UAC Magazine - Summer 2021

water conservation & irrigation

URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE GEORGIA

Keeping Georgia’s green industry informed

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Advocate. Educate. Promote.

SUMMER 2021 |

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2 | UAC MAGAZINE

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UAC Magazine Official publication of the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council

Board of Directors Matt Lowe

Swift Straw Josh Morrow

Athletic Fields, Inc. Ken Morrow

The Turfgrass Group Chris Nelson

Chattahoochee Nature Center Bob Scott

Irrigation Consultant Services Ray Wiedman

Outdoor Expressions Ron White TurfPride

Ex Officio

Ellen Bauske

UGA Extension Public Service Assistant Bodie Pennisi

UGA Extension Horticulturist Clint Waltz

UGA Extension Turf Agronomist

Staff

Mary Kay Woodworth

Executive Director Kathy Johnson

Marketing Director & Editor

A member of: American Hort Atlanta Botanical Garden Georgia Arborist Association Georgia Association of Water Professionals Georgia Tree Council Georgia Water Alliance National Association of Landscape Professionals National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture Nursery & Landscape Association Executives RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) Tolar Capitol Partners

Georgia Urban Ag Council PO Box 3400 Duluth GA 30096 Phone: 706.750.0350 Fax: 404.900.9194 Email: office@georgiauac.com Web: urbanagcouncil.com All contents copyright 2021

4 | UAC MAGAZINE

URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE GEORGIA

SUMMER 2021

UAC NEWS

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Executive Director message GALA GALA is back and better than ever!

REGULAR FEATURES

6 8 12 15 16 18 20 54

Have you met... Jason Butler, Conserva Irrigation of Atlanta A peek inside Snellings Walters Insurance Agency Pest 411 Lantana lace bugs Save the date What the tech? Marketing automation Pro project Water conservation in action Safety works Water, rest, shade Directory of advertisers

BUSINESS 22 24 26 28 30 31

Supply and demand Impacts to the market Changing your focus Zooming in on a solutions-based approach Marketing 101 Series, Part 1 Value propositions Is your marketing working? Part 1 How would you know?

Irrigation info for your customers Maintenance and upgrades Irrigation info for your customers Benefits of "smart" irrigation

INDUSTRY 32 35 36 38 40 40 41 42

Legislative update Capitol Connection UAC member poll results Keep it growing UGA Hort Club helps grow scholarship funding Martinez recognized for excellence APS award Schwartz receives award Are you WaterSmart?

Promoting water stewardship NICH update Gearing up for the 2023 Farm Bill

URBAN AG

44 Help save the bees Your lawn could play a role 46 Seeing brown instead of green? Influx of disease to evergreens 50 Bulbs in turfgrass Research examines performance

UAC NEWS

Dear UAC Members and Supporters, It’s been great to interact in person with so many of our members the past few months!

If you have talked with colleagues from other areas of the US and Canada during the last year, you realize how fortunate we are in Georgia to have had the freedom to continue working and living our lives (safely and healthily) these recent months.

Despite the challenges, business-wise, 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been banner years! Demand is up and continues, but landscape contractors are concerned about having to turn away for two reasons: lack of labor and supply chain challenges.

Looking ahead

been in the market 4“I’ve for 30 years and have

never seen it like this – it’s a supplier’s market.”

is tightening up, 4“Product and we are seeing growers

protect crops for this fall and next spring by limiting current availability and not selling into future crops. Anything new on the market in the last three years does not have the numbers behind it in production to sustain it during a crunch like this. This goes for trees and shrubs.”

I contacted several of our members to ask them what they have encountered, and their outlook for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. Here is a sampling of their comments:

“Raw material shortages are a real issue - resin for 4 containers, PVC and possibly even pine bark for were fortunate to see some of the demand coming, potting. Growers are having a 2 to 3 month lag time 4“We so we gambled and purchased (plants) very heavily in in getting containers and our main irrigation supplier the fall and winter, and still hade most items available for sale through May. Early June, we are seeing many suppliers with extremely limited availabilities but the promise of more product by July/August is encouraging. “

tells us their PVC manufacturer is not taking any new orders at this time.”

is also a large concern. We have already 4“Inflation seen the price increases on the front end with timbers,

late May, sod supplies were scarce.

4“Through Hopefully, with warm weather, sod suppliers should be back online in mid-June.”

to suppliers: Honor your customers and you’ll 4“Advice come out ahead. Be upright and honest in how you

4 from Tennessee – wait time is 3-4 months 4“Riverstone – no labor!” stone and wall building systems have been 4“Man-made rationed over the last 12 months or so due to labor “Hardlines have been extremely profitable over the last 18+ months, but supplies have continued to dwindle.”

and raw material shortages. Demand has far exceeded supply and there is a waiting list for product.”

have tripled in price due to shortages along 4“Timbers with pinestraw and prices are increasing.” of all sectors of our business, hardlines has 4“Out suffered the most (to date) due to the shortages. Sales, however, remain high – almost at a record pace. “

is the root cause of these shortages as West 4“COVID Coast harbors had not received freight for a long

period of time. Combine this with the labor shortage, both locally and nationally and I believe this industry, as well as many, will be held back only by the amount of product that can be produced given the potential shortage of materials.”

mulches, etc. I believe it is only a matter of time before that increase trickles down to the grower and ultimately to the consumer.”

communicate to them – don’t promise what you can’t deliver!”

Christian Roberson, Buck Jones Nursery, said it best:

“Despite all of the challenges, we are grateful for the tremendous year we have had to date, and we are hopeful for a strong second half of the year.

Challenges are a part of every business and the job would be far less interesting if everything just fell into place. As I like to say, 'It’s farming.' We all strive to do the best we can do, put all of our best practices in place, and in the end, put it all in God’s hands.”

Have a wonderful and prosperous summer and I look forward to hearing from our members!

Mary Kay Woodworth | Executive Director SUMMER 2021 |

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HAVE YOU MET

Have you met...

Jason Butler

Conserva Irrigation of Atlanta

that last a lifetime and give a sense of wisdom. For me, it’s not about doing it over as much as listening closer when I was young and learning more.

The thing I like most about my career is…..planting seeds. The most rewarding aspect of

my current career is starting a business from scratch, hiring the first employee and watching them grow, then the next and before I knew it, this little business had exploded to be a tight-knit business family. Investing in others to achieve their personal goals all while striking a work-life balance has always been center to my success.

My least favorite part of my job is… exceptionally long hours and inability to hire!

}

"Investing in others to achieve their personal goals all while striking a work-life balance has always been center to my success."

The one thing most responsible for my success is…surrounding myself with key personnel and investing in their success. Hard work, grit and never-give-up attitude.

If I could change careers, just for a month, I would…spend a month in the mission’s field supporting/helping communities for a better future.

One thing that really annoys me is…

My first job in the green industry was...

laziness!

The biggest challenge in my career has been…being the owner – not working in the

all thing fitness: workout, run, compete in obstacle course races, work in our yard, stay active at all times.

with Conserva Irrigation.

business and focusing on working on the business.

The person who most influenced my career was…my mother. Not so much

influenced…more about encouragement. She was there to celebrate my wins and there when I needed someone to just listen and tell me to get back up again and press forward. RIP 04/24/2020

When I’m not working, I like to do…

One thing most people don’t know about me is…by the time I was 22 I had spent a total of about 6 months in the mission’s field throughout South American, Cuba and the Caribbean.

My biggest career success so far has been…shifting careers from boardrooms, suits, and planes to the outdoors and digging holes; knowing nothing about a new industry but willing to take the risk and make the change.

If I had it to do over again, I would…

listen and learn more. The past is what molds our future. Each decision affects the next and so on. To achieve greatness, I believe you must make mistakes and constantly learn. The experiences become lessons

6 | UAC MAGAZINE

Conserva Irrigation of Atlanta Address: 4485 Commerce Drive, Suite 103

Buford GA 30518 Phone: 678-371-2020 Email: NorthAtlanta@ConservaIrrigation.com Web: ConservaIrrigation.com

UAC NEWS

GALA

GEORGIA URBAN AG COUNCIL

GEORGIA LANDSCAPE AWARDS

Your time to shine

GALA is back and better than ever!

Get ready! UAC's Georgia Landscape Awards

(GALA) are coming for 2022. That means this is the year to photograph all of your best projects while they're at their peak.

Entering has never been easier

Details, worksheets, success tips, past winners, entry form - it’s all online: urbanagcouncil.com/galageorgia-landscape-awards.

Reap the rewards

Award winners will be honored by their peers at the annual awards banquet and ceremony on March 2, 2022 at Piedmont Park’s Magnolia Hall.

PLUS:

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We’ll help you promote your winning projects by posting them on our Houzz, Instagram, and Facebook pages and tagging your company.

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Grand award winners will be featured on UAC’s home page for one year.

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A photo gallery of distinction and grand projects will be added to UAC’s website.

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GALA projects are featured in UAC Magazine, on our Georgia Landscape Pro consumer blog, and in our My Home Improvement magazine ads.

>

A “GALA WINNER” graphic badge will be placed on your company’s UAC web profile and you’ll get a “GALA WINNER” graphic badge to use on your website, correspondence, and business promotions.

>

We’ll provide a press release template to help you spread the word about your winning projects.

you gather it, as time permits. When you’re done, use it to fill in the blanks on the online form. Download your worksheet and get started today!

Online form: Once your worksheet is complete, use the information to complete the online GALA entry form: urbanagcouncil. com/gala-georgialandscape-awards.

You can copy and paste information from the worksheet into the appropriate places on the form.

Be sure to save the worksheet as a record of your entry. Use what you’ve written about your project to promote your company in other ways!

Important dates Early Bird deadline

Early January 2022 Final deadline for entries

End of January 2022 Judging of entries

Mid-February 2022 Notification of awards

Late February 2022 Awards banquet & ceremony

March 2, 2022

Don't miss this chance to show off your work and reward your team!

It's not too early to get started Photos: Gather up to 12 photos to tell your project’s story, focusing on "before" and "after" shots.

Worksheet: Our GALA worksheet walks you through everything you need to do. Start it anytime and save it on your computer so you can add info as

Picture your team in the winners' circle.

>>>>>> Enter early and save $$ on your entry fee! <<<<<<

SUMMER 2021 |

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A PEEK INSIDE

A peek inside...

Snellings Walters Insurance Agency Join us as we take a peek inside the operation of this UAC member company.

Meet our team Billy Potter

Chief Sales Officer Billy joined Snellings Walters in 2011 to lead the Employee Benefits Division, and welcomed the invitation to become an owner in 2018. He was nationally recognized for winning Broker of the Year by BenefitsPro magazine, and attributes his success in sales to asking thought-provoking questions.

Today, he is responsible for the development and execution of the Agency’s vision, and fostering an engaging environment so tomorrow’s leaders can successfully perpetuate our proudly privately-held Agency.

Outside of work Billy is an active member at his church, loves to spend time with his four children, and play golf!

Alexandra Gebara

Open Enrollment Coordinator Alexandra is a Benefits Project Manager at Snellings Walters. She joined the company in 2016 with a background in insurance and financial services. Alexandra is dedicated to serving the Hispanic customer base with the goal of educating her customers about their benefits and health insurance options. She specializes in managing group benefits open enrollments and projects.

Alexandra has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and she is bilingual. She is licensed in Property & Casualty Insurance as well as Health & Life Insurance, and she also holds the Certification of Employee Benefits designation (CEBS).

Outside of Snellings Walters, she enjoys traveling with her family, playing tennis, and practicing yoga.

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What we do

Snellings Walters Insurance Agency (SWIA), based out of Atlanta, GA, is the leading commercial insurance and employee benefits company in the industry, with over 65 years of experience helping lead complex businesses into safety and security. Throughout the years, Snellings Walters has continued to evolve to provide businesses and families with the most innovative products, highly skilled advisors, and an unparalleled standard of client care.

How we got started

Founded in 1952 by John Snellings, SWIA began as an agency primarily in the Personal Insurance business located in the downtown Atlanta area. In the early 1970s Nunnally Walters joined the agency and services were expanded to include Commercial Insurance and Employee Benefits.

In recent years we have implemented a bilingual enrollment team and added Small Business Units.

Even through all these additions, we’re proud to say that we’ve remained a privately held agency since our inception.

How we do it

Our process is as unique as you are:

DEFINE the “why” and identify the real issues you want to fix.

ACCESS the time, money, and resources needed from both parties. Decide if the issues are understood, fixable, and ensure you genuinely want our help.

ALIGN and establish who is impacted by the change

and in what ways. All decision makers are present.

ENGAGE and make the critical decision on whether

we are aligned and if you choose us. If proceeding, this meeting results in the removal of your current insurance relationship.

IMPLEMENT a plan by installing deliverables,

accountability to core measurables and key data points, communicate to establish clarity, and empower the right individuals to lead the team to success.

A PEEK INSIDE This is just the beginning! When you work with us, you can expect continued support:

4 PERSONALIZED. All of our plans are fully customized to meet the

specific needs of our clients, and milestones will be put in place to analyze and evaluate effectiveness on a regular basis.

APPROACH. 4 TEAM We’re here to be your partners and insurance

advocates. You can always expect to work with trained experts who are familiar with your account.

4 RESPONSIVE. We provide timely responses to email and phone requests, and even have bilingual support.

What sets us apart

We are the only Commercial Insurance and Employee Benefits company that energizes with a proven process.

Growth is personal for us, and we believe in truthful engagement…that means mutual trust and no sugar-coating.

We are committed to a greater cause. Ten years ago, Clay Snellings [CEO], gathered the Atlanta insurance community and formed Insure the Cure, a team that participates in the Great Strides Walk, a national event hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. As a result, millions of dollars have been raised for cystic fibrosis research and much progress has been made, but we won’t stop until CF stands for CURE FOUND.

Our partnership with the Georgia Urban Ag Council

Our relationship started with Will Pharr and his involvement with MALTA, which is now the Georgia Urban Ag Council.

We were approached by the MALTA Board of Directors because they were in need of a solution for their small business owners, and we were able to create a process and customized solutions for UAC members that fit their needs for commercial and medical insurance.

Tom Godfrey

Small Market Benefit Advisor Tom has worked in the insurance industry for over nine years and joined Snellings Walters in 2014.

He graduated from The University of Georgia with a major in Risk Management & Insurance, and started his career on the carrier side where he received product training and experience working with underwriters and brokers.

Tom is a relationship-driven individual that finds joy in bringing solutions to complex problems, particularly in the area of healthcare cost containment. He strives to inspire confidence, and as your advocate, he can help design a benefits program that meets the needs of your small business.

Tom’s passions include live music, comedy, and traveling to new places (especially if there is a beach involved).

Will Pharr

Commercial Lines Partner Will graduated from The University of Georgia in 1971 and began his insurance career with Cook, Virden and Pharr, Inc. in Atlanta. He founded W. S. Pharr & Company in 1989 which served business, personal and benefit clients for over twenty years.

He has been active in the Atlanta and Georgia Associations of Independent Agents as well as the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers.

Pharr advises clients with complex exposures to Liability and Workers Compensation with a focus on outcomes results.

He is currently active in the Madison Morgan Cultural Center, the Morgan County Conservancy, and the Madison First United Methodist Church.

Will and his wife Diane have two children in college.

SUMMER 2021 |

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A PEEK INSIDE Alex Kops

Commercial Lines Advisor A native of Woodstock, Georgia, Alex graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a degree in International Global Studies.

During his time at Sewanee, Alex was a member of their football program and served as a captain on the team in his senior year. In 2016, he began his career as an assistant football coach for Berry College while also pursuing his Masters of Business Administration.

His experience coaching college athletes sparked a passion for building meaningful relationships and making a difference in people’s lives, which is what drove him to enter the insurance industry in 2018.

In his spare time, he can be found spending time with friends and family, traveling to new places, and enjoying the outdoors.

SEED sponsorship opportunities support | energize | enable | develop

Please contact us to see how we can help your company

Phone: 770-396-9600

Email: info@snellingswalters.com

Web: snellingswalters.com

Diamond Sponsor

seed support | energize | enable | develop

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

Snellings Walters proudly supports the Georgia Urban Ag Council and the green industry.

Thank you to all of our SEED sponsors!

SEED sponsorships offer our members an opportunity to promote their businesses and support UAC at a level beyond the membership dues.

seed support | energize | enable | develop

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

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706.750.0350 | office@georgiauac.com | urbanagcouncil.com

SUMMER 2021 |

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PEST 411

Keep an eye on lantana

Lantana lace bugs on the attack this summer

by Shimat V. Joseph, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia

Although lantana is regarded as an invasive weed in the U.S. and worldwide, many popular cultivars are still planted in residential and public ornamental landscapes and gardens.

Previously, the lantana lace bug was introduced deliberately to several countries as a biological control agent for lantana control.

Fig. 1. Adult of lantana lace bug.

All photos by Shimat V. Joseph, University of Georgia

Identification and biology

An adult lantana lace bug is flat and about 3 mm long, and 1 mm wide. Lantana lace bug adults and nymphs are brown-colored and hide in dried areas within leaf folds and easily camouflage to the affected lantana plant (Fig. 1 and 3).

Adults are sculptured and have a distinct “X” mark on the back created by the wing folds (Fig. 1). The wing margins are rounded. Wings are distinctly narrowed across the abdomen. The antennae are brown and cylindrical with an elongated third segment.

Fig. 2. Egg of lantana lace bug (blue arrow).

12 | UAC MAGAZINE

Females singly insert off-white, torpedo-shaped eggs into the leaf tissue on the underside of the leaves along both sides of the mid-rib, lateral veins, and thick margins of the leaves (Fig. 2). Once the eggs are implanted, females typically cover the eggs with tarlike excrement. Newly emerged females begin to mate and start laying eggs after 5 to 6 days. The eggs hatch and nymphs molt through five nymphal stages before molting into adults.

The young nymphal stages are found aggregated on the underside of the leaves (Fig. 3), but they actively disperse all over the plant as they molt into later

Fig. 3. Young nymphs on underside of lantana leaf.

PEST 411 stages. The late stages of nymphs have distinct spines on them. Adults and nymphs are occasionally found on the upper side of the leaves. At 80 °F, the egg to adult interval is 3-4 weeks, and several overlapping generations can occur in Georgia conditions.

chlorophyll content in the cells affects photosynthesis and water exchange. The affected leaves lose the vigor, begin to wilt, and die from the tip of the leaves (Fig. 4 and 5). Severe infestations can affect several leaves on a plant and eventually kill the entire plant.

Based on preliminary observations, adults of lantana lace bug overwinter in the leaf litters of the lantana plant. The nymphs are found feeding on leaves at the beginning of April as the lantana plants put out new shoots from the crown. The eggs do not survive the winter as the green leaves dry up when the temperature goes below freezing. In the summer, a severe infestation of lace bugs quickly depletes the resources, and adults disperse, seeking a new lantana plant.

Management

The lantana plants should be regularly inspected for any lace bug activity starting April if the plants are already in the landscape. If new lantana plants are planted in the landscape during the summer, regular monitoring of lace bugs is still important. In spring, lace bug nymphs appear first, as the adults typically die after egg-laying. The nymphs can be observed on the underside of the leaves using a hand lens. If any damaged leaves are observed, those leaves should be removed by hand and destroyed.

Damage symptoms

Lantana lace bugs colonize the underside of the leaves.

They have piercing and sucking mouthparts where the feeding apparatus is reduced to needles. They arrange and rearrange these needles to form salivary and food channels to spit and digest the food and consume.

They feed on chlorophyll in the upper leaf surface by inserting the needles through the stomatal opening in the underside of the leaves. The affected cells lose chlorophyll and initially appear bleached, as reduced

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Chemical insecticides are not required if the infestation is mild. The presence of many generalist predators, such as assassin bugs, mirid bugs, bigeyed bugs, minute pirate bugs, green lacewings, and spiders, could reduce the eggs and nymphs of lantana lace bugs. The repeated spray of water (high pressure) or mild insecticides, such as insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils, can reduce densities of lantana lace bugs.

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It’s All About the Flex Space

Cozy up this winter with these beautiful and functional fireplaces and fire pits. p. 32

How shelter in place changed the way we use our homes p. 25

See what's new for 2021 p. 41

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IS PROUD TO BE AN ACTIVE, SUPPORTING UAC MEMBER

BEST OF

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Atlanta’s top professionals and places AtlantaHomeImprovement.com

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WAYS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR HOME

Earth-saving tips for sustainable living p.19

Wellness Within Your Walls p. 21

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A Sound Experience

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SUMMER 2021 |

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PEST 411 If the population size increases to unmanageable levels, applications of chemical insecticide are warranted.

Because the lantana lace bug populations colonize the underside of the leaves, thorough coverage of insecticide spray is essential with contact insecticides, such as bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, or permethrin.

Fig. 4. The drying leaf tip after lantana lace bug feeding.

Insecticide applications are advised at the beginning of May as they can help reduce the development of further generations. A repeated application of insecticide at a 2-3 week interval will substantially control the second generation of lantana lace bugs.

On large-sized bushes or plants with thick canopy, systemic insecticides, such as imidacloprid or dinotefuran, would be the best approach. Insect growth regulators, such as pyriproxyfen, novaluron would be effective against nymphal stages but not on adults.

Fig. 5. Lantana lace bug feeding damage.

Before using any insecticides, the insecticide label should be carefully read, including the precautionary statements to avoid any nontarget exposure to beneficial insects, such as predators and pollinators.

Your local Cooperative Extension Office can help with proper insecticide selection and use of the insecticides.

ugaurbanag.com/certification

14 | UAC MAGAZINE

Visit urbanagcouncil.com for updates and to register.

UAC Networking + Education Dinner Sponsored by Topiary Courtyard Networking + Education Dinner

DATE: Tuesday, September 21 TIME: 6:00 pm dinner PLACE: Topiary Courtyard

DATE: To be advised TIME: To be advised PLACE: Gwinnett Technical College

Blast your troubles away | Win prizes | Eat BBQ DATE: Thursday, October 28 TIME: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm PLACE: Blalock Lakes

21

OCT

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Gwinnett Tech Horticulture Student/Industry Event Networking + Education Dinner

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Register as a team or an individual! Sponsorships available!

UAC Sod Producers + Landscape Field Day PLUS 74th Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference

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The easiest 5% you'll ever save. Sign up for auto-renew now!

UAC business-level members now can select the auto-recurring payment option for their annual membership investment and get an immediate 5% discount. NOTE: The auto-recurring payment option is available for credit card payments only. Your credit card automatically will be charged on your annual renewal date.

It's easy: First, go to urbanagcouncil.com > Membership > Manage and click on "Log in as a member."

Even easier: call us and we'll make the change for you! 706.750.0350 SUMMER 2021 |

15

WHAT THE TECH?

Marketing automation

It's time to nurture and grow your customers

by Kevin Bossons, WT Digital Agency

Photo by Elijah Hail on Unsplash

It's hot. It's summer. It may just be a good time to get some marketing processes automated before things gear up again for fall planting.

How much time do you spend reaching out to current customers or marketing to potential customers?

Marketing automation refers to software that helps businesses automate their communication strategy with prospects as well as current clients. It is also an easy way to solicit feedback for testimonials.

What are the objectives?

Marketing automation allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks based on user activity; for example, sending a specific email to a user who filled out a form three months ago and is back on the site reading through your service pages.

Marketing automation allows business owners to create automatic processes to handle the repetitive time-consuming tasks, so they can focus on the actual opportunities.

16 | UAC MAGAZINE

What marketing automation is NOT

X Spammy email marketing. Marketing

automation is not meant to be used as a tool to spam your contacts. Not only is spamming bad marketing form, but it can also impair your general marketing efforts. Marketing automation is most rewarding when used to send customized relevant content to your contacts. All your customer communications must add value in some way.

X A tool with a singular function. Marketing

automation is not just a fancy word for email marketing. It encompasses an entire suite of tools to help companies drive more leads, convert those leads to sales, and maximize spend. This includes features like landing page builder, built-in CRM, reporting capabilities, social media management, sales pipeline forecasting, and so much more.

X A “set it and forget it” solution. Marketing

automation is an incredible tool that helps businesses achieve real results. But those results do not occur without the right processes, strategies, and efforts set in place. Marketing automation objectives are meant to enhance and support marketing and sales, NOT become a one-size-

WHAT THE TECH? fits-all substitute. So don’t sit back and expect marketing automation to magically reach your business goals without you.

So, what does marketing automation software do?

3Generates more leads by identifying anonymous web visitors and capturing them with forms, so your sales funnel stays full.

3Increases the number of qualified leads by

nurturing all leads with personalized content, based on user behavior. Think user action >marketing automation reaction.

3Drives more sales by identifying sales-ready leads

and helping the sales team follow up as fast as possible with emails that can be manually deployed or phone/video chat integrations your sales team can leverage to quickly respond to sales interest.

3Improves up-selling and cross-selling by

developing and retaining existing customers.

3Allows you to see comprehensive ROI for every marketing tactic by tracking the entire sales process from end-to-end.

There is considerable evidence supporting the value that marketing automation can bring to B2C companies. According to a report by VB Insight, 80% of automation users saw their amount of leads increase, and 77% saw their number of conversions increase.

Furthermore, companies using marketing automation see a revenue growth rate that is 3.1% higher than nonusers.

If you don’t want your marketing message to get ignored, it needs to be more targeted and personal than ever before. Nurturing leads with relevant content is changing the landscape of digital marketing.

It’s not a client database vs. marketing automation anymore... it’s an all-in-one solution from WT Digital Agency. WT Digital can help you set up and use a marketing automation solution to drive and nurture leads. Then use the built-in automated client database to manage the pipeline, log sales activity and close deals.

We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you and discuss how marketing automation software can be personalized and deployed for your specific business objectives. Visit wtmarketing.com/get-in-touch or call 404-649-0261.

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17

SAVE THE DATE PRO PROJECT

Water conservation in action

Elementary school's "Smartville Garden" demonstrates and educates Project by Fockele Garden Company

A pump house with a green roof is a visible statement of the theme of the garden.

The stormwater system at Smartville Garden demonstrates how rainwater falling on a garden can be collected, stored and used by the garden itself.

Through research and expertise, we designed and built a versatile and interesting water collection system that provides maximum teaching and learning opportunities. Downspouts carry water from the roof to seven storage tanks- four below ground and three above. Their total capacity of 10,000 gallons is more

than enough to supply the entire garden. No municipal water is used. Swales, primary and secondary basins, a bog, a green roof, and overflow outlets provide for surface infiltration.

The stormwater system is simple to operate and a valuable teaching tool. The roof water is directed into above-ground tanks. When the tanks are full, they overflow into a rock-lined swale, which slows the stormwater, encourages percolation, and leads the excess to infiltration basins.

The ponds allow large volumes of water to percolate into the soil. The ponds and swales are planted with Iris, Bald Cypress, Carex, and other plants that enjoy getting their feet wet.

18 | UAC MAGAZINE

The mature plantings now conceal most of the stormwater management system, but every element can be accessed for teaching how conservation of water works.

In 2017, this old school was torn down to build a larger school.

Unfortunately, the Smartville Garden was demolished.

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19

SAVE THE DATE SAFETY WORKS

Water, rest, shade

The work can't get done without them from OSHA.gov heavy or non-breathable protective clothing, and workers who are new to an outdoor job need additional precautions beyond those warranted by heat index alone.

Workers new to outdoor jobs are generally most at risk for heat-related illnesses. For example, Cal/OSHA investigated 25 incidents of heat-related illness in 2005. In almost half of the cases, the worker involved was on their first day of work and in 80% of the cases the worker involved had only been on the job for four or fewer days. That's why it's important to gradually increase the workload or allow more frequent breaks to help new workers and those returning to a job after time away build up a tolerance for hot conditions.

Make sure that workers understand the risks and are "acclimatized."

Heat-related illnesses occur when the body is not able to lose enough heat to balance the heat generated by physical work and external heat sources. Weather conditions are the primary external heat sources for outdoor workers.

Outdoor workers include any workers who spend a substantial portion of the shift outdoors. The risk of heat-related illness becomes greater for these workers as the weather gets hotter and more humid. Additional risk factors are listed below. These must be taken into consideration even when the heat index is lower.

Outdoor workers who are exposed to hot and humid conditions are at risk of heat-related illness.

For people working outdoors in hot weather, both air temperature and humidity affect how hot they feel. The "heat index" is a single value that takes both temperature and humidity into account. The higher the heat index, the hotter the weather feels, since sweat does not readily evaporate and cool the skin. The heat index is a better measure than air temperature alone for estimating the risk to workers from environmental heat sources.

> Work in direct sunlight - adds up to 15 degrees to the heat index. > Perform prolonged or strenuous work > Wear heavy protective clothing or impermeable suits

Protective measures for each risk level

water. Water should have a palatable 4Drinking (pleasant and odor-free) taste and water temperature

Heat-related illness can be prevented

OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in hot environments. Nonetheless, under the OSH Act, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized serious hazards in the workplace, including heat-related hazards. Use the information in this article to prepare and implement hot weather plans and use the heat index to determine when extra precautions are needed to protect workers from environmental contributions to heat-related illness.

Workers performing strenuous activity, workers using

20 | UAC MAGAZINE

should be 50°F to 60°F, if possible.

drinks. Encourage workers to choose water over 4Other soda and other drinks containing caffeine and high sugar content. These drinks may lead to dehydration.

Drinks with some flavoring added may be more palatable to workers and thereby improve hydration.

Encourage workers to avoid drinking alcohol after work shifts, during hot weather events.

Use the following protective measures described for each risk level to help you plan ahead, and schedule and train your workers so that everyone is prepared to work safely as the heat index rises.

SAFETY WORKS SAVE THE DATE SAFETY WORKS The most critical actions employers should take to help prevent heat-related illness at each risk level: Heat index

Risk level

Protective measures

<91°F

Lower (Caution)

> > > > >

Provide drinking water Ensure that adequate medical services are available Plan ahead for times when heat index is higher, including worker heat safety training Encourage workers to wear sunscreen Acclimatize workers

If workers must wear heavy protective clothing, perform strenuous activity or work in the direct sun, additional precautions are recommended to protect workers from heat-related illness.* 91°F to 103°F

Moderate

In addition to the steps listed above: > Remind workers to drink water often (about 4 cups/hour)** > Review heat-related illness topics with workers: how to recognize heat-related illness, how to prevent it, and what to do if someone gets sick > Schedule frequent breaks in a cool, shaded area > Set up buddy system/instruct supervisors to watch workers for signs of heat-related illness If workers must wear heavy protective clothing, perform strenuous activity or work in the direct sun, additional precautions are recommended to protect workers from heat-related illness.* > Schedule activities at a time when the heat index is lower > Develop work/rest schedules > Monitor workers closely

103°F to 115°F High

In addition to the steps listed above: > Alert workers of high risk conditions > Actively encourage workers to drink plenty of water (about 4 cups/hour)** > Limit physical exertion (e.g. use mechanical lifts) > Have a knowledgeable person at the worksite who is well-informed about heat-related illness and able to determine appropriate work/rest schedules > Establish and enforce work/rest schedules > Adjust work activities (e.g., reschedule work, pace/rotate jobs) > Use cooling techniques > Watch/communicate with workers at all times When possible, reschedule activities to a time when heat index is lower

>115°F

Very High to Extreme

Reschedule non-essential activity for days with a reduced heat index or to a time when the heat index is lower.

Move essential work tasks to the coolest part of the work shift; consider earlier start times, split shifts, or evening and night shifts.

Strenuous work tasks and those requiring the use of heavy or non-breathable clothing or impermeable chemical protective clothing should not be conducted when the heat index is at or above 115°F. If essential work must be done, in addition to the steps listed above: > Alert workers of extreme heat hazards > Establish water drinking schedule (about 4 cups/hour)** > Develop and enforce protective work/rest schedules > Conduct physiological monitoring (e.g., pulse, temperature, etc) > Stop work if essential control methods are inadequate or unavailable.

The heat index is a simple tool and a useful guide for employers making decisions about protecting workers in hot weather. It does not account for certain conditions that contribute additional risk, such as physical exertion. Consider taking the steps at the next highest risk level to protect workers from the added risks posed by working in the direct sun (can add up to 15°F to the heat index value) and/or wearing heavy clothing or protective gear. ** Under most circumstances, fluid intake should not exceed 6 cups per hour or 12 quarts per day. This makes it particularly important to reduce work rates, reschedule work, or enforce work/rest schedules.

SUMMER 2021 |

21

BUSINESS

Supply and demand

How market disruptions and individual decisions impact the market

by Ben Campbell, Ph. D, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UGA Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

Supply and demand are such simple concepts; yet understanding what drives these two concepts is extremely complex.

Just when we think we have it figured it out there is a market disruption (big and/or small) that moves the goal line and makes us have to rethink pricing, marketing, etc. in the short- and longrun.

Some key concepts to note:

1.

Supply: the amount of a good or service a firm will try to sell in the market; law of supply-the higher the price, the more the firm will try (would like to) sell in the market,

2.

Demand: the amount of a good or service a consumer will buy in the market; law of demand-the higher the price, the less a consumer will purchase,

3.

Equilibrium: where supply and demand meet; generally, this would be where we see a large number of firms pricing at or near;

4.

Margin: the difference between what price a good/service is sold for (price) and the cost of getting the good to market.

In a world with no disruptions the market would move to and stay at an equilibrium point where price and quantity would remain static over time. However, a world without disruptions does not exist so supply and demand (and consequently the equilibrium and a firm’s margin) are constantly changing.

Let’s look at some examples.

coronavirus pandemic quarantined people at home many turned to landscaping to fill their time. As more and more people began to landscape, the demand for pine straw and other landscaping materials (e.g., plants) increased drastically, driving prices higher.

In many cases a higher price in Georgia would result in importing pine straw from other places to take advantage of the shortage in Georgia caused by the increased demand. However, we saw increased demand throughout the U.S. which resulted in prices moving higher with no mitigation from imports. Coupling this with rising input costs (e.g., freight and labor shortages, gas prices increase, weather, etc.), which would tend to lower supply and drive-up price, prices increased to a new higher equilibrium.

Moving out of the pandemic we would expect demand to decrease from their 2020 levels. However, on the supply side we would expect input prices to increase and producers to look to bring more pine straw in production (such as acquiring new acres to harvest) to take advantage of the shortage in the market. Given this scenario, lower demand and increased supply will drive down price while increased input costs will drive up price. The bigger of the two effects will dictate whether price increases or decreases in the future.

straw. As we moved into 2020 a plethora of Sod. Prior to the Great Recession of 2008-2009 the 4Pine market disruptions hit the market that have driven 4 sod market was full of suppliers with many firms prices higher. These disruptions hit both the demand and supply side of the market. For instance, as the

22 | UAC MAGAZINE

expanding production acreage. As the Great Recession took hold many firms (and acreage) left the market

BUSINESS (approximately 57% reduction). This decline in production resulted in a reduction in supply which would drive up the equilibrium price; however, during this time demand also was negatively impacted as housing starts and discretionary income were reduced.

As the Great Recession ended, demand returned at a faster rate than production came back online; thereby resulting in firms having the ability to increase prices.

Fast forward to 2016 and beyond. Many input prices have increased which would result in higher prices as some firms would reduce supply or try to increase their margin by increasing prices to offset increasing costs. As we headed toward 2020 there was booming GDP growth which was led by increased housing starts; thereby leading to increased demand. So as demand increased and input costs increased (e.g., increases in chemical, lumber, and labor costs, etc.), the equilibrium price moved higher. Moving into 2020 we might have expected a big dip in prices as the economy stuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic which slowed house builds; however, as consumer were quarantined at home, they began doing landscaping which mitigated some of the demand loss coming from slowed housing starts.

The pandemic caused a surge in demand for 4Plants. plants. Many producers sold all the plants they could

get their hands on (including plants intended for market several years down the line). As prices rose in response to the increased demand, many producers expanded their production for 2021 to take advantage of the 2020 demand levels. However, a reduction in demand in 2021 due to consumers moving away from working from home and the increased supply would drive prices lower than 2020 levels. Over time we would expect that the market disruption caused by the pandemic will leave the system and supply and demand will return to pre-pandemic levels.

With respect to supply and demand, agricultural goods are not alone in how they respond to changes in supply and demand. For instance, when a hurricane is headed to the Gulf Coast there is generally a rise in gas prices as consumers increase demand for gasoline due to their perception that gas may be hard to come by or that prices will increase in the future. We also see the impacts of supply and demand when looking at the pandemic’s impact on toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Though many retailers did not increase prices, the secondary market (people buying then reselling) saw prices increase drastically.

Final thoughts

As firms make business decisions on pricing, it is essential that firms understand supply and demand, who their customer is, and the margins for each of the products they sell.

The overall supply curve is made up of each individual firm’s supply curve and the overall demand curve is made up of each individual customer’s demand curve.

Given this, some consumers (i.e., market segments) may be more amenable to paying higher prices while other consumers may be less able or willing to pay more for a product. On the flip side, some firm’s may have to charge higher prices given their cost structures and vice versa.

Understanding your cost structure and the market (customers) you are servicing will allow you to understand what you are and are not able to do when there are market disruptions. Taking it a step further, by understanding your market segments and how it relates to the margin for a product will allow a firm to decide whether a price increase can be passed onto consumers.

As input prices go up a firm may not be able to charge for rising input costs so they either accept the lower margin, find new customers that will pay a higher price, or eat some of the input cost and pass a small amount to consumers.

The decision of raising prices should not be thought of in a vacuum (short-term). It may be that charging a high price today because the market allows it may cause customers to move to competition, especially if as noted earlier a shortterm demand shortage will work its way out of the system quickly. Price increases may be warranted if the overall trend (supply and/or demand side forces) are moving prices higher over time or if a firm is dealing with a market segment that will absorb the price increase.

Thereby, looking at supply and demand we can get a general idea what should be happening with price. The individual firm decision of whether to increase price should be based on the market segments being targeted and the margins for a firm.

SUMMER 2021 |

23

BUSINESS

Changing your focus

Zooming in on a solutions-based approach

by Erin Saunders, Leica Geosystems

Photo by Stefan Cosma on Unsplash

I have a bit of a sarcastic side, and because of this the anti-motivational posters at Despair.com have always had a bit of an appeal to me.

I have a favorite I can rattle off at the top of my head.

It reads, “Tradition: Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.” Now that’s a little harsh. But I do think there is immense value in the message that lies underneath that asks, “Is there a better way to do this?”

Many organizations have cyclical workloads. The times that are less intense can be great times to examine your existing processes and look for ways to improve them.

There are several things you can do to help get the best outcomes for your organization, and to help your employees support any potential changes.

In the last issue I talked about the importance of a growth mindset for individuals within an organization, and how that growth mindset can lead to professional growth and success. The focus moves from proving your results, to constantly improving your learning, process, and results. The same importance holds true for organizations. Many companies have legacy processes or systems that are inefficient, cause duplication of work, or that haven’t been evaluated for many years.

First, lean into your team’s knowledge and use them to help identify problems and solutions. Start by helping them understand what you are trying to achieve, what their role can be in assisting and by letting them know that while you’re definitely interested in identifying and improving pain points, it will be much better to brainstorm potential solutions than to dwell on the specifics of past pain points. This will help keep the conversation futurefocused rather than dragged into the details of past challenges.

By applying the growth mindset to processes, leaders within companies can improve productivity, morale, and their customer’s experience.

24 | UAC MAGAZINE

1.

2.

Next, keeping the solutions-focused approach in mind, sit down with your team and ask them to identify pain points within their jobs. These could be areas where there is duplication of work, where they spend a frustrating amount of time,

BUSINESS or could be identifying internal or external roadblocks they frequently come across. Whether you do this one-on-one, in a group setting, or as an entire team will depend on the size of your teams and your past experience.

Ask them to broadly describe the pain point, the impact, and to hypothesize what the impact could be on them, or internal and external stakeholders if that pain point was removed.

Also explore how much of their time they spend thinking about this problem. Often, people spend a lot more mental energy than they realize when thinking about challenges at work. This can be an eye-opening exercise and a motivator to the team member to help find a solution.

4 4

Then start to help your employee explore solutions. When you help them come up with ideas, they will be much more likely to buy in and help drive any changes. Solutions-focused questions tend to focus on “what” and “how” rather than “why” and “where.” Solutions-focused questions are future-based and problem-focused questions are past-based. Here are some examples.

3.

Problem-focused Why did this happen?

Solution-focused What do you want to achieve?

Problem-focused Why was it done this way?

Solution-focused What do you need to do to move this forward?

Problem-focused Why did you do that?

Solution-focused

Problem-focused Why isn’t this working?

Solution-focused What do we need to do to make this work?

Listen to your employees’ thoughts and summarize their ideas back to them. Your job isn’t to solve the problems your team identifies, but rather to help them solve their own problems. This will be a much more empowering experience for your team members than if you came in and tried to solve the problems for them. It also takes much less effort on your part and encourages your employees to own the solution.

It turns you from authoritarian problem solver into empowering coach.

Help them identify what the next steps are for implementing their change. What do they need to do next? What tools or resources might they need?

Ask them if you can check in to see how things are going. Set follow-up meetings to help them solve any roadblocks that might come up. Often identifying the solution for a challenging problem can be like giving candy to our brains. There is a little rush and a satisfying feeling when the solution comes to us.

Creating actionable follow-up is just as important as the insight of solution.

Focusing on the future

All organizations have room for improvement.

Organizations that are unable to thoughtfully turn an inward eye and look for ways to be better run the risk of going the way of Blockbuster and Blackberry.

But organizations focused on continuous growth and improvement will have better longevity, happier employees, and provide better experiences for their customers.

About the author Erin Saunders is Regional Human Resources Business Partner with Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon.

What do you want to do next?

P: 770.326.9517 E: erin.saunders@leica-geosystems.com SUMMER 2021 |

25

BUSINESS

Marketing 101 Series: Part 1

Do you and your customers understand your value proposition?

by Trip Jobe, CEO, Rand Inc.

So where do you start?

Let’s begin by listing all the things (products, services, knowledge) that you think you sell. Start with two separate lists, one list for the products and one list for services, such as keeping inventory or online ordering. If you provide expert knowledge that may be considered as part of your product offering.

What problems are you solving?

We have business owners come to us all the time asking for help with their marketing, frustrated that the tactics they are using aren’t delivering.

Many owners immediately ask where they should be marketing or what tactics they should use to get better results. It’s less likely the issue is about tactics and more about are you connecting with your potential customers?

We always start with a few simple questions: What is your unique selling proposition? Do you understand it, does your customer base understand it? Is this coming across in your marketing efforts? The answer is often, "no." We also get the response that, “we offer so many services or it’s very technical, so it’s hard to put into words.” If you can’t explain it to us, how do you expect to attract new clients?

One of the places businesses overlook is the problems that they solve. One of the first places we start is to ask the customer service or admin team what customers call in asking about. How do they describe their problem? Usually, it’s not as technical as the business would describe it. Then we try and focus on the top 5 or 10 customer problems that come in. Can some of these be grouped together? Also, are there some problems that you would prefer not to address in your business? After sorting through, you can usually prioritize 3-4 customer problems you solve exceptionally well.

Once you have these lists, we can put them into a series of three circles – one each for products, services and problems solved. Again, highlight the ones that you do particularly well, and your competitors don’t offer or do as well. Your series of circles should look like this diagram:

Keys to developing value propositions

}

It’s just not that easy. Listing your products and services and maybe a feature is the easiest route, but it typically only captures customers who know exactly what they want.

26 | UAC MAGAZINE

In each list, you should highlight the products, services or problems that only you solve exceptionally well.

Keep the remaining items on the list, including those that competitors offer. As you bring these three circles together in a classic Venn diagram, your unique selling proposition will begin to take shape. In this case, with a client, their USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is taking the worry out of dinner preparation by delivering

BUSINESS BUSINESS restaurant-quality meats and seafood to the families of E. Cobb and N. Fulton. The completed diagram will look like something like this:

Another insight that was discovered during this process was that email had only limited success in creating orders. Some trials with texts had created more responses and orders. After understanding his value prop, it makes sense that texts created a more in-the-moment need and ability to respond. Emails, in this case, might have been put off to the weekend to read, likely after someone had already gone shopping for their dinner needs.

USP

Unique Selling Proposition:

Taking the worry out of dinner preparation by delivering restaurant-quality meats and seafood to the families of E. Cobb and N. Fulton.

Focusing your USP on tactics and channels

grow. In the example above, the client was already on Facebook, Instagram, and email – with fair results.

The problem was that he was marketing the product just like his competitors. By focusing on his value prop and the benefits of having someone do the shopping and preparation work for you, his business took on a different light with current and potential customers.

Now that you have a clear handle on your USP, what should you do with it? You can now address the marketing channels and tactics to help your business

In summary, messaging and imagery are critical to your marketing efforts, much more so than the tactics and channels you use. As you begin to plan to invest more in your marketing, make sure you have fully vetted your value proposition and crystallized these key messages to drive your marketing efforts. The effort will have a bigger impact on your ROI than where you take your message!

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27

BUSINESS

Is your marketing working? Part 1 How would you know?

by Trip Jobe, CEO, Rand Inc.

If you haven’t developed scenario plans for marketing, don’t you think now’s the time?

The Pandemic has challenged all of our businesses and the way we think. If you weren’t in the habit of having scenario plans for the operational side or financial side of your business, I’m sure you do now.

But most marketing departments and leaders think about marketing plans as an annual exercise and need time to play out before they develop a new plan.

Why is marketing any different than supply chain or operations? It shouldn’t be! Let’s assume for now, that the reason marketers don’t develop scenario plans is they don’t know where to start. In this article, I will share some tips at a high level to get you started.

Step 2: Alternative plans.

Step 1: Interim campaign goals.

Step 3: Activate adjustments.

You probably have annual goals for your campaign, which is super. But few businesses develop interim goals to reflect how and when they will get to a certain number of leads, opportunities, or deals. Start here, if not monthly then at least quarterly. The second part of this step is to then determine your guardrails for this chart, is it +/- 5%, 10%, 20%? Only you know the best percentage to discern if you are on or off track enough to initiate action. (Fig. 1)

28 | UAC MAGAZINE

This step should be the easiest, but most companies don’t put together a list of alternatives until it’s too late and then they are in scramble mode. The reality is most of your original plans include marketing tactics that you chose not to execute. It may be due to budget or the audience focus, but you had other options. This is your starting point, always take your unused choices and begin your alternative plan list. The second part of this step is to then add some thoughts on who is the audience and at what stage of the funnel would these tactics impact your plan. (Fig. 2)

When do you pull the trigger on your adjustments? This is where the guardrails from the second part of Step 1 become critical. If we used a green, yellow, red matrix of our actuals to our forecasts, we can stay the course while in the green zone, begin to evaluate the need for adjustments while in the yellow, and act by the time we reach the red zone. One benefit is this also means staying on the positive side! I’ve been fortunate to work for CEOs who said they wanted to double down if something is working better than

BUSINESS expected. If not willing to grant more money, maybe you need to shift funds from underperforming tactics.

Fig. 1: New Product Launch Goals

Step 4: Keep forecasting.

If you have gotten through Step 3, congratulations! You are way ahead of most of your competitors. This step will help you keep accelerating that distance. We believe that once you have set your targets and guidelines, and have the actual results that you need, you need to keep forecasting based on market conditions or adjustments that you made. What if you made changes to a poor performing tactic and saw immediate results that quickly got you back into the yellow or slight green zone of your original goals?

That might sound great, but if you had reforecast, you might see that you were outperforming your goals.

And if you get to that point, you should consider shifting more dollars into this program. Fig. 3 shows how reforecasting can help you.

Scenario Plans are the key to staying out of Einstein’s insanity paradox of doing the same things over and over again. Steps 1-3 will help you create meaningful marketing improvements and step 4 is an advanced step. The past year has taught us the need to be nimble.

To be nimble and successful, you must have adjustment ideas in place that you can act upon. Many companies that are forced to make sudden knee-jerk reactions, without a plan in place, ultimately regret those decisions. Take the time to build out your guardrails, alternatives, and points where you can be ready to adjust if needed. Not only will you be better prepared for the next challenging business situation, but you will also be prepared to boost your marketing efforts to take advantage of better-than-expected results!

Fig. 2: New Product Launch Campaign Ideas

About the author Trip is the CEO of Rand Inc., a strategic marketing and analytics firm. Having sat in both sales and marketing leadership roles for large and small firms for 20+ years, Trip is an ambassador for driving sales and marketing alignment to fuel growth.

Email: tjobe@randinc.cc Web: randinc.cc LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tripjobe

Fig. 3: New Product Launch Opportunities Created

SUMMER 2021 |

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BUSINESS

Information to share with your customers

Maintain your system and consider upgrades Why and how often?

from the Irrigation Association

Irrigation systems need regular maintenance to keep them working efficiently year after year. Damage from lawn equipment or improper winterization can cause leaks and other serious problems that can cost you a significant amount of wasted water.

Periodically. Have your system audited. Hire 4 a professional to conduct an irrigation audit and Monthly. Adjust sprinkler heads. Remove or correct test to verify areas are being watered evenly 4obstructions that prevent sprinklers from distributing uniformity and appropriately. Make necessary adjustments.

Perform these checks to maximize your investment:

water evenly. Adjust sprinkler head positions and spray patterns to avoid watering sidewalks or structures and to provide necessary clearance over growing plants.

Check the pressure. Pressure can change over time and negatively affect your system’s efficiency. Too high of pressure can result in too much water applied too quickly, causing runoff. Inspect your system for leaks.

Leaks are a huge water waster. A good contractor can perform regular maintenance checks for leaks, broken or clogged spray heads, and other problems. Ask your contractor to show you common problems to watch for between visits.

upgrades. Rain/freeze sensors. These 4High-value inexpensive sensors can be retrofitted to almost any

4irrigation contractor with specialized equipment will Annually. Winterize in colder climates. An

flush out water that could freeze and crack pipes, valves and sprinklers. It’s easy to overlook this type of maintenance but forgoing it could result in costly damage to your system.

30 | UAC MAGAZINE

system and help save water by turning your system off in rainy weather. “Smart” controllers. Weather- or soil moisture-based controllers evaluate weather or soil moisture conditions and then automatically adjust the irrigation schedule to meet the specific needs of the landscape. These controllers take the guesswork out of watering your landscape, thus saving water over time.

Before you upgrade, look for savings. Many water utilities offer rebates for certain water-efficient products. Before upgrading your new system, consult with your local water provider to take advantage of any rebates in your area.

Information to share with your customers

BUSINESS

The benefits of "smart" irrigation Why you should invest in these systems from the Irrigation Association

The irrigation industry is experiencing a renaissance of technology development. Now, more so than ever, consumers can find irrigation products that use advanced sensors, Wi-Fi and app-based capability to automatically adjust watering schedules, communicate problems and save water, giving consumers more data and power to control irrigation systems than ever before.

“Smart” irrigation systems irrigate landscapes efficiently. Without wasting water, these systems use technology to know when and how much to irrigate.

The days of being beholden to a clock and calendar are over. We are now using real-time data to apply the right amount of water at the right time of day.

By investing in smart irrigation technologies, you can be sure to save water, money and time in caring for your landscape.

Here are three irrigation technologies worth considering on your next upgrade: controller. These controllers adjust 4Weather-based the irrigation schedule based on local weather

conditions. There is a wide range of products in this category with various weather inputs and landscapespecific adjustment factors. These controllers selfadjust and require very little intervention when programmed correctly.

controller. These controllers rely on 4Sensor-based soil moisture sensors placed below ground in the root

zones of the landscape to determine if and for how long to water. Systems with a sensor-based controller can be scheduled to run based on soil moisture and the specific water needs of your landscape.

sensors. Irrigating in rain and freezing 4Rain/freeze conditions needlessly wastes water and can damage your landscape. Rain sensors prevent irrigation

systems from running during rainy conditions. Rain/ freeze sensors add the ability to stop irrigation when temperatures approach freezing to prevent damage to the plants. These devices can reduce overall water usage and help extend irrigation system life.

SUMMER 2021 |

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INDUSTRY

Legislative update

by Bryan Tolar, Tolar Capitol Partners

We are very pleased with the 2021 legislative session and seeing bills where UAC played a role signed into law by Governor Kemp.

We’ll take a look at some of these key issues, but this is also a good time to focus on how UAC gets things done. Much like any business, a solid company has a great customer base and many relationships that help move the business forward. UAC proudly serves a growing membership while also fostering and building relationships that help our issues (your voice) be effective.

As we look back at legislation that passed the Georgia General Assembly and has now been signed into law, we can fully count the chickens now that they have hatched.

tax relief 4Property An important bill for farm owners in every sector,

As political leaders change, policy approaches change – that’s a given. Just since the 2021 legislative session ended, there has been a flurry of announcements about those running for higher office or not running for re-election. UAC has to adapt for these changes, just as your business would adapt to relationship interruptions. They say that the only constant in life is change…and we appreciate your investment in UAC to help your business meet the challenges ahead.

Rep. Sam Watson

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Sen. Larry Walker

including those that support the landscape and urban ag industry, was HB 498 by Representative Sam Watson and Senator Larry Walker. Their work secured the necessary language to bring much-needed property tax relief to farms that combine resources and properties to build for the future. Georgia’s tax code allows benefits for family farms, but when two different families combined resources such as buildings and equipment to create a new farm entity, some tax auditors started collecting the taxes because the law was not specific for such situations. This unfortunate

Rep. Trey Kelley

Sen. Brian Strickland

INDUSTRY gap has been exploited by some county tax offices and needed a remedy. Because it would alter the state code section for property taxes, it will now be up to the Georgia voters in November 2022 to approve the change before it can go into effect. This is a good common-sense approach to preserving agricultural operations into the future. Hopefully the commonsense of voters won’t be uncommon and we can get this deal finalized at the ballot box next year.

4In COVID-19 related legislation, we had two very CoVID-19

4Budgets The State Budget included several wins for UAC

interests in research, education and workforce development. The FY 2022 Big Budget, weighing in at $27.2 billion, saw big funding swings for the UGA Agriculture Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Plus, bond program funding saw many investments in agricultural education equipment, renovations for ag education facilities, and an influx of funds for the design, construction, and equipment for the Multidisciplinary Greenhouse Complex at UGA in Athens. Even the FY 2021 Amended Budget saw major funding restoration strides as the economy has rebounded quickly during COVID-19, especially ag facilities at UGA CAES. The importance of Georgia’s economic recovery and stability cannot be overstated… the growth is phenomenal. Hopefully the workers will soon return and businesses will have access to more labor so sorely needed.

good wins. Not long after the pandemic started in 2020, UAC heard from UAC members that could not get local permits issued due to COVID-19 restrictions put in place, which reduced the availability of local government inspection staff. Governor Kemp took this issue head on and had his team lead the charge to provide a remedy. Working with Georgia Homebuilder Association allies, UAC helped advance the expansion of local building permits and inspection options.

Landscapers, property design, and construction teams needed these inspections in a timeframe that fit schedules and timelines. Local authorities are still the front line but, now with the option of paying some additional fees, approved outside inspection firms can be used to accomplish the task. Sod producers, landscape contractors and others in the construction industry will benefit from this change. Most of all, it provides options for keeping businesses moving forward.

Development Council 4Rural Finally, we were pleased House Speaker David Ralston

In addition, the COVID-19 tort reform protections for businesses put in place by lawmakers in June 2020 have now been extended through July 14, 2022. HB 112 was championed by Rep. Trey Kelley and Sen. Brian Strickland to provide this layer of legal protection

Speaker David Ralston

Rep. Robert Dickey

as businesses continue to crawl out from under the challenges of the pandemic. We are all seeing changes to COVID-19 restrictions in the business community, but they are a jumbled mess that rarely follow the CDC guidelines. At least businesses will have this blanket immunity from lawsuits if practical care is applied in the workplace for staff and customers. Be safe and be protected.

pushed to re-establish the House Rural Development Council. This initiative has proven to be very successful since initiated four years ago. The Council will travel the state and study issues regarding economic development and related policy areas. We are working to see that transportation and workforce are included in these discussions.

Dr. Brian Schwartz

Gov. Brian Kemp SUMMER 2021 |

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Other industry highlights Ag Committee chairmen hiring 4New 4Now We commend the outstanding leadership of newly As you are aware, the labor challenges facing UAC selected leaders for the Agriculture Committees. House Ag Committee Chairman Robert Dickey and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Walker shined brightly in these roles. Their dedication to advancing agriculture runs deep and their commitment is second to none. We congratulate them!

accomplishment 4Outstanding We commend Representative Sam Watson on his HB

498 farm property tax reform bill mentioned earlier.

His engagement with agriculture allies and work with House leaders were critical. We were pleased to help steer and advocate for this legislation along the way, but Rep. Watson deserves all the credit.

through science 4Success Georgia's battles on water rights are well documented

and have seen much success thanks to irrigation efficiency measures and water conservation initiatives.

UGA's Dr. Brian Schwartz and the CAES Turf Team have taken conservation to a new level with TifTuf, a drought tolerant bermudagrass cultivar gaining popularity among homeowners and sports facilities.

Developed at UGA Tifton, it uses 38% less water during drought than the most popular bermudagrass.

Dr. Schwartz has been recognized for his work by the Georgia House and Senate and was just awarded the 2021 Water Conservation Leadership Award by Athens-Clarke County. This great innovation through research will help take water conservation to a new level. Congratulations, Dr. Schwartz!

members, our urban ag industry and others continue to mount. UAC has been in contact with the Office of Governor Kemp on multiple occasions regarding this issue.

While the reasons for these labor issues are multifaceted, many of these the difficulties are believed to stem from the issuance of COVID-19 recovery funds directed from the federal government to the states.

We are pleased Governor Kemp has had numerous discussions with Labor Commissioner Mark Butler and his staff on options to manage this issue while also staying within the bounds required by federal regulators. While we all remain frustrated by workforce shortages, we are encouraged by the response Governor Kemp took to end the $300 weekly jobless payments from the feds starting in late June.

visa reforms 4Work We also continue pushing for federal work visa

reforms for H2-B and H-2A programs. The failures of these federal programs are also hampering economic growth opportunities. Many thanks to our partners at the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) for being such great allies in these efforts.

UAC is grateful for your support and trust in our advocacy activities on your behalf. As you know, it is the membership that leads our organization, but our work benefits all. Please continue to share the government affairs services of UAC with other industry allies as we push to build the best, most comprehensive organization possible. Learn more about UAC membership at urbanagcouncil.com.

Tolar Capitol Partners provides background and status information on key issues, prompting action from our members when needed and lobbying on behalf of our industry. tolarcapitolpartners.com

UAC works closely with Tolar Capitol Partners, monitoring and reporting weekly during each legislative session through Capitol Connection updates. These e-newsletters also include short surveys to "take the pulse" of our UAC members

on important issues (see the results from the latest surveys on the following page). If you work for a UAC member company and would like to be added to this email list, please contact us at office@georgiauac.com or 706-750-0350.

34 | UAC MAGAZINE

INDUSTRY

UAC member survey results Week 8 results

Q

The U.S. House passed a $1.9 Trillion COVID plan to provide funding to individuals, boost PPP grants, send money to city and state governments, and more. What are your thoughts on the money allocated and benefits they provide?

Funding support is needed, but wasteful spending needs to be eliminated................................ 51% Enough money has been poured into COVID programs. I hope it fails..................................... 38% There are many families and businesses still hurting and this bill must pass............................. 11%

Week 9 results

Q

HB 44 would make Daylight Saving Time year-round (upon U.S. Congressional approval). SB 100 would keep Standard time in place year-round and then move to Daylight Saving Time year-round if allowed by U.S. Congress. What are your thoughts?

Leave the clocks at Standard Time year-round!............................................................................. 38% Change clocks 1 hour to Daylight Savings Time year-round!...................................................... 27% Change clocks 30 minutes and quit the foolishness....................................................................... 21% Keep switching time twice a year...the complaining is entertaining........................................... 14%

Week 10 results

Q

What is your perspective on proposed sports gambling legislation being debated by lawmakers?

No thanks! Georgia should not allow online sports gambling options....................................... 53% I like it! Online betting on pro sports should be allowed.............................................................. 47% Week 11 results

Q

With election integrity legislation finalized and signed into law, do you feel that the changes made will restore trust in the election process?

Yes, it keeps it easy to vote, but hard to cheat................................................................................. 72% No, the bill creates more problems than it solves........................................................................... 28% Week 12 results

Q

After reviewing the legislative action impacting our industry, tell us what grade you give the 2021 Georgia General Assembly.

I will go with a B: I see progress. Some good bills were passed.................................................... 37% I give them an A: There are several things that benefit our industry........................................... 33% It was a D for me: Wasted time on stuff that does not really matter............................................. 17% They get a C: They did not fix much from my perspective............................................................ 13% SUMMER 2021 |

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Keep it growing

UGA Horticulture Club helps grow scholarship funding

by Caroline Odom, student communications assistant, UGA's Div. of Development and Alumni Relations Another basket that the club consistently contributes to is scholarship funds. In the past 15 years, the club has contributed $120,000 to scholarship funds.

Philanthropy has been a tenet of the club since before Chappell joined UGA as a faculty member in 2007, but 2011 brought a shift in the club’s commitment to scholarship donations. Students made the decision to expand the plant sale to better support scholarships.

Now, the club brings in approximately $60,000 to $70,000 in revenue at the spring and fall plant sales, the club’s largest fundraisers. The club also sells roses each February for Valentine’s Day. A portion of that revenue supports club operations and $6,000 to $7,000 in club scholarships awarded to members, but students of the club make the ultimate decision on where the money will go.

Students in the University of Georgia’s Horticulture Club are growing more than plants. They’re also growing support for current and future Bulldogs.

In January, the UGA Horticulture Club donated a total of $27,200 to two scholarship funds: the Horticulture Scholarship Fund and the Paul Thomas Floriculture Scholarship Endowment. These contributions are the latest in a 15-year series of gifts from the club.

The UGA Horticulture Club is a student-run organization open to students of all majors. Members of the club work throughout the year to grow plants for the club’s fall and spring plant sales.

“The club is an intersection of two things,” said Matthew Chappell, club advisor, horticulture professor and UGA Cooperative Extension specialist. “It’s for anyone who likes plants, from house plants to succulents to outdoor trees and shrubs, and it’s a clearinghouse for students to give back through a number of ways.”

The club works with organizations like the Campus Kitchen and Extra Special People and participates in renovation projects throughout the community.

“We have our hands in a lot of different baskets,” Chappell said.

36 | UAC MAGAZINE

This year, students of the club voted to give $25,000 to the Horticulture Scholarship Fund, a non-endowed fund that provides scholarship support for horticulture students.

The remaining $2,200 of this year’s gift supported the Paul Thomas Floriculture Scholarship Endowment, an endowment named for a former advisor to the club who died shortly after his retirement in 2019. Before the Horticulture Club made this gift, the fund had not met the $25,000 required to fully endow the fund.

When members of the Horticulture Club learned they could help the fund reach endowment, they decided to contribute.

“Horticulture students are generally very outwardly facing, philanthropic individuals,” Chappell said. “They see the benefit to society.”

Additionally, the plant sales offer “boots-on-theground experience” to students, Chappell said. From growing to marketing to customer service, the skills they build through the club will translate to their careers.

Money from the sale will allow the UGA Horticulture Club to continue its commitment to philanthropy. By supporting scholarships, the club grows a legacy that will be harvested for years to come.

2021

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INDUSTRY

Martinez recognized for excellence American Phytopathological Society award from the APS

Martinez-Espinoza's primary responsibility is the development and transfer of information for disease management in turfgrasses (sod production, golf courses, sports fields, professional landscapes, and lawn care), as well as small grains, and nonlegume forages. He is stationed at the UGA Griffin Campus. His instructional responsibilities include coteaching an undergraduate course on turfgrass pest management and a graduate laboratory on Diagnosis and Management of Plant Disease.

Program development

The 2021 Excellence in Extension Award recognizes an American Phytopathological Society (APS) member for excellence in extension plant pathology. Nominees were individuals who have made outstanding contributions by creating, developing, or implementing extension-related programs or materials or who have provided significant leadership in an area of extension plant pathology.

Alfredo D. Martinez-Espinoza grew up in a small town in northern Mexico. He received his B.S. degree in agronomy from the Universidad Antonio Narro (UAAAN) in 1985 and subsequently worked in the wheat pathology program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) before obtaining his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from Montana State University in 1993. Following postdoctoral work, he was appointed as an assistant professor and is currently a full professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia (UGA).

38 | UAC MAGAZINE

Martinez-Espinoza has developed a dynamic, nationally and internationally recognized extension program. One unique aspect of his program is his tireless outreach to underserved and hard-to-reach stakeholders. He has effectively leveraged his bilingual and bicultural abilities to deliver information to the Hispanic community in the state of Georgia and internationally. While doing so, he has utilized and developed highly effective technologies to deliver science-based information without faltering on the proven face-to-face contact through the extension system.

Disease control

Martinez-Espinoza has been instrumental in developing efficacious disease control strategies for Rhizoctonia solani on cool- and warm-season grasses, as well as take-all root rot, spring dead spot, gray leaf spot, and Biolaris leaf spot in warm-season grasses. He has documented DMI and benzimidazole resistance in Clarireedia jacksonii, as well as strobilurin resistance in Colletotrichum cereale on turfgrasses in Georgia and has implemented management strategies for these resistant populations. He developed new recommendations for seashore paspalum management and identified several previously unreported turf diseases and nematodes in the state: tar spot in seashore paspalum, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae in bentgrass, Meloidogyne marylandii in bermudagrass, and Helicotylenchus microbolus and

INDUSTRY Nanidorus minor in paspalum. Martinez-Espinoza was a key collaborator in developing novel methods of delivering pest management information, including Turfgrass Management-Subscription and Turfgrass Management-Lite apps for smartphones. These apps, the first of their kind, contain a full suite on disease etiology, symptomatology, and epidemiology and image galleries, as well as cultural and chemical management options for 43 diseases. Turfgrass Management Lite gained worldwide attention with over 20,000 downloads from 40 countries. These successes motivated development of three sequel apps: Turfgrass Management Calculator, Turfgrass Management–Spanish and Turfgrass Quiz.

Aware that management of foliar diseases (rusts, powdery mildew, tan spot, Stagonospora leaf and glume blotch, and Barley yellow dwarf virus) is a key component of high-yielding wheat production in the southeast, Martinez-Espinoza has developed new and efficacious tools to prevent yield losses and maintain high grain quality. He actively participates in developing Fusarium head blight disease management strategies by evaluating new fungicides, as well as elite wheat germplasm from UGA and regional nurseries for resistance to Fusarium head blight. He participated in the identification of Fusarium poae as part of the Fusarium head blight complex in Georgia.

As part of his extension responsibilities, he has made over 13,000 diagnoses and recommendations for disease and nematode management for turfgrasses, small grains, and nonlegume forages. Furthermore, he has performed countless site visits as requested by county agents and stakeholders. These are timeconsuming, but critical, problem-solving activities that result in direct economic benefit to clients.

He has served as a liaison and advisor to the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, Georgia Seed Development Commission, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Outreach

A prolific communicator, Martinez-Espinoza has authored 4 books; 20 chapters; 53 journal articles; 71 technical reports; 45 extension bulletins and circulars; 191 sections in extension bulletins; over 250 articles in industry journals, newspapers, and e-learning modules; and 104 abstracts and proceedings. He has organized, conducted, and/or attended 212 national and international professional and educational meetings.

He participated in over 255 statewide and county

extension programs, receiving the Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents Young Professional Award for his unwavering support to extension agents and stakeholders in the state. Martinez-Espinoza was honored with UGA's coveted Walter Barnard Hill Award for distinguished achievement in public service and outreach in 2015 and the D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Extension from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) in 2019.

Martinez-Espinoza has been a leader in delivering science-based information to Spanish-speaking clientele, which includes the formation of Georgia's Hispanic Specialists Group. This group has developed and implemented a series of statewide training programs and materials in Spanish on important topics such as integrated pest management and safety in the workplace. He and his collaborators have been awarded six grants from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with which over 2,000 Hispanic landscape and tree workers have been trained.

Awards

For his educational activities, as well as diversity integration efforts, Martinez-Espinoza received the D.W. Brooks Diversity Award from the CAES in 2009.

His impact reaches beyond the United States, and he has active collaborations in Mexico, Spain, Chile, and Honduras. He has been named a Lifetime Honorary Member by the National Mexican Association of Golf Course Superintendents and was the recipient of the 2010 Greenkeeper Honorific Award from the Spanish National Association of Greenkeepers.

Service

Martinez-Espinoza has been active in The American Phytopathological Society since 1990 and is a member of 16 other scientific and professional societies. As secretary of the Mexican Phytopathological Society (1996–1998), he cultivated relationships with APS by inviting and supporting APS members and students to their annual meetings. He is particularly proud of his volunteerism at the Pan-American Plant Disease Conference in South Padre Island, TX (2003), which included the participation of two APS regional divisions and two Latin American phytopathological societies. Martinez-Espinoza has been involved in APS outreach by participating as a judge for APS-sponsored awards at the International Science Fair in Atlanta.

SUMMER 2021 |

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INDUSTRY

Schwartz receives award

Are you WaterSmart?

The first half of 2021 has blessed most of Georgia with abundant rainfall, and through the beginning of June, lake levels were at or about average pool. This is great news for our landscapes, turf and plants, but don’t let that affect your water conservation efforts!

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is the agency that (under state law and rules) determines whether specific environmental conditions warrant a drought response declaration.

Schwartz receives his award from Jackie Sherry, Program Education Specialist (left) and Laurie Loftin, Water Conservation Coordinator (right), both with the AthensClarke County Water Conservation Office.

The Athens-Clarke County’s annual Water Conservation Leadership Award recognizes an individual, business, group, or other organization that has demonstrated a commitment to protecting our water resources through water conservation.

The 2021 recipient is Dr. Brian Schwartz, from the University of Georgia. This award was announced in a Facebook post by the County:

As of mid-June, all of Georgia was in what the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) refers to as “Non-Drought” period. “Non-Drought” does not – however – mean that you can water 24 hours per day!

Georgia Urban Ag Council created a website specific to Water Stewardship and Conservation, and keeps it updated with current EPD outdoor water use rules and restrictions, along with guidance for both indoor and outdoor water conservation. Please bookmark this page and refer to it for any changes. Share with your employees and your customers so that they can continue to water wisely!

georgiawatersmart.com

}

“He oversees a UGA research team in the Current EPD outdoor rules and restrictions production of TifTuf, a drought-tolerant URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE G E O R G I AIndoor water conservation tips bermudagrass. Did you know that lawnsURBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE G E O R G I AOutdoor water conservation tips are the largest irrigated agricultural “crop” URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE GEORGIA in America? And we don't even eat it! This makes TifTuf a potential game-changer. The turfgrass reduces water use by 38% over the most popular varieties and has been shown to survive for 28 days without rainfall or irrigation. Want to experience the grass?

Visit the quad at UGA North Campus and put your toes in it! Thank you, Dr. Schwartz, for your efforts to help us all use water efficiently while maintaining a beautiful lawn.”

View the video announcing Dr. Schwartz’s award: youtu.be/8U-Hnlhhww4

40 | UAC MAGAZINE

INDUSTRY

Promoting water stewardship The Georgia Urban Ag Council continues to promote effective water stewardship, and is proud to be a member of the Georgia Water Wise Council (GWWC), which is a section of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP).

A longtime member of the GAWP, UAC recently Availability of safe and reliable water is essential for rejoined the GWWC, and is looking forward to URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE attracting and maintaining economic development GEORGIA representing the urban ag/green industry on this in the state. council. It is important to have this active participation Having a water efficiency plan in place can lessen to contribute positively while at the same time protect URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE the impact of droughts on the water supply GEORGIA our industry’s positions and commerce. and possibly reduce the need for more austere conservation measures, like water bans and The Georgia Water Wise Council supports the development moratoriums. following key principles:

Water efficiency is the accomplishment of a

Water efficiency is a fundamental resource

URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE RBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE planning tool and should be considered for function, task, process, or result with the minimal GEORGIA GEORGIA

funding and implementation on an equal basis with other means of meeting supply needs in Georgia.

amount of water feasible. (e.g. toilet flushing or showering).

Emergency response is a reduction in water use,

RBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE Cost effective water efficiency efforts should be waste, or loss in response to a water shortage. It GEORGIA URBAN AG COUNCIL evaluated asMAGAZINE a part of reviewing applications for can involve curtailments of water heavy practices GEORGIA

new supply.

in times of resource stress.

Water efficiency is one method to extend existing

Water efficiency is not the entire solution to

RBAN AG COUNCIL URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE MAGAZINE Georgia’s water needs, but is a vital component. water supplies without expensive infrastructure GEORGIA

and supply development in Georgia.

GEORGIA

Water efficiency can be achieved most successfully URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE through a program that incorporates cost-effective Water efficiency results in an incremental decrease GEORGIA RBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE supply-side and demand-side measures. in water consumption and should be incorporated GEORGIA into water utilities’ financial plans, like any other Water efficiency enhances the environment supply option. This can mitigate the revenue URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE through increased flows in Georgia’s water ways GEORGIA impacts of efficiency programs. enhancing the natural environment and improving

quality of life for Georgia residents.

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Information, sponsorships & registration: urbanagcouncil.com SUMMER 2021 | 41

INDUSTRY

NICH update

Gearing up for the 2023 Farm Bill

by Ellen M. Bauske, Chair, National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture

It is not too early to think ahead to the 2023 Farm Bill. Traditionally, consumer horticulture exists in a place outside the Farm Bill. Cammie Donaldson, chair of the Farm Bill Committee in the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture says it is time for that to change.

In her day job, Ms. Donaldson serves as the Executive Director of both the Native Plant Horticulture Foundation and the Florida Association of Native Nurseries. She is also the Administrative Services Manager of the Florida Native Plant Society.

The Farm Bill focuses on rural development, forestry, energy, crop insurance, trade, and commodities. In 2007, “Horticulture” was added to include specialty crops, certified organic agriculture and local and regional foods. Key programs include the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), pest and disease prevention programs and nutrition programs targeting fruits and vegetables.

“The Farm Bill includes horticultural plant production and consumption but does not recognize the importance of all cultivated plants, particularly those in the built landscape. Ornamental plants in our gardens and landscapes can have a huge impact on climate change, human health and well-being, and helping to preserve biodiversity, particularly pollinators,” notes Cammie.

}

"As we continue to develop more land, built landscapes are becoming more important in preserving the ecosystem functions we need.

Consumer Horticulture has a critical role to play and is an impressive driver of our agricultural economy. It is time for recognition.” ~ Cammie Donaldson

“The plant choices people make drive the landscape, irrigation, and tree care industries, creating jobs that benefit the economy and the environment,” according to Mary Kay Woodworth, Executive Director of the Georgia Urban Ag Council.

The USDA’s focus continues to be on the rural economy, and it’s critical that this focus be broadened and updated.

“As an industry, we cannot afford to remain invisible.

Those who have been in the industry a while can remember 2007, when outdoor watering was temporarily eliminated simply because regulators and policymakers did not know we existed. It was a harsh blow to the industry,” Woodworth said.

NICH is taking action

NICH is currently in talks with the USDA Office of the Chief Scientist staff and creating webinars on Consumer Horticulture and climate change. We are also developing industry listening sessions so we can bring a united message.

Subscribe to our newsletter to find out more: signup.e2ma.net/signup/1854783/1400854

growing a healthy world through the art, science and business of plants, gardens and landscapes consumerhort.org

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URBAN AG

Help save the bees

Your lawn could play a role

by Maggie Narvil, UGA CAES News

UGA researchers have been looking for ways to reverse the decline of pollinator populations by examining centipedegrass as a food source for pollinators.

Over the past few decades, pollinators have been in decline worldwide, which is concerning because 70% of crops used for human food depend on pollinators.

Turfgrasses – used for most residential lawns – often take some of the blame for pollinator decline as they are known to be wind-pollinated and were thought not to serve as a pollinator food source, until now.

University of Georgia and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers identified bees that were collecting pollen from the flowers of a turfgrass called centipedegrass.

The researchers have been looking for ways to reverse the decline of pollinator populations by examining centipedegrass as a food source for pollinators, with hopes of normalizing lowmaintenance, bee-friendly lawns.

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Their findings have been published in the Journal of Entomological Science and Insects.

The study was led by College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences faculty Shimat Joseph and David Jespersen on the UGA Griffin campus alongside USDA researcher Karen Harris-Shultz in Tifton.

“Insect pollinators are frequently described in the media as needing help and homeowners may not realize that their lawns could help these insect pollinators. They also may be applying insecticides to their centipedegrass lawns and may not realize they may be harming bee populations,” said Harris-Shultz, a USDA research geneticist.

The long-term goal of the study is to promote beefriendly grasses. Some types of turfgrasses require

URBAN AG large amounts of water and fertilizer, and homeowners often use insecticides and herbicides to control insects and weeds, but centipedegrass is low maintenance by comparison. It is used for lawns, parks and golf course roughs and is well-adapted to the sandy, acidic soils of the southeastern U.S. Now, researchers like Joseph and his team are realizing centipedegrass is useful for much more.

“The knowledge that centipedegrass lawns can be beneficial to pollinators is a complete change in thought about turfgrasses,” Harris-Shultz said. “There is an environmental benefit to growing centipedegrass as it does require minimal care. Additionally, by providing a food source to bees, these bees may pollinate other economically important crop plants.”

Evaluating pollinators

The study consisted of two parts: identifying which pollinators are present on centipedegrass lawns and finding which of those pollinators are directly collecting pollen from the flowers.

In the first study, samples collected from mowed and unmowed lawns that had no prior exposure to insecticides in central and south Georgia consisted of 173 bees belonging to 13 genera. This suggests that a diverse mixture of bees are residing on lawns.

The goal of the second study was to determine which pollinators are feeding on the flowers of centipedegrass, Jespersen said. Centipedegrass produces spikelike flowers from August through October. Eleven lawns were sampled in 30-minute intervals, and if a pollinator was observed collecting pollen from the flower, it was caught in a special trap and identified in the lab.

“We have found that 13 genera of bees are present in centipedegrass lawns and five genera of bees directly collect pollen from centipedegrass. Here we show that a turfgrass — centipedegrass — serves as a source of pollen for sweat bees, bumblebees and honeybees.” ~ Shimat Joseph Assistant Professor, Dept. of Entomology

The results of the research imply that low-maintenance turfgrasses can be used as a valuable ecosystem habitat useful in critical bee conservation. Knowing that

pollinators use centipedegrass flowers as food is the first step toward adopting nondisruptive lawn practices that encourage bee foraging.

“In the popular press, there’s this idea that turfgrasses are ecological deserts and do not provide any ecosystem services, so this research is interesting for showing that there are pollinator species that interact with turfgrass species.”

~ David Jespersen Assistant Professor, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences

Looking forward

Joseph, Harris-Shultz and Jespersen agree that expanding this research over time will negate misinformation about turfgrasses and eventually lead to the development of bee-friendly lawns.

The next step is determining how to enhance centipedegrass to make it even more useful for bees while maintaining its low-input growing patterns.

Many factors, such as coloration of the flowers, time of year and the ecology of the bee, should be considered, Joseph said.

“We have a couple of projects already planned,” HarrisShultz said. “One is to use metabarcoding to identify all the insects in direct contact with centipedegrass flower heads. Another is examining if the ploidy (number of chromosomes) of centipedegrass impacts pollinators, or if certain genotypes are preferred.”

The importance of maintaining bee habitats has become undoubtably clear. Bees require nectar and pollen to continue to play their critical role in our ecosystem, supporting the growth of trees, flowers and other plants that serve as food and shelter for various creatures, including humans.

“Our research will help us to have lawns with improved benefits, which take into consideration ecological aspects beyond the aspects normally attributed to lawns,” Harris-Shultz said.

Funding for this research project was provided by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. To learn more about CAES research, visit caes.uga.edu/research.

About the author Maggie Narvil is an agricultural communication student at the University of Georgia.

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URBAN AG

Seeing brown instead of green?

Wet weather can cause influx of disease to evergreens

by Josh Paine, Marketing Specialist, UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Boxwood blight symptoms clockwise from upper left: tan to gray leaf lesions with a darker purplish border on an English boxwood; circular, tan spots with a brown border on upper leaves; tan blighted leaves and bare stems on an infected plant; blackening of stems and browning foliage; and black stem lesions on bare branch tips. Photos by Jean Williams-Woodward

If you're seeing brown areas in your landscape trees or hedges where you should be seeing green, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension can help.

Wet winters and severe weather have been causing disease and other issues in landscape plants, especially Leyland cypress and boxwood.

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in samples of these species to UGA's Plant Disease Clinic, according to Extension plant pathologist Jean Williams-Woodward in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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Boxwood blight, first discovered in Georgia in 2014, has hit hard in established landscapes in cities including Atlanta, Augusta and Madison. Rapid defoliation is a characteristic symptom of boxwood blight that separates it from other boxwood diseases, and it can move quickly through landscapes, especially with wet weather.

URBAN AG For Leyland cypress, one of the most popular landscape plants because of its quick growth, there are a range of issues that could be affecting the plant. In some cases, there are multiple factors happening around the same time.

“They are dying I’m afraid — and it’s kind of expected,” said Williams-Woodward, who tracks diseases in ornamentals for commercial nurseries and greenhouses. “There are several things that are going on and all are coming together at this point. It’s the lifespan of the trees, poor root systems, really wet conditions, and drought stress we had before that. It’s a lot of compounding events that seem to be causing issues.”

The lifespan of the Leyland cypress is relatively short in Georgia, around 15 to 20 years, due to the hot summers which are much warmer than Scotland, where the species was bred. The drought stress in the summer combined with wet winters and other extreme weather can cause root issues.

“Leylands often don’t grow a large root system. In storms, they’ll just fall over because they don’t have

roots to support them,” Williams-Woodward said.

“If you have a compromised root system that’s not growing well and have a giant canopy, this makes the tree fall over.”

Another common problem occurs when the roots fail to translocate water to the canopy and the branches die off, a symptom of Seiridium canker disease.

Can you save them?

Leyland cypress is sometimes susceptible to other disease and insect issues. A needle blight disease caused by the fungus Passalora sequioae causes the shedding of needles usually in the lower third of tree, which makes it look extremely bare and brown.

Stress on the trees also invites bagworms — the larval (caterpillar) stage of a moth — to defoliate and kill the tree. Bagworms can be removed by hand.

If your Leyland cypress is showing a lot of brown branches or thinning canopy, there’s not much you can do to save it, according to Williams-Woodward.

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URBAN AG “You can prune some branches to make it look better, but you’re not suddenly going to turn it into a green, healthy tree again regardless of what you do. I don’t recommend applying fungicides mainly because some of these trees are very large and you’d have to get it high into the air and do applications year-round,” she said.

Fungicides are not effective for all diseases. They can help with needle blight but not Seiridium canker disease or root rot.

“Even if you have a soil injector, fungicides move minimally within clay soil and not come in contact with roots, so it’s not something we generally recommend,” Williams-Woodward explained.

Correctly planting and taking care not to overwater trees and shrubs are the best ways to minimize root disease in landscapes.

Boxwood leaves infected with boxwood blight develop leaf spots, brown and readily drop from the plant, leaving bare stems and black stem lesions visible.

Leaf spots can develop within days of infection and defoliation is seen within one to two weeks.

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Once boxwoods are infected with boxwood blight, the disease is very difficult to control. Infected plants should be removed and disposed of in the trash along with any debris. All tools, shoes and clothing must be disinfected afterward to reduce carrying fungal spores to healthy boxwoods.

Other evergreen options

If you’re looking for alternatives for Leyland cypress or boxwoods, UGA experts have a few different options. cedar (cryptomeria) and ‘Green Giant’ 4 Japanese arborvitae are two common recommendations

similar in size to Leyland cypress for screening or hedges, but there are numerous others. Brodie eastern red cedar (also called Brodie juniper) and spartan juniper are good options that are a little bit smaller.

Remember to correct any drainage or other issues before planting. Till the soil well to break it up and improve compaction, and reduce water that might be pooling around the base.

dwarf yaupon, and inkberry hollies are 4 Japanese, boxwood look-alikes with a similar texture and compact form.

generally considered that Korean boxwoods 4 Itareismore resistant to boxwood blight. However, it

is still unclear exactly which varieties of boxwood are more tolerant of boxwood blight in Southern U.S. gardens. Williams-Woodward and Extension horticulturist Matthew Chappell will be evaluating dozens of cultivars from the U.S. National Arboretum’s boxwood collection and breeders.

For more information, see Bulletin 1229, “Diseases of Leyland Cypress in the Landscape” or Circular 1107, “Think Outside the Boxwood: Alternative Plants for Gardens and Landscapes” at extension.uga.edu/publications.

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To get planting recommendations or submit a live plant sample or photo for diagnosis, contact your local UGA Extension office. A $10 processing fee is charged for all physical homeowner samples (trees, shrubs, vegetables, fruits and turfgrass). Commercial tests are done at no charge.

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URBAN AG

Bulbs in turfgrass

Research examines performance

by Bodie Pennisi and Clint Waltz, University of Georgia, and William Miller, Cornell University

Spring-flowering bulbs are routinely planted in flower beds for dramatic display of earlyseason color, but what if you could grow them in turfgrass? Studies have indicated that spring bulbs can grow in competitive warm-season turfgrasses and serve as an earlyseason floral resource.

Flowering bulbs have been known to naturalize and become perennial in grassy meadows and pastures, but they must compete successfully with the predominant vegetative cover. While previous studies have shown success in northern latitudes, knowledge has been lacking for bulb growth in more southern climates... until now.

For the purposes of this study, “bulbs” are considered herbaceous geophyte species with foliage and flowers aboveground and an underground structure, the ‘bulb,’ which persist belowground.

We undertook this research study to: 1) determine which species and cultivars can perennialize in a subtropical climate, 2) evaluate which species and cultivars can sustain acceptable growth and flowering performance under standard turf maintenance practices of weed control and mowing schedules, and 3) compare bulb performance in warm-season and cool-season turfgrasses.

50 | UAC MAGAZINE

The turfgrasses

Plantings were established at the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, Georgia. We studied geophyte performance in two turfgrasses: hybrid bermudagrass ‘Tift 94’ (TifSport®) and the tall fescue, ‘Lexington’.

These were chosen for growing season and habit (hybrid bermudagrass is considered a dense, creeping, warm-season grass, whereas tall fescue is considered a slower-growing bunch grass grown during the cool season).

Although tall fescue is considered generally less aggressive, its peak growth would coincide with bulb flowering and thus could potentially be even more competitive than hybrid bermudagrass.

The bulbs

The main criteria in selecting the bulb species was suitability for culture in a subtropical climate and a bloom period that would be completed by April or early May before mowing was resumed.

The following bulb species and cultivars were used: Chionodoxa sp. ‘Blue Giant’ (glory-of-the-snow), Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’ (crocus), Crocus

URBAN AG vernus ‘Remembrance’ (crocus), Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’, N. ‘Tete-a-Tete’, N. ‘Thalia’ (daffodil), Muscari sp. ‘Blue Magic’ (grape hyacinth), and Scilla sybirica (Siberian squill).

Planting

The bulbs were planted on December 5, 2018 in wellestablished full sun, turf plots in the following manner: bulb planter cut a 0.5-meter 4 Awidetractor-drawn strip by incising the top 4-5-cm of turf, root, and soil layer, the turf was rolled back and bulbs were placed manually on the soil bed leaving approximately 5 cm between individual bulbs.

bulbs (Scilla, Muscari, Chionodoxa) or 4 7221 smaller larger-sized bulbs (Narcissus) were arranged in a space measuring approx. 40 x 100 cm.

was rolled back to cover the bulbs and 4 Turf smoothed with a riding roller. was 30 cm of buffer space separating the 4 There bulb entry/treatment combination.

Mowing

Mowing initiation dates in 2019 were the following:

fescue: April 1, April 17, May 1, and May 15 4 Tall 4 Hybrid bermudagrass: May 1 and May 15 Mowing height of both turfgrasses was 7.5 cm and areas were mowed with a rotary mower and clippings returned. Mowing dates and height were chosen as a compromise between allowing bulbs to grow undisturbed and maintaining reasonable aesthetic appearance in the lawn. Mowing was done perpendicular to the planting strips, which the bulb planter had cut into the turf.

Fertilization

The turf areas were fertilized with a 16N-1.8P-6.6K granular material applied monthly at 49 kg ha-1.

Hybrid bermudagrass plots were fertilized in May, June, July, and August. Tall fescue was fertilized September, October, March, and April.

Irrigation

In the absence of rainfall, plots were irrigated during the growing season to supply 2.54 cm of water per week to prevent drought stress.

Data collection

We were primarily interested in bulb performance and persistence over a two-year period (2019-2020).

Each treatment was evaluated for first flowering date, flowering abundance (number of bulbs with flowers, expressed as percent of planted bulbs, the first year after planting), and total number of blooms (second year after planting).

We considered satisfactory persistence as >40% bulbs with flowers after two growing seasons, and nonpersistence as <10% bulbs with flowers after two growing seasons.

Data collection comprised of weekly counts of flower emergence, and number of blooms. Due to increased bulb foliage leading to thickened canopy in 2020, it was difficult to identify which bulb had produced a bloom, or which bloom belonged to which bulb, therefore we counted total blooms per 40 x 100 cm space where bulbs had been planted. Additionally, some bulbs produced multiple blooms (i.e. daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’, and ‘Thalia’). Therefore, we performed statistical analysis separately on two groups of bulbs, the first group containing the three daffodil cultivars, and a second group containing the remaining bulbs entries.

We were also interested in turf recovery after using the bulb planter and visually assessed turf health. Data from 2020 were analyzed separately for tall fescue and hybrid bermudagrass because the mowing treatments were different and therefore could not be directly compared.

Results and discussion

After planting in December 2018, all but one of the bulb species emerged in mid-January 2019 in both hybrid bermudagrass and tall fescue.

> Daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ and crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ and

‘Remembrance’ exhibited earliest flower emergence in both types of turfgrass. > Siberian squill and daffodil ‘Ice Follies’ flowered by mid-February. > Daffodil ‘Thalia’, grape hyacinth, and glory-of-thesnow first bloom appeared beginning of March.

All bulbs flowered within a few days in tall fescue and hybrid bermudagrass in 2019. Similar patterns were observed in 2020 although the flowering was somewhat delayed, except for Siberian squill which bloomed 1012 days earlier (tall fescue, or hybrid bermudagrass, respectively). All bulbs tested flowered over three SUMMER 2021 |

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URBAN AG Daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ in the large-bulb group and crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ in the small bulb group, had by far the highest numbers of blooms in tall fescue. ‘Tetea-Tete’ and ‘Thalia’ in the daffodil group and crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ in the small bulb group, had the highest numbers of blooms in hybrid bermudagrass. It is worth noting that daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ produced on average of two blooms per planted bulb in both turfgrass lawns.

Following planting, all of the bulb species exhibited remarkably similar first flowering in both turfgrasses. However, only daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ and crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ exhibited satisfactory persistence (defined as >40% bulbs with flowers after two growing seasons), although daffodil ‘Thalia’ showed satisfactory persistence in hybrid bermudagrass lawn.

Best flowering bulbs in 2019, grape hyacinth (A, tall fescue, B, hybrid bermudagrass) and daffodil ‘Thalia’ (C, tall fescue, D, hybrid bermudagrass). Photos taken March 13, 2019. weeks, with peak bloom from last week of February until mid-March.

Significant differences in bulb performance among species were detected the first year after planting.

Only grape hyacinth and daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ showed higher than 50% flowering, with grape hyacinth having the highest number (63.4% and 60.5%, in tall fescue and hybrid bermudagrass, respectively).

Analysis also indicated significant differences in bulb performance between the two turfgrass types (tall fescue, 31.9% emergence, hybrid bermudagrass, 35.1%). Except for grape hyacinth and daffodil ‘Ice Follies’, the remaining bulb entries had higher percent flowering in hybrid bermudagrass as compared to tall fescue.

Mowing treatment did not significantly affect total number of blooms; however, different bulb species showed significant differences in bloom counts. Since the mowing treatments imposed were not identical, direct comparison between bulb performance in tall fescue and hybrid bermudagrass could not be made.

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Based on our results, daffodil ‘Ice Follies’, Siberian squill, grape hyacinth, and glory-of-the-snow were non-persistent (defined as <10% bulbs with flowers after two growing seasons). Grape hyacinth’s performance is surprising because anecdotal evidence and numerous reports have indicated that it has excellent perennialization in Georgia, including nonmanaged grass areas on University of Georgia’s Griffin campus.

It also worth noting that the canopies of daffodil ‘Thalia’ in tall fescue, as well as crocus ‘Remembrance’ had excellent foliage development in 2020 in both turfgrasses. It remains to be determined if these bulbs’ performance in this location might improve in following years.

With respect to mowing regimes, it bears notice that at the time mowing treatments were initiated the bulb canopies appeared full and photosynthetically active.

Therefore, it is encouraging that even mowing three times did not negatively affect bulb performance.

Previous research reported that neither herbicide application, nor timing to start mowing, impacted bulb persistence and performance under warm-season hybrid bermudagrass and buffalograss lawns.

Although bulb emergence was not affected by turf species, visual impact of the bulbs was diminished in tall fescue, especially for those species which bloom height did not exceed 15 cm (e.g. crocus, grape hyacinth, Siberian squill, and glory-of-the-snow).

Color also played a role in visual impact, with higher-contrasting white and yellow-blooming daffodil cultivars, achieving higher scores, compared to the blue- to violet-flowered crocuses and grape hyacinth.

URBAN AG The latter bloom was more noticeable earlier in the season (i.e. early March) when the cool-season tall fescue was of lower height. Daffodil cultivars may be more appropriate for interplanting with cool-season grasses.

We used a specially designed bulb planter which undercut the turf; in the two years following planting, turf recovery appeared satisfactory, therefore we conclude that the bulb planter did not negatively impact turf health.

The polylectic pollinators and syrphid flies were observed nectaring on crocus, grape hyacinth, and Siberian squill as well as early-flying spring small bees warming on yellow blooms of daffodil ‘Tete-aTete.' Although ground-nesting bees in turf areas are generally regarded as not desirable, their visitation to flowers in intercropped lawns could have implications for biodiversity; therefore we consider that select spring bulbs could be a valuable addition to managed turf lawns to provide beneficial insect early-season nectar source and habitat.

This study demonstrated that warm-season and cool-season lawns could be successfully interplanted with early-spring geophytes under subtropical climate, however species and cultivars selection is essential to ensure long-term attainment and maximum aesthetic appearance.

Best flowering bulbs in 2020, crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ (A, tall fescue, B, hybrid bermudagrass) and daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (C, tall fescue, D, hybrid bermudagrass).

Photos taken March 6, 2020.

Canopy of crocus ‘Remembrance’ in hybrid bermudagrass(A); height of bulb blooms in relation to height of tall fescue, crocus ‘Remembrance’ (B), grape hyacinth (C), and crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ (D). Photos taken in March, 2020 (A) and March, 2019 (B-D).

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