricultural Marketing Conference held at the College of Southern Maryland’s Prince Frederick campus. The conference attracted a diverse crowd of 155 participants including agricultural producers, service providers, and marketing professionals. The program featured sixteen different presentations in four marketing-related tracks; a keynote address by Kellie Hinkle, the Chief of Tourism for Charles County; and a visit from Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. As one would expect in today’s marketing world, social media was the hot topic. IAA’s Agricultural Business Management Lecturer and Advisor Temitope Fajingbesi encouraged all of her students to attend the conference. One of her students, Shana Burke, said of the social media workshops, “I learned a lot about marketing on social media and about good market strategies when starting a new business.” In addition to social media management, the conference drew together an enticing array of marketing workshops including planning, pricing, and photography, and it offered trainings on regulatory and sales topics, as well as discussions of new or popular industries, such as craft beverages, agritourism, hemp, small grains, and urban agriculture. The IAA’s Sustainable Agriculture lecturer Meredith Epstein presented a workshop on “Staying Fresh with Products and Prices” and Oral Communication lecturer Heather McHale presented “Logos, Ethos, and Pathos: Choosing Words That Sell.” The IAA’s Student Services Coordinator Becky Jones coordinated the group of IAA student attendees, and said, “The SMADC Ag Marketing Conference gave students the ability to elaborate on the concepts developed in some [INAG] courses such as Ag Marketing through connecting and learning from agricultural enthusiasts like themselves. To be able to give IAA students these opportunities to grow in their field of study solidifies our IAA brand.” Pictured below left to right: Ryan Ross, Mark Rathsack, Cullen Cannon, Haley Moore, and Kia Calloway.
IAA students are often lauded for their hard work and intense internship experiences, but few can say their internship began on an asphalt parking lot— the complete antithesis of agriculture. But that’s how Lynn Brooks began her internship at the Susan D. Mona Center for Health and Wellness & Research Engagement Urban Farm. She was tasked with transforming a parking lot into an Urban Farm and she did it! “Ultimately, we used six tons of stone and 30 cubic yards of soil to fill the12 raised beds that we built,” says Brooks. However, the beds weren’t ready until mid-September, which meant planting fall crops of broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, spinach, and radishes. The harvested crops went directly to the local soup kitchens and food trucks. “This experience, unique and unusual, has been difficult and frustrating, as well as glorious and spectacular,” says Brooks as she reflects on her quest “to provide the wonderful, much needed fresh produce for this under-served community.”
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Nature Rx
By: Meredith Epstein While multiple research studies can confirm it, you probably don’t need to read them to know that spending time in nature can make you feel better both physically and mentally. What if doctors and therapists actually wrote prescriptions for their patients to get outside and get moving, in addition to or instead of medication? That is the very idea behind NatureRx - that students, faculty, and staff served by the University Health Center might receive such prescriptions for the wealth of green space on and around campus. In November, the UMD Community Learning Garden had the honor of hosting a NatureRx@UMD event. The NatureRx@UMD program is delivered by the School of Public Health in partnership with several units across campus, including the IAA. The “fall harvest” themed event introduced attendees to the Community Learning Garden, a space managed by the IAA and the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and got them physically active with garden tasks. Some folks harvested perennial herbs like sage and rosemary, while others saved seeds from annual flowers like marigolds and ageratum. Several participants commented that they were glad to know about this beautiful and calming space on campus ahead of the final exam period. To learn more about NatureRx@UMD, visit https://sph.umd.edu/laboratory-resources/naturerxumd. INAG News | WINTER/SPRING 2020 INAG-2020-WinterSpring.indd 5
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Preparing for the Future of Agriculture:
CELEBRATING Five Years of
Agriculture Foward at Maryland
By: Heather McHale
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griculture Forward at Maryland, the IAA’s unique transfer-advantage program, is celebrating its fifth academic year! Over the course of that five years, the Ag Forward program has ignited other changes at the IAA: an improved pathway for IAA students to earn bachelor’s degrees, a demographical change in the student population, and a new track in Agricultural Leadership and Communication. Students in the Ag Forward program pursue both an IAA certificate and a bachelor’s degree from within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) at the same time. The IAA launched this innovative program in Fall 2014. Our first Ag Forward graduate, Ruby Fishbein, completed her bachelor’s degree in May 2018. Since then, Ag Forward students have earned degrees in Animal and Avian Sciences, Environmental Science and Technology, and Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Current Ag Forward students are pursuing degrees from many different departments in AGNR. An Ag Forward student’s plan requires a lot of coordination. The program’s advisor works with each admitted student to finalize a specific plan that meshes the requirements of the bachelor’s degree with the requirements for the certificate. While Ag Forward allows students to maximize the efficiency of their graduation plans, the program is quite rigorous, often requiring students to carry 17-18 credits per semester in order to complete both credentials in four years. To follow the Ag Forward pathway, the student must complete 30 credits in the first year with at least a 3.0 GPA. Ag Forward is just one of the pathways available to IAA students; many other IAA graduates pursue bachelor’s degrees after completing their certificate work. Regardless of which path they choose, IAA students who complete a bachelor’s degree at UMD enjoy a unique advantage: they receive “resident credit” for almost all of their courses, which means that they count toward the student’s baccalaureate requirements and GPA. The IAA strives to maximize our students’ choices, whether they apply for Ag Forward, complete a certificate and then apply to complete a bachelor’s degree, or earn a certificate and join the work force.
Pictured Left: IAA’s first two Ag Forward students, Ruby Fishbein and Joanna Bell at 2017 graduation with Sustainable Agriculture advisor Meredith Epstein.
These educational pathways have attracted new groups of prospective students. Our student body is more diverse than ever before, both demographically and in terms of career aspirations. In fall semester of 2013, women made up just 22% of our student body; by fall 2018, 40% of our students were female. This change reflects evolving attitudes in the agricultural industry; the 2019 Farm Bureau Women in Ag survey found that women now make up 36% of U.S. farmers and that 91% of respondents believed that there should be more women in agricultural leadership roles. Giving more students access to a greater range of educational choices allows the IAA to support the development of that leadership. According to the respondents, the most important leadership skills are effective communication, inspiring and motivating others, managing conflict, and strategic planning. Recognizing this demand, the IAA launched its new track in Agricultural Leadership and Communication in Fall of 2016. This track combines communication coursework with a solid foundation in the sciences, applied agriculture, and business. Students in this track emerge prepared for jobs in agricultural communication, policy, management, and marketing—some of the hottest job markets in the ag industry. Our first graduate in this track, Brandy Walterhoefer, completed her certificate in 2018 and is currently pursuing her degree at UMD. Looking back at the past five years prompts us to look ahead to the future of agriculture—and to our role in providing innovative, relevant education for the professionals who will lead it. Whether by enabling students to pursue dual credentials more efficiently with Ag Forward or by offering new courses of study focused on leadership and communication, the IAA is here to equip students to be part of that future.
“Our student body is more diverse than ever before, both demographically and in terms of career aspirations.“
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Fall 2019 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Aaron Good
Samantha Schlissel
Cecil Massie Scholarship
Bowman Family Scholarship
Mara Wolfe
Daniel Heyser
TESCO Scholarship
TESCO Scholarship
Samuel Harris
Brandon Writt
Bowman Family Scholarship
Shields Memorial Scholarship
Dawn Armstrong
Kia Calloway
TESCO Scholarship
TESCO Scholarship
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER CULLEN CANNON Turfgrass Management “My internship took place at The Links at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels Maryland, and here is a photo of me bottoming out one of our side winder mowers on a bunker head.”
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PALS Program Project Spotlight This past fall, students in the Golf Course Managament Independent Study course evaluated the drainage characteristics of golf greens at two Prince George’s County golf courses and proposed improvements. For their hard work and innovation, they have been nominated for a Sustainable Growth Challenge Award which recognizes economic growth, environmental stewardship, and sustainable land use at the community level.
IAA Ambassadors
A new student-led club formed at the IAA aims to build networks to hone leadership skills and test creativity.
Turf Terps Take Top #10
At the Sports Turf Managers Association’s Student Challenge, Turf Terps tied for fourth place among 18 other four-year teams. Then, our Turf Terps took home fifth place at the Golf Industry Show. In the past decade, the IAA has consistently placed in the top 10 - way to go!
Pictured Top: Geoff Rinehart, Jake Hess, Ben Word, Ryan Geils, and Brandon Carbary. Pictured Left: Alex Steinman, Geoff Rinehart, Ryan Geils, Jake Hess, Brandon Carbary, and Ben Word.
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&An Ambassador
A Miss
By: Chelsea G. Mays-Williams
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ost people have heard of Miss America. The title may evoke images of Sandra Bullock sneaking donuts into her sequin gown and prancing in a bikini. But for two Institute of Applied Agriculture students, their “Miss” experience wasn’t a beauty pageant; it was so much more. Miss Maryland Agriculture Ambassador, which has been part of the Maryland State Fair since 1930, has the mission of encouraging young women to reach their fullest potential in agriculture: “Surfacing young women with an agricultural background to serve as leaders to promote our industry and the Farm Bureau organization throughout the year and in the future.” The contest runs for two days, and one of the 23 contestants—young women between the ages of 16-19, each representing one of the Maryland Farm Bureau’s 23 counties—becomes the Maryland agriculture ambassador. For over 90 years, the Maryland State Fair and the Maryland Farm Bureau have collaborated to create a contest for future agricultural leaders that will be both memorable and educational. In keeping with the times, the organization has changed the name of the contest from the original Miss Timonium in the 1940s, Timonium Farm Queen, Farm Queen and Maryland Farm Queen in the 1950s, to Maryland Agriculture Ambassador and Miss Maryland Agriculture. Three of the women at the IAA have participated in the contest: Haley Moore (currently a first-year student in Agricultural Business Management at the IAA); Rebecka Jones (the IAA’s Student Services Coordinator); and Glori Hyman (the IAA’s Director). Each of them shared their personal experience, talked about what Miss Maryland Agriculture meant to them, and explained the work that goes into competing for the opportunity to be a Miss. They told stories of countless hours preparing for speeches and learning the rules and regulations of the Farm Bureau to answer impromptu questions for interviews. But that was secondary to the passion they all shared for agriculture and the fun they had meeting women who share that passion.
reign, she taught a group of second graders where their food was sourced and how to be farmers for the day. Moore talked about an agricultural education opportunity that was considered at Calvert County high schools. The county had plans to use Curriculum of Agricultural Science Education (CASE) at Calvert Technology Academy (CTA), but the county ended up dropping the idea due to the lack of ag teachers. Moore believes passionately in the continuing need for agricultural education, and she points to the lack of agricultural teachers in the state and students in the agricultural education major at the university as evidence that the state needs more commitment to providing agricultural education. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources aims to address this statewide need; the Agricultural Science and Technology major is updating the Agricultural Education track and developing new pathways for students interested in agricultural education, and the IAA’s Leadership and Communication track offers foundational skills for ag ed professionals. As Moore points out, though, agriculture-related politics and funding are always tricky, and people in public roles— such as that of Miss Maryland Agriculture—will have to continue to advocate for agriculture at all levels of the curriculum. Since Moore focused on the politics that govern educational spending, it’s important to note how the
When asked, “What drew you to the contest?” Moore discussed her love of horses and the need for agricultural education in grade schools. During her Pictured: Rebecka Jones.
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political importance of Miss Maryland Agriculture has changed—today, the role of a Miss includes helping to change perceptions of farmers and farming. The IAA’s Director, Glori Hyman, sees plenty of differences as she remembers her own time spent as a contestant in the Miss Baltimore County Farm Bureau contest during the late 70s. She remarks, “Growing up on the farm, females provided labor. We weren’t included in strategic planning, business aspects or even learning how things grew. We were there to harvest, we were there to clean, we were there to pack, and we were strictly there as unskilled laborers. But like so many things, it takes generations for perceptions to change. And although many farms are run actually by husbands and wives— families—the men are typically seen as the farmer and the decision maker.” Mary Amoss, Coordinator for the Miss Maryland Agriculture Program, agrees; she reports that in the past, even though women were farming, they weren’t supposed to speak up and say they were doing a “man’s job.” Throughout history, Hyman says, aging farmers laid the groundwork and the farm went from one patriarch to another…and the women were completely left out. But times have changed—as Amoss points out, women now make up 40 percent of the agriculture industry—and Miss Maryland Agriculture has changed, too, emphasizing both personal and professional growth. Amoss believes this organization brings women together to understand all aspects of agriculture and builds leaders for the future. “We live agriculture everyday… Women have a very important role in promoting this (agriculture) to others. Their knowledge, their skills—they can do just about anything,” says Amoss. Her comments would apply in any industry; today it is important for women to be leaders, to take up space and fill a void, to have their voices heard, and to represent women that are like them, so that future young women know that they have the same and bigger opportunities in their future. Rebecka Jones, student services coordinator for the IAA, says that representation is important—and being Miss Calvert County Farm Bureau 2015 gave her the opportunity to be part of something bigger than herself. “While agriculture doesn’t seem like a huge thing to many people,” she says, “agriculture is Maryland’s number one industry. Having young women representing something that is male dominated is huge, and I think the program has a lot to say for the agriculture community.” Jones’s family is one of the few black farming families in Calvert County, and her reign gave face to a person of color representing agriculture, uncommon in her county and the state.
Pictured: Haley Moore.
Agriculture is a step toward progressive ideas about women in agriculture and other industries as well. Amoss cited the iconic 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, of the man in overalls holding a three prong pitchfork and the woman standing slightly behind him and to his right on their farm. This portrait was a common representation of farm life for many generations. But Miss Maryland Agriculture encourages women in agriculture to step to the front and be the leaders themselves. As Amoss says, “We left crowns and gowns for business suits. This is not a beauty pageant.”
“But that was secondary to the passion they all shared for agriculture and the fun they had meeting women who share that passion.“
Each woman who participates in Miss Maryland INAG News | WINTER/SPRING 2020 INAG-2020-WinterSpring.indd 11
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on customer familiarity with its products, which included muffins and trail mixes. The team banked on the popularity of two of its members whose friends became fast customers. When the team realized how popular its muffins were, The Fresher the Better team doubled the price per muffin from $1 to $2.
Real-Life, Hands-On Lesson for Entrepreneurial Students By: Tope Fajingbesi
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hile class presentations, reports of potential customers, and support of partners and competitors were smooth sailing, Institute of Applied Agriculture students enrolled in INAG 102: Agricultural Entrepreneurship discovered that those elements are only a small percentage of making a business profitable. When the course instructor, Tope Fajingbesi announced mandatory participation in the Terp Market Place on Wednesday, November 20, each of the four student groups doubled their efforts to put class work into practice. In true IAA fashion, students applied skills learned in their entrepreneurship class and in INAG103: Agricultural Marketing to real time marketplace selling. Two teams, Terrapin Sauce and The Fresher the Better, displayed their products side by side at the marketplace. Rather than competing with each other, the teams motivated and challenged one another during the two-hour-long event. Each team used a different approach to woo customers. Terrapin Sauce lured customers to their table with interesting names such as “Shell-Shocked” to describe its hot sauces and allowed customers to sample the sauces before buying. The Fresher the Better relied
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Both teams started the semester on a different path, but as they learned more in the class, new ideas emerged. The Fresher the Better team came a long way from the initial idea of selling fresh produce to students on campus. Based on the success at the Terp Marketplace, they feel they are on the right path in their entrepreneurship journey. Terrapin Sauce also had a steady stream of interest and income at the marketplace. This team pivoted from their initial idea of producing herbal infused wines to making a variety of hot sauce.
“At first, it was unclear if this business model would work, but being here [Terp Market Place] shows us that we can make things happen despite changes and challenges.“ SHANA BURKE, Terrapin Sauce Member Two other teams, Rod and Relax, a group set up to help students relieve stress through fishing, and Body Scrubz, a startup that produces body scrubs from natural ingredients, also participated in the market place. All of the teams were very delighted by their experience at the market place because they had the opportunity to apply skills learned in class, make a profit, and prepare for their final deliverable in INAG 102, pitching their business model in front of a panel of judges. The groups were even invited to join AGNR’s Ag Enterprise Challenge, an initiative of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization in agriculture, natural resources, and environmental sustainability.
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From Turf Bowl to Super
Bowl
By: Robert Ballenger
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his year’s Super Bowl marked a career pinnacle for the victorious Kansas City Chiefs – as well as two alumni of the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA). Jarod Knopp (Sports Turf Management, ’15) and Robert “Bobby” Blake, Jr. (Golf Course Management, ’17) were among the 38 members of the NFL’s Super Bowl grounds crew, which included groundskeepers from professional and college football teams as well as Major League Baseball. Both alumni currently work as groundskeepers for NFL teams. Blake began working for the New York Giants last year, and Knopp was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. Knopp’s hiring came soon after completing an internship with the Ravens while earning his IAA certificate. This past fall the NFL put out a call for Super Bowl groundskeepers, and Blake and Knopp were fortunate enough to get the green light from their respective bosses. In January they packed their bags and headed to Miami for the two-week job. Knopp and Blake worked long hours preparing football fields at multiple Miami venues. The Super Bowl grounds crew was responsible for the game field – which is home to the Miami Dolphins – as well as the San Francisco 49ers’ designated practice facility at the University of Miami. According to Blake, “we did anything and everything that was needed from tarping for the [halftime show] rehearsals to painting the game field and practice fields.” Knopp added that “the whole crew pushed 14+ hour days for two weeks straight leading up to the big day. We had days where we
would paint, then it would rain and it would wash the paint away so we would have to paint again. All in all, I think we had five full field re-paints.” The game field became the setting watched by nearly 100 million Super Bowl fans, according to the game’s official broadcaster (Fox). How well did the most-watched football field of the year sustain thousands of pounds of football players digging in with their cleats? “It held up really well,” Blake said. “It got chewed up a little bit, as is normal with Bermuda[grass], but the playability of it was incredible throughout the whole game.” (For the record, Blake said, the field was “Tifway 419 Bermuda overseeded with rye.”) During halftime, while worldwide viewers watched Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, the grounds crew performed a standard quality control inspection of the Bermudagrass field, fixing divots and picking up debris. The music stars and NFL pros weren’t the only high-profile people with whom Knopp and Blake shared the field and facilities. “You couldn’t go 20 feet without seeing some celebrity,” Blake said. Perhaps the biggest celebrity to the IAA alumni was one that football fans never heard of: George Toma. The head groundskeeper for the Kansas City Chiefs’ home turf has worked on every Super Bowl field, earning him unofficial titles as the Grandfather of Groundskeepers and the Sod God. Continued on Page 14.
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Turf Bowl to Super Bowl “He’s 91 years old and still walking all the fields,” Blake said. “In our industry he is the living legend...To be there with him when [his team] won – that was something special.” As IAA students just a few years ago, would Blake and Knopp have seen themselves working on football’s most coveted field, let alone with such a legend there? No way, they say. “Even when I was taking classes at the IAA,” Knopp said, “I didn’t see myself working for the Baltimore Ravens. It’s truly a blessing and an honor.” As a Ravens groundskeeper, Knopp has had the privilege of working for one of the few sports teams in the United States that employs some particularly impressive turf maintenance equipment. It caught the eye of IAA’s retired turfgrass advisor Kevin Mathias as he watched Super Bowl pre-game coverage on TV: “I saw in the background that they had grow lights on the field, and I said ‘Wow! That’s quite an investment.’” The grow lights, similar to those used in a greenhouse, are mounted to wheeled scaffoldings that are placed along vast stretches of the playing field. They supplement the limited winter sunshine that reaches the grass shaded by high stadium walls.
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As for Blake’s ability to help manage this technology at the Super Bowl, he credits what he learned about electricity from IAA instructor Roy Walls. Blake said Walls’ and other IAA instructors’ classes provided him with the foundation needed to fulfill his NFL groundskeeping duties. “The base knowledge that I got [at the IAA] I use every single day,” Blake explained, “whether it’s discoloration on the turf [or] equipment management.” Blake and Knopp are former students of both Walls and Mathias, and Knopp is especially grateful to those two instructors. “Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Knopp said, adding that “everything that I’ve learned from my time at the IAA has helped me improve and guided me with my job for me to get where I am.” Blake concurred, saying that “I’m able to walk into any kind of situation and use the base of knowledge that I’ve got, compounded with the onthe-job experience that I have. And it really puts you a step ahead when you’re trying to either get in the door, or you’re in the door and trying to make the next step. There’s no job too small.” Now that Blake and Knopp are alumni of both the IAA and the Super Bowl, would they be up for groundskeeping at the big game again? Absolutely. As Blake noted, “the hours were long, but it was fun. There’s nothing like it. There’s nothing like the Super Bowl… I would do it again in a second.”
Emily Novak, SUSAG ‘18, was recently married and is now starting her own business-Remote Flair, LLC.
Justin Bishop, GOLF‘11, is the Golf Course Superintendent at the Kendrick Golf Course, Sheridan, Wyoming.
Nicolas Tardif, HORT ‘18, was promoted to Field Manager and IPM/Pesticides Applicator Specialist with Ruppert Landscape, DC Maintenance Branch.
Buddy Hipp, GOLF ’11, is Construction Project Manager with JB Kline Landscaping in Latonsville, MD.
Congratulations to Meg Smolinski, HORT ‘16, and her husband for the birth of their daughter. Bryan Shepherd, GOLF ‘13, is now the Superintendent at Eagles Nest Country Club in Phoenix, Maryland. He became the Assistant there 2014, just after graduating from the IAA.
Congratulation to Ryan Kraushofer, TURF ‘05, and his wife for the birth of their daughter. Guy McDonald, GOLF ‘99, is the Superintendent at Mohawk Valley Country Club in Little Falls, NY. Bill Carroll, AGBUS ‘79, is a Senior Area Engineer with Maryland State Highway Administration. In addition, he is a Registered Land Surveyor in MD, DE, VA, and WV.
IAA.UMD.EDU
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IAA Alumni and Student Networking
Nine IAA alumni returned to campus in December to mentor current students in Glori Hyman’s Professional Development class. Andy Donelson (1988), Brian Hogan (2014), Scott Hosier (2017), Adam Newhart (2002), Nicole Shannon (2007), Julia Thome (2014), Jon Urbanski (1998), Sean Whiston (2012), and Trent Wolfersberger (2018) conducted mock interviews with students, provided feedback and pointers, and helped students navigate a networking event in UMD’s Career Center. The event was so well received by alumni and students that the IAA hopes to make it an annual event.
“I was very impressed with the students and their knowledge of the industry that they are pursuing.“ Andy Donelson ‘88
Alumni Happy Hour After the Mock Interview and Networking Event, IAA Alumni were invited to mingle at our annual Alumni Happy Hour held at Mulligan’s Grill and Pub.
Seeking Nominations for Alumni Awards The Institute of Applied Agriculture’s alumni are extraordinary individuals who contribute to their professions, the IAA, and society. To celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni, the IAA recognizes a Distinguished Alumnus and an Early Career Alumnus at our graduation celebration in May.
Nominations are due by March 31, 2020. For the criteria and to nominate, please visit go.umd.edu/alumni-awards
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID College Park, Maryland Permit No. 10
Jull Hall, Rm. 2123 4196 Stadium Drive University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-2525 Change Service Requested
Visit Us, Future Terp.
OPEN HOUSE March 6 | April 10
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