Hard Work and Positive Attitudes

Hard Work and Positive Attitudes

The great thing about managing turfgrass in the transition zone is that today’s problems are never the same as yesterday! These past few years, the same could be said of the non-agronomic stresses we’ve all been battling as well. This year we are all dealing with skyrocketing fuel prices, fertilizer prices, and employee shortages, just to name a few. However, we are a resilient industry, built on hard work and positive attitudes. I hope you are finding encouragement from your club members, customers, athletes or any number of folks that get to enjoy the fruit of your labor without fully knowing the cost it takes to provide.

There are many exciting turfgrass events happening around our state this summer, and our membership should be proud of their hard work. Razorback Stadium underwent a full resod following the Garth Brooks concert in April. I felt like I was the only one not there! Pinnacle Country Club will be hosting the Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Invitational once again in September. There are countless venues and events that wouldn’t be possible if not for turfgrass and those that choose to manage it. Get out there this summer and enjoy some of what Arkansas has to offer.

We have set January 26th & 27th as the dates for next year’s ATA Conference in Hot Springs. Save those dates, and be on the lookout for registration information for both vendors and members this fall. We are beginning to work on educational topics, so please reach out via twitter or email if there are specific topics that you are interested in. We will be offering pesticide recertification, as usual, and it will be a great time to see folks you may only see once a year.

In other association news, we have hired a new Executive Director, Courtney Landreth. She has gotten off to a great start and is excited to meet more people in the industry. Most importantly she wants to learn how we as an association can best serve our members. There is an article in this publication to tell you a little more about her.

We are also excited that the University of Arkansas has hired a new turf faculty member, Wendell Hutchens, as well as a new extension weed scientist for turf and specialty crops, Hannah Wright. We are excited to get to work with these two professionals for years to come! Our association exists to provide education and growth opportunities for the turf managers of the state. Hannah and Wendell will be instrumental in that vision!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the conference in January!

Sincerely,

Josh Landreth

Vice President

Arkansas Turfgrass Association