Pennsylvania Turfgrass - Summer 2022

Summer 2022 • Vol. 11 / No. 3

Coming Soon: Poa annua Seed for Greens and Fairways PLUS

Penn State Paves the Way for Partnership

TAKE YOUR TURF TO

THE NEXT LEVEL WITH...

A proprietary soil surfactant designed to

✓ Reduce LDS

✓ Enhance Irrigation Efficiency

✓ Reduce Plant Stress

Contact Fisher & Son Company today to provide you with the tools and expertise for all ReGenerate products to exceed your turf and horticulture expectations.

Thom Mahute Bob Seltzer Dave Hunley Zach Owen -

717-940-0730 610-704-4756 215-262-3912 609-454-7727

Vol. 11 / No. 3 • Summer 2022

Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 99 Boalsburg, PA 16827-0550 Phone: (814) 237-0767 Fax: (814) 414-3303 info@paturf.org www.paturf.org Publisher: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, TN 37064 Phone: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedgecommunications.com Pennsylvania Turfgrass Editor Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Penn State University • mjs38@psu.edu

12

Pennsylvania Turfgrass Associate Editor President Tom Fisher Wildwood Golf Club – Allison Park, PA (412) 518-8384 Vice President Rick Catalogna Harrell’s Inc Territory Manager (412) 897-0480 Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Kister Longwood Gardens, Inc. – Kennett Square, PA (484) 883-9275 Past President Pete Ramsey Range End Golf Club – Dillsburg, PA (717) 577-5401

16 Features 12 Cover Story

Coming Soon: Poa annua Seed for Greens and Fairways

16 Feature Article

Penn State Paves the Way for Partnership

Director of Operations Tom Bettle Penn State University

Departments 5 Advertiser Index 6 President’s Update 6 Penn State Turf Team 8 Penn State News

18 Between the Lines

Waddington/Harper Scholarships Help Turf Students Reach Goals

20 K AFMO Membership Directory 4

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

Assistant Director of Operations Nicole Kline Pennsylvania Turfgrass Association Directors Steve Craig Centre Hills Country Club Tanner Delvalle Penn State Extension Elliott Dowling USGA Andy Moran University of Pittsburgh

Find this issue, Podcasts, Events and More: THETURFZONE.COM

Tim Wilk Scotch Valley Country Club Matt Wolf Penn State University

Advertiser Index

Aer-Core, Inc. . . ..................... 11 www.aer-core.com

AgriMetal. . ............................. 3 agrimetal.com

Coombs Sod Farms................. 5 www.coombsfarms.com

Covermaster, Inc................... 17 www.covermaster.com

DryJect. ................................ 7 East Coast Sod & Seed............ 5 www.eastcoastsod.com

Fisher & Son Company, Inc........Inside Front Cover www.fisherandson.com

FM Brown’s & Sons................. 5 www.fmbrown.com

Forse Design Incorporated....... 9 www.forsegolfdesign.com

George E. Ley Co.................... 5 www.gelcogolf.com

Greene County Fertilizer Co.... 19 www.greenecountyfert.com

Mitchell Products . . ................ 11

130 Devereux Road

www.mitchellsand.com

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc................ 23 www.progressiveturfequip.com

610-942-3809

gelcogolf.com

Irrigation Systems Golf Course Alterations • Field Drainage

• •

Glenmoore, PA 19343 Fax: 610-942-9556

Pump Stations Vibratory Plowing • Pond Cleanout

Trenching Stream Bank Stabilization • Drainage on Existing Greens

•

•

•

•

•

•

Seedway............................. 19 www.seedway.com

STEC Equipment . . ................. 15 www.stecequipment.com

D I G I TA L M A R K E T P L A C E Download your favorite QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about this company.

The Turf Zone...... 22, Back Cover theturfzone.com

To discuss advertising opportunities, contact Leading Edge Communications:

888-707-7141 ( Toll Free )

sales@leadingedgecommunications.com www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

SPECIALIZING IN BENTGRASS SOD FOR GREENS, TEES, & FAIRWAYS FINE AND TALL FESCUE

REGULAR AND SHORTCUT BLUEGRASS KEVIN DRISCOLL CELL: 609-760-4099 OFFICE: 856-769-9555 KDRISCOLL@EASTCOASTSOD.COM

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass

5

President’s Update

IMPROV ING FROM DAY TO DAY

W

Jeffrey A. Borger Senior Instructor in Turfgrass Weed Management 814-865-3005 • jborger@psu.edu

Michael A. Fidanza, Ph.D. Professor of Plant & Soil Science 610-396-6330 • maf100@psu.edu

David R. Huff, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Genetics 814-863-9805 • drh15@psu.edu

riting this message to our membership three months in advance of its release can present a few challenges. How can I possibly predict what will happen between the time of writing and when it goes to print? What will the weather trend be?

Will I still be waiting for that big equipment package I placed what seems to be eons ago?

What happens between the time of writing and print is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for certain, our everyday thoughts and actions are what make us who we are today, tomorrow, and well into the future. The daily interactions we have with colleagues, our families, and our staff continually forges who we are, how we are perceived by others, and perhaps most importantly how we improve from day to day.

We spend so much of our daily professional lives watching things grow. Optimizing conditions on the ground to maximize the performance of a living ecosystem is our nature and as we all know, that is the easy part. Optimizing conditions for those around us is equally as important if not more important, for these relationships with our employees and colleagues are the bedrock of any successful operation. Building and maintaining adequate social currency with those key stakeholders will ensure that they’ll be there for you when you need them. It’s the people with whom you surround yourself that have the greatest influence on who you become and how you travel through each and every day. Give them good reason to reciprocate your benevolence and you’ll never be stranded.

If you don’t take care of yourself now, somebody will have to do it for you later. We pressure ourselves to be the most indispensable person in the room while conversely reminding ourselves that no one is irreplaceable. This tortuous mindset undoubtedly comes with the unintended side effects of far too many hours worked, multiplying gray hairs, and elevated blood pressure. For this sake, take the time to schedule that blood test, visit the dermatologist, or commit to that appointment with a therapist. Take the time build the best version of you there is.

By the time this publication arrives in your hands we will have emerged from spring and will be running headstrong into another growing season. May this be your best season yet.

Brad Jakubowski Instructor of Plant Science 814-865-7118 • brj8@psu.edu

Tom Fisher

Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Nutrition / Soil Fertility 814-863-1015 • mjs38@psu.edu

PTC President

The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council (PTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Pennsylvania Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or PTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Copyright © 2022 by the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council.

Pennsylvania Turfgrass is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to PTC members. Presorted standard postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Pennsylvania Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to the PTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

6

Penn State Turf Team

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

John E. Kaminski, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-865-3007 • jek156@psu.edu

Peter J. Landschoot, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-863-1017 • pjl1@psu.edu

Ben McGraw, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Entomology 814-865-1138 • bam53@psu.edu

Andrew S. McNitt, Ph.D. Professor of Soil Science 814-863-1368 • asm4@psu.edu

Al J. Turgeon, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Management aturgeon@psu.edu

Wakar Uddin, Ph.D. Professor of Plant Pathology 814-863-4498 • wxu2@psu.edu

Aerate and Play Right Away!

Decreased down time, increased revenue.

One hour following a DryJect® treatment. The surface is very “puttable.”

NO BUMPS!

The dots are sand that is level with the turf.

DryJect® is a high-pressure, water based injection system that blasts holes through the root zone and fractures the soil profile. Plus, it automatically fills holes as it aerates.

DryJect® makes a big difference in playability … right away!

Aerate, amend and play right away DRYJECT.com

Call Today!

Dryject Eastern PA Mike Zellner (484)-357-9197 mike@dryject.us

Dryject Western PA Ben Little (412)-610-9001 ben.j.little@comcast.net

Penn State News

TRAVIS RUSSELL and DR. DEVON CARROLL

Selected to Receive

MUSSER AWARDS

of EXC E L L E N C E

The

Musser International Turfgrass Foundation has selected both Travis Russell and Dr. Devon

Carroll as 2022 Award of Excellence recipients.

The award is given to outstanding Ph.D. candidates who, in the final phase of their graduate studies, demonstrated overall excellence throughout their doctoral program in turfgrass research. In rare years where top candidates are equally excellent, the foundation makes two awards.

8

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

Russell received his B.S. degree in Horticulture, Landscape, and Turf Sciences at the University of Arkansas. He went on to earn his M.S. from University of Arkansas in Horticulture, where his thesis research focused on determining precise light requirements for golf course turfgrasses in the transition zone. He is currently completing his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University in Agronomy. His dissertation, which he will defend in May, is “Biology, Etiology, and Control of Pythium Species Causing Pythium Patch Disease of Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua L.).” His research aims to characterize this emerging disease on annual bluegrass putting greens in the northeast U.S. and provide turfgrass managers with the information to diagnose, prevent and control Pythium Patch. Russell has also published other research papers during time at Penn State in turfgrass pathology, weed science, and cultural practices.

In May of 2022, Russell will start as the technical services representative for the golf and lawn care industry for Bayer Environmental Sciences Canada. “Through my career in industry, I hope to develop and provide solutions for agronomic challenges facing turfgrass managers,” said Russell. “I’m very thankful to my mentors during graduate school, Dr. Mike Richardson, Dr. Doug Karcher, and Dr. John Kaminski, who I have learned so much from and who prepared me for my career in turfgrass science.”

Dr. Devon Carroll received her B.S. degree in Turfgrass Science and M.S. degree in Agronomy focused in turfgrass at Penn State. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science concentrated in weed science from the University of Tennessee. While at UT, she concurrently earned a second master’s degree in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications focused on recruiting women to the turfgrass industry. Her dissertation was titled, “Poa annua: An annual species?”

Her Ph.D. research sought to better understand the life cycle of the problematic species and inform plant management strategies.

Dr. Carroll said, “Earning the Musser Award of Excellence has been a goal of mine for many years and seeing this goal come to fruition has been incredibly exciting. It is an honor of the highest degree to be recognized among the top turfgrass scientists in the world. I am fortunate to have had the support of my academic advisors and research institutions to achieve this recognition.”

Since graduating, Dr. Carroll has continued her research career as a Development Scientist contractor with Bayer Environmental Science. She plans to focus her future work on herbicide development and weed management solutions. She also plans to continue supporting women in turfgrass through outreach and education.

Musser International Turfgrass Foundation President Frank Dobie said, “The qualifications for applicants are very high for the doctoral candidates that apply for the Foundation’s Award of Excellence, so all the applicants are of the highest caliber. We strive to select the one candidate that we feel is the best of the best but sometimes we are lucky to have two.”

The criteria for selecting award recipients include graduate work, academic record, dissertation, publications, leadership, and extracurricular activities. To date, awards have been granted to doctoral students from universities including Arizona, Auburn, Cornell, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. To learn more about Professor H. Burton Musser, the Foundation’s history, and past recipients of the award, visit www.musserfoundation.org.

FORSE DESIGN

Philadelphia Country Club . Centennial Nine . Renovation Architect: Jim Nagle - Forse Design | Photo: StoryLounge Films

Golf Architects

Athens Country Club - Bald Peak Colony Club - Beacon Hill Country Club - Berkshire Country Club - Boca Rio Golf Club - Brae Burn Country Club - Broadmoor East Course - Brooklawn Country Club - Bryn Mawr Country Club Butler Country Club - Calgary Golf and Country Club - Cedarbrook Golf Course - Club Pelican Bay - Cochecho Country Club - Congress Lake Club - Concord Country Club - Country Club of Orlando - Crestmont Country Club Cypress Lake Golf Club - Davenport Country Club - Edgewood Country Club - Foxburg Country Club - Hole in the Wall - Hyannisport Club - Lake Sunapee Country Club - Lancaster Country Club - Lehigh Country Club - Manchester Country Club - Manufacturer’s Golf & Country Club - McCall Golf Club - Meadow Brook Country Club - Meridian Hills Country Club - Minnehaha Country Club - Morris County Golf Club - Navesink Country Club - Peninsula Golf & Country Club - Pine Tree Golf Club (FL) - Philadelphia Country Club - Pocasset Country Club - Point Judith Country Club - Rolling Rock Club - Salem Country Club - Seven Oaks Golf Course - South Hills Country Club - Springhaven Club - Tavistock Country Club - Tedesco Country Club - Waccabuc Country Club - Walpole Country Club - West Virginia University - Whitford Country Club - Winchester Country Club

Ron Forse and Jim Nagle of Forse Design would like to thank all of our Pennsylvania clients, friends, and family for your support, trust, and business.

It is an honor and a pleasure to work with you in our home state.

Alpine Country Club - Broadmoor West Course - Brookside Country Club - Catawba Country Club - Chester Valley Golf Club - Coatesville Country Club - Clover Hill Golf Course - Cohasset Country Club - Corning Country Club - Country Club of Buffalo - Fountain Head Country Club - Green Valley Country Club - Glen Ridge Country Club - Hamilton Run Golf Course - Highlands Country Club - Indian Creek Country Club - Kirtland Country Club - Lawsonia Links - Lebanon Country Club - Lexington Country Club - Longue Vue Club - Lulu Country Club - Meadville Country Club - Metropolis Country Club - Misquamicut Club - Montour Heights Country Club - Newport Country Club - New Haven Country Club - North Shore Country Club - Northampton Country Club - Oakley Country Club - Pine Brook Country Club - Pine Hills Country Club - Reading Country Club - Riomar Country Club - Riviera Country Club - Rolling Green Golf Club - Springfield Country Club - The Haven Country Club - Torrington Country Club - Uniontown Country Club - Valley Brook Country Club - Valley Country Club - Wannamoisett Country Club - West Chester Country Club - Whitinsville Golf Club

@forsegolfdesign @forse_golf_design www.forsegolfdesign.com +1 724 438 1727

Penn State News

Spring 2022 Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council Scholarship Recipients

C

ameron Foreman and Gavin Kopczynskie are the Spring 2022 recipients of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council scholarships. The PTC awards scholarships to graduating Turfgrass Science students who have demonstrated excellent academic records during their Penn State career.

Cameron is a native of Hummelstown, PA and will serve as the student marshal for the Department of Plant Science at commencement ceremonies for the College of Agricultural Sciences in May. He interned last summer with Trump National Golf Club in Washington, DC. After graduation, he will be working as an assistant superintendent at Lancaster Country Club.

Gavin’s hometown is Freeland, PA. He has interned at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club in Mountain Top, PA and at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ. Gavin has accepted a position at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, DE where he will be a second assistant superintendent on the North Course.

Penn State News / Upcoming Events

Save These Dates!

OCTOBER 3, 2022

Watschke Memorial Golf Tournament Penn State Blue Course

L to R: Gavin Kopczynskie, Tom Bettle, and Cameron Foreman

OCTOBER 4, 2022

PSU Turfgrass Job Fair Penn State HUB Student Union

NOVEMBER 15–17, 2022

PSU Golf Turf Conference Penn State HUB Student Union

FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, VISIT

PATURF.org

10 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

Specializing in Aggregates for the Sports Turf Industry

Bunker Sands | Topdress Sands | Divot Mixes Rootzone Mixes | Stone Products

MitchellSand.com | 856-327-2005

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 11

Cover Story

COMING SOON

Poa annua Seed for Greens and Fairways

By David R. Huff, Dept of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University

F

FIG. 1. A majority of America’s top golf courses maintain local land races of Poa annua as their putting surface because of its superior quality characteristics of high shoot density, upright growth habit, and persistence under close mowing heights that yield the fast putting speeds demanded by these top courses. Thus, there’s a need for commercially available seed of improved, stress tolerant Poa annua varieties that would benefit golf course superintendents and architects in their own establishment and renovation projects.

12 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

or the past 27 years, I’ve been working to develop a commercial seed supply of dwarf perennial Poa annua varieties that are tolerant of biotic and abiotic stress for use on golf course putting greens and fairways and I’m proud to announce that the completion of this goal will soon be achieved. This article is an overview of that long 27-year journey and to begin, I need to address one of the very first questions posed to me when I started the Penn State Poa annua breeding project back in 1994 as a brand-new assistant professor. ‘Why would you breed Poa annua, isn’t that the weed we’re all trying to kill?’ was the question. And it’s a great question. That’s because Poa annua is considered a noxious weed in many states and for many decades there’s been research and chemical product development single-mindedly devoted to eradicating Poa annua from planet earth. However, Poa annua is a marvel of evolution and is doggedly reluctant to go extinct. According to Heap (2021; www.weedscience.org), Poa annua has developed herbicide resistance to nine modes of action involving 23 different active chemistries. And so, the battle continues. For example, in 2018, the USDA awarded a $5.6 million grant (http://resistpoa.org) for studying Poa annua’s many herbicide resistance mechanisms and to determine if any cultural practices may lessen the economic impact of Poa annua invasion. So why would anyone spend their entire professional career trying to breed improved varieties of such a beast?

Well, there’s another side to the Poa annua story, which is that it plays an important role in the history and legacy of the game of golf in America and around the world. According to a 2015 land use survey conducted by the USGA & GCSAA (see references), there is more acreage of Poa annua on US golf courses (146,839 ac) than either perennial ryegrass (138,781 ac) or creeping bentgrass (127,608 ac). And, of the nine turfgrass species surveyed, Poa annua ranked third in popularity, behind only bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass, and is the only one of these turfgrass species that doesn’t exist as commercially available varieties. Thus, all of this Poa annua acreage exists simply as a collection of localized natural ecotypes (also known as “land races”). On putting greens, the acreage of Poa annua (10,877 ac) is nearly half that (43%) of creeping bentgrass (25,327 ac) and a bit more than bermudagrass (10,055 ac). However, over the 10-year period between 2005-2015, the putting green acreage of Poa annua actually increased (+3.4%) whereas that of creeping bentgrass decreased (-9.6%), and so the relative acreage of Poa annua compared to bentgrass is increasing despite there being no commercial seed supply. Another salient point to make regarding the use and value of Poa annua putting

greens is that, according to Golf Digest’s 2015-2016 ranking of the greatest US golf courses (golfdigest.com), seven of the top 10 golf courses utilize Poa annua as their putting green surface.

This means that many of the most prestigious golf tournaments are played on Poa annua greens and not on creeping bentgrass.

For example, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, PA, established in 1903, has reportedly held more combined USGA and PGA championships than any other golf course and has always had Poa annua greens. So, the question I ask is, ‘Why would these elite golf courses utilize a weed as their putting surface when they could easily solid sod all their greens overnight to creeping bentgrass?’

I believe the answer to that question is that Poa annua provides superior quality characteristics including high shoot density, upright growth habit, and persistence under close mowing heights that yields the fast putting speeds demanded by these top courses (Fig. 1). And yet, there’s no commercial enterprise within our industry supplying these courses with seed of improved varieties of Poa annua for renovations and new establishment projects...until now that is.

In 1994, I began the Penn State Poa annua breeding project by collecting, evaluating, crossing, and selecting thousands of family lines of Poa annua for use on greens and fairways. We didn’t spray fungicides because if any lines were susceptible to diseases like dollar spot or anthracnose, then I didn’t want them (Fig. 2). We evaluated for tiller density, genetic color, summer performance and winter survival. We threw away everything that didn’t meet our standards (>99.5%) and kept only the very best (<0.5%). We then tested these lines in places like New York, Connecticut, California, and Australia. In New York and Australia, the evaluations allowed for a side-by-side comparison with the local land races of Poa annua. In both cases, the Penn State varieties outperformed the local land races (Fig. 3). This is an important point to note because I often hear “Well, if my course has had Poa annua greens for 100 years then I must have the very best Poa annua possible.” But that deduction is oversimplified and typically does not hold true. In the adaptive landscape model of the evolutionary process (think of a mountain range), a population’s response to selection pressure is that its fitness always increases (travels up the mountain) and never decreases (never travels down the mountain). As such, the ultimate fitness peak of any particular population (i.e. its elevation) depends on the genetic basis of initial starting material (i.e. the stamina of the hiker) and the random nature of the selection process that was involved (the hiking trial itself). However, as my AGRO

851 students can attest, a population’s fitness peak (i.e. its elevation) is capable of being increased by introducing new genetic variation and restarting the selection process (restarting the hike from the base of the mountain to the “new” top). This is exactly what the plant breeding process is all about and cannot necessarily be duplicated in nature. For example, consider the progress that turfgrass breeders have made in the 70+ years of breeding creeping bentgrass. We started with land races from nature (ex. Seaside, South German Bent), then we crossed land races together to produce varieties that were superior to any one land race (ex. Penncross), then we recombined the genes of creeping bentgrass and imposed increasingly harsher and more stringent selection pressure to develop improved varieties (ex. Penn A’s and G’s) and then, by continuing this process, we have now realized even more improvements (ex. 007XL and Pure Eclipse). Clearly, as exemplified by creeping bentgrass, as well as the breeding of nearly all agricultural commodity crops like wheat, rice, and corn, the efforts of a directed plant breeding process are capable of outperforming land races derived from the random natural selection process of happenstance starting material. The same process holds true for Poa annua. Just imagine the improvements we could make in Poa annua with 70+ years of breeding effort; the very thought boggles my mind.

FIG. 2. Starting in 1994, the Penn State Poa annua Breeding Project collected local lands races and crossed and evaluated thousands of family lines for use on greens and fairways, ultimately selecting eight dwarf, perennial Poa annua varieties that are tolerant of biotic and abiotic stress for seed production, one of which is known as PSU-Pa33.

FIG. 3. The Penn State Poa annua Breeding Project has produced varieties that outperform local land races as exemplified by this study of high salinity effluent irrigation at Barwon Heads Golf Club, Victoria, Australia. Also, during the study, the effulent irrigation line broke and the plots experienced nine days without water during the middle of an Australian summer. However, after the line was repaired, the Penn State varieties fully recovered whereas the local ecotypes did not. Pictured: John Neylan, formerly of the ACGSA, taking evaluation data.

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 13

Cover Story • continued

The problem with Poa annua is not breeding improved varieties capable of outperforming local land races, we’ve proven that’s possible in the first 12 years of the breeding project (Fig. 4). The problem has been to produce commercial quantities of seed of the stress tolerant, dwarf, perennial strains that flourish under greens and fairway mowing heights. Solving that seed production problem has taken the Poa annua breeding project another 12 years of hard, and often frustrating work. However, I’m happy to report that we’ve finally solved the seed production problem and over the past 3 years we’ve been improving our production methods and increasing our production capabilities (Fig. 5). The last step in this overall process will be to increase the acreage of our seed production fields in order to generate the necessary quantities of seed to fill demand. What the ultimate market size will be for seed of elite, stress tolerant Poa annua is anyone’s guess. However, the interest generated from an early announcement at this year’s 2022 Western PA Turf Conference has already exceeded our limited on-campus seed production capabilities. Therefore, we need to go off-site and start the commercial enterprise that will ultimately be capable of producing even larger quantities of seed. To that end, Penn State University has been very supportive through grants and guidance from the

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, the Research Applications for INnovation (RAIN) Program, and the Office of Technology Management. Of course, none of this breeding project would have been possible without the generous financial support and encouragement by the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council and the United States Golf Association (USGA). I expect that the commercialization process will take several more years to become a reality and will undoubtedly have its own unique set of challenges and hurdles to overcome. But I believe most of the heavy lifting has been done and, after 27 years, I’m not about to give up now.

Ultimately, we plan to produce seed of improved, stress-tolerant varieties of Poa annua for commercial use on golf course putting greens and fairways that will aid golf course superintendents and architects in their own establishment and renovation projects.

REFERENCES:

Golf Course Environmental Profile. 2017. Land Use Characteristics and Environmental Stewardship Programs on U.S. Golf Courses.

USGA & GCSAA. https://www.gcsaa.org/docs/default-source/ Environment/phase-2-land-use-survey-full-report.pdf?sfvrsn= c750ea3e_2

FIG. 4. Penn State varieties of dwarf, perennial Poa annua have been selected for resistance to diseases such as bacterial wilt (Xanthomonas campestris), anthracnose (Colletotrichum graminicola), and dollar spot (Clarireedia jacksonii, formerly Sclerotinia homoeocarpa).

FIG. 5. A novel seed harvesting technique that involves a combination of mechanical, management, and genetic components has been developed that enables for the production of commercial quantities of seed of improved, stress-tolerant varieties of Poa annua for use on golf course putting greens and fairways.

14 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

STAY at the top of your AERATION game.

Why pull cores?

Why contract it, when you can own it?

Your machine, Your schedule!

TOPCHANGER

WWW.STECEQUIPMENT.COM @STECEQUIP

.

(888) 325-2532

Feature

Penn State

PAVES THE WAY for Partnership

By Amanda Zimmerman

16 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

T

hree passionate Penn State turfgrass science students pictured their professional careers until retirement as on the rolling greens of a golf course, but their carts veered from the path. Their turfgrass science degrees did not confine them to the golf course. Penn State provided a foundation for success outside of golf course management.

Ryan Freed. Endless miles on the cart paths of a public golf course in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, led Ryan Freed to Penn State’s turfgrass science program. Freed says, “I walked into my advisor’s office an engineering major and walked out a turf science student. Though my parents were not initially happy, turf is what I liked.” Upon conferment of his degree, Freed headed back on the cart path, first as assistant superintendent of a country club in Springfield, Pennsylvania, and later as superintendent of another country club in York, Pennsylvania. He later hired teenagers for their summer grounds crew.

Luke Zimmerman. Countless hours in the fields of Miller Plant Farm in York, Pennsylvania, left Luke Zimmerman in awe of the cultural practices involved in cultivating and harvesting crops. When later presented with the opportunity to work on the summer grounds crew of a golf course, Zimmerman says he seized the opportunity as he was “allured by the agronomics like those on the farm.” His golf course superintendent, Ryan Freed, a Penn State turf science alumnus, quickly recognized Luke’s interest in the field. Freed promoted the turfgrass science program to Zimmerman, and ultimately, Luke matriculated in it. While in pursuit of his degree, Zimmerman returned to the country club to serve as Freed’s intern. Thanks to Freed’s mentoring and networking in the industry, Zimmerman secured an assistant superintendent position at a country club before graduation. After two years in that capacity, he progressed to another assistant position in York, always maintaining his relationship with Freed.

Although Freed and Zimmerman never thought they would leave the golf course, Freed started his own lawn and landscaping company, Green Traditions, while Zimmerman took a sales position. Zimmerman consulted and recommended fertilizer and control products to golf course superintendents, townships, and lawn and landscaping companies, like Freed’s Green Traditions.

Another landscaping company that Zimmerman served had an unfulfilled need for fertilization and pest control. This led Zimmerman, along with that landscaping company’s owners, to start a new company called Inch’s Natural Lawn Care.

Around that time, Zimmerman received a call from a former sales customer, now friend, Jay Koller, asking Zimmerman for a job reference. Instead, Zimmerman sold Koller on joining his Inch’s Natural Lawn Care Team.

Jay Koller. Innumerable seasons on the golf course of a country club in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, were the catalyst for Jay’s career in turf science. His first season was a summer job at age 16. He progressed to part time after school and eventually, after high school graduation, to full time. At the urging of the superintendent, Koller took courses at Penn State Berks in hopes of becoming a golf course superintendent, like his mentor.

Instead, upon graduation, Koller accepted a position with a large lawn care company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Koller says, “The benefit of this position was a mentor who taught me to navigate commercial and residential lawn care.” After eight years with the company, Koller explored the industry at different levels. Considering a return to the golf course, Koller called Zimmerman in hopes of using him as a job reference. Instead, he left the conversation as a new member of the Inch’s Natural Lawn Care team.

Soon, close friends Zimmerman and Freed found themselves in friendly competition and constant collaboration.

As Zimmerman, Freed, and Koller navigated agronomic challenges, they began to realize the power in combining their backgrounds, degrees, and experience. In 2018, Freed sold his Green Traditions to Inch’s Natural Lawn Care and joined its sales team. In 2021, Freed became an owner of Inch’s Natural Lawn Care. Now, he and Luke are managing partners. Koller is the general manager.

The three former Penn Staters blend well together, with each one having his own strengths. Zimmerman is the persistent salesperson, determined to succeed. Freed is precise and solves problems by considering multiple approaches. Koller excels at motivating employees through management. They are a passionate and unparalleled Penn State Partnership.

Penn State’s Program. Freed, Zimmerman, and Koller attribute their success to Penn State’s turfgrass science program. A Penn State degree is versatile. It doesn’t limit students to one facet of turfgrass science, if they think beyond the cart path. At its core, the program teaches the agronomic practices integral to successful ground management. However, Penn State realizes that the soil science is not enough to be the best in the field.

The speech classes prepare students to advertise their abilities and services.

The writing classes teach students to communicate messages effectively. The business classes, especially accounting and economics, show students how to run an operation of any type. Once turfgrass science students have acquired the necessary skills from the classroom, Penn States requires them to test those skills outside of the classroom in industry internships.

While challenging and nurturing interns, internship mentors connect students with other professionals from Penn State and beyond. These connections further advance students’ education, work experience, and networks.

The internship process creates a community of professors, students, and professionals that endures beyond the classroom. This community often comes together at Penn State University conferences, collaborating and socializing to advance each other. The turfgrass science industry, especially that from

Penn State, is one of the few industries that works to grow its profession by advancing careers. Thanks to Penn State’s career-driven approach, it is probable that alumni will mentor their future employees and maybe even their

future partners, as is the case with Freed and Zimmerman. Penn State’s turfgrass science program paved a powerful partnership for Freed, Zimmerman, and Koller beyond the cart path and will do so for countless other graduates.

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 17

Between the Lines

Waddington / Harper Scholarships Help Turf Students Reach Goals

E

very February, turf managers gather for the annual KAFMO Athletic Field Conference to exchange experiences and celebrate accomplishments. A highlight of the conference is the naming of the Waddington/Harper Scholarship award recipients for the year. At this year’s 25th Annual Conference, held February 18 at Shady Maple in East Earl, PA, four outstanding Penn State turfgrass students were honored with $1,000 scholarships to help them attain their educational goals. Eric Dowd, Damien Ganchoso, Nate Moore, and Zach Newsome expressed appreciation for the financial award and for the chance to build connections through KAFMO. The scholarship fits into each student’s individual career path somewhat differently, but all are grateful to have the support of the KAFMO family backing them.

Making Professional Connections For Nate Moore and Zach Newsome, the benefits of building a career network stand out just as much as financial assistance from the scholarship. Zach Newsome got his first turf experience at DuPont Country Club in Delaware. “I felt excited to get out of bed every morning, and I loved the close-knit network that the industry seemed to offer,” he recalls. When he returned to Penn State, he decided to seek out opportunities in sports turf management as opposed to golf. “Visualizing the thrill that can come from putting on a quality product for hundreds of thousands of people excited me to an even higher level than I felt from my summer at my local country club.”

He sees being a Waddington/Harper recipient as a benefit on both the financial and professional sides of the coin. “This award will help greatly with paying for my turfgrass education and has already aided in acquiring a few textbooks to build my personal turfgrass library,” he says. He also mentions KAFMO events in Savannah and Lancaster as great opportunities to meet other professionals in the field.

“Attending conferences like KAFMO, SFMA, and GCSAA allows me to make some great connections,” agrees Nate Moore, Vice-President of the Penn State Turf Club and Beaver Stadium Ground Crew member. “It gives students the chance to show how much they’ve learned and really work as a team. A lot of people I’ve met at these conferences I’ve continued to keep in touch with.” He hopes it will lead to a job when he graduates in 2023; in a perfect world, he wants to stay at Penn State, a long-time dream. “I wish to be able to influence aspiring turfgrass students someday, as my mentors have done for me!”

Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization 1451 Peter’s Mountain Road Dauphin, PA 17018-9504 www.KAFMO.org • Email: KAFMO@aol.com

18 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

2022 Scholarship recipients L to R: Moore, Ganchoso, Newsome and Dowd

Meeting Long-term Goals Eric Dowd and Damien Ganchoso are no strangers to challenges. “My background in turf started after high school by working on a golf course, which turned into a passion,” Dowd recalls. “I would look forward to learning new practices on how the greens, fairways, and tees were maintained.” He started by taking one class at a time to attain his degree in turf management. Damien Ganchoso, who is in the process of completing his final semester at Penn State University majoring in Turfgrass Management, also takes a long look back. “Family is the one main thing that motivates me to work hard, and I want to prove to myself that the large amount of effort I have put into the last four-plus years of my life is going to pay off,” he says.

Committed to getting an education in his chosen field but unwilling to take on huge student loans, Dowd joined the Army. After five years in Special Operations, he was finally able to take advantage of their tuition benefits to return to his long-term goal. He completed his Associate’s Degree in Washington state and is currently excited about expanding his turf expertise through work with the Beaver Stadium Ground Crew and an upcoming NFL internship under the guidance of Penn State’s top tier professors. The Waddington/Harper award is another piece in the puzzle of making Eric Dowd’s goals a reality.

Damien Ganchoso gathered a wealth of knowledge in the classroom but says the hands-on approach of multiple internships at Penn State has been invaluable. He interned with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and Saucon Valley Country Club and feels that these experiences have proved to be beneficial.

“My future goals within the industry are to be great at what I do and apply the skills that I have learned to the real world.”

His Waddington/Harper award “has lightened my financial burden and has helped to make this investment in education possible,” he says. “KAFMO’s generosity has inspired me to help others as they have helped me, by giving back to the community and helping students to achieve their dreams.”

Contact: Linda Kulp, Executive Secretary Phone: 717-497-4154 kulp1451@gmail.com

Contact: Dan Douglas, President Phone: 610-375-8469 x 212 KAFMO@aol.com

POWER UP YOUR SOIL Advancing Educational Potential One of KAFMO’s long-term goals has been to build up the profession from within with new generations of qualified turf professionals.

Providing educational opportunities, including scholarships, is a key strategy. Since 2001, KAFMO has been recognizing outstanding students of sports turf management with a scholarship named in memory of Dr. Donald Waddington and Dr. John Harper, two pillars of the Penn State turf program. The scholarships are intended to identify and recognize outstanding students who plan careers in sports turf management and to support the students’ education.

How to Apply Are you a career-oriented Turf Science student who could benefit from a Waddington/Harper Scholarship? To be eligible to apply, students must be enrolled at an accredited college or university in an approved turfgrass program, must have completed a substantial portion of the requirements needed for graduation, and must demonstrate an interest in sports turf management. A college transcript, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member, and a statement detailing the applicant’s interest in the field of sports turf management make up the application package. Eligible students are encouraged to apply for a Waddington/Harper Turfgrass Scholarship in 2023. For details and an application form, please visit https://kafmo.org/Scholarships. All application materials must be submitted by December 15, 2022.

Bring on the heat! Keep turf color and density through summertime.

High Performance Plant Nutrients Fertilizers ▪ Specialty Products Soil Amendments ▪ Custom Blends Fertility Forward®

GreeneCountyFert.com

Our bio-based fertilizers & specialty fertility products are blended to feed plants, improve soil fertility and build topsoil.

Fertilizer MFR/HQ: Greensboro, GA ▪ Chemical Distributor of L&O pest control products

®

Seed and Fertilizer Erosion Blankets Hydro-Seeding Supplies Turface® Products For more info visit www.seedway.com, email turfseed@seedway.com, or call

(800) 338-2137

@SEEDWAY_LLC

SEEDWAYLLC Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 19

K E Y S T O N E AT H L E T I C F I E L D M A N A G E R S O R G A N I Z AT I O N

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Samantha Abraham Genesis Green Supply 137 Commerce Drive Glen Rock, PA 17327 Catherine Abramavage Central Sod Farms 920 John Brown Rd Centerville, MD 21617 George Albright Glen Summit Floral Co 216 Kirby Ave Mountaintop, PA 18707 Dave Anderson 769 Old Chickles Hill Rd Columbia, PA 17512 Rene Asprion Diamond Pro 1112 E. Copeland Rd, Ste 500 Arlington, TX 76011 Michael Attig York Township 190 Oak Rd Dallastown, PA 17313

Kyle Black 415 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster, PA 17604 Brooke Blatt Wilson School District 4 Cloister Ct Sinking Spring, PA 19608 Michael Boekholder Philadelphia Phillies One Citizens Bank Way Philadelphia, PA 19148 William Boll 3357 Deininger Rd York, PA 17406 Jeff Borger Department of Crop & Soil Science 244 ASI Bldg University Park, PA 16802 Collin Breidinger P.O. Box 2506 West Chester, PA 19380

Jim Carpenter Centre Region Parks & Rec Authority 2643 Gateway Dr Suite 1 State College, PA 16801

Tanner Delvalle Penn State Extension Schuylkill County 1202 Ag Center Dr Pottsville, PA 17901

Kerry Chippo 2627 Chestnut Street Camp Hill, PA 17011

Richard Dentner Moyer Indoor / Outdoor 113 E Reliance Rd Souderton, PA 18964

Robert Christine Quakertown Community School Dist 311 S. Ninth Street Quakertown, PA 18951

Keith Evans Aramark 890 Panther Parkway Enola, PA 17025

Patrick Coakley DuraEdge Products Inc 149 S Broad St Grove City, PA 16127

Don Dodson Genesis Green Supply 137 Commerce Dr Glen Rock, PA 17327

Jose Fajardo Tarkett Sports 175 N Industial Blvd NE Calhoun, GA 30701

Herb Combs Pennsylvania State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802

Melissa Dornan Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association 7 East Sarazen Drive Middletown, DE 19709

Dan Fick FM Brown P.O. Box 210 Virginville, PA 19564

John Conyette Lawn-Scaping 303 Quail Hill Rd Connellsville, PA 15425

Rebecca Auchter 4425 Stanton Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15201 Carmen Baciotti Tomlinson Bomberger Lawn Care 3055 Yellow Goose Rd Lancaster, PA 17601

Elvin Brown 1020 Lehigh Ave Lancaster, PA 17602

James Cornelius 860 Scenic Drive Loris, SC 29569

William Brown, CGCS AQUA-AID Solutions 663 Rosedale Rd Kennett Square, PA 19348

Shawn Corwell Greene Township Board of Supervisors 1145 Garver Ln Chambersburg, PA 17202

Bill Bamber FieldTurf 175 N Industrial Blvd NE Calhoun, GA 30701 Joseph Barr Milton Hershey School 7 Sandy Dr Annville, PA 17003 Tom Bechtel Heritage Lawn & Landscape Care 4741 Biesecker Rd Thomasville, PA 17364 Mark Bentzel Dallastown Area School District 700 New School Ln Dallastown, PA 17313

Mike Brubaker Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042 Chris Bruce Northern Lebanon School Dist 345 School Dr Fredericksburg, PA 17026 Ben Burns 375 Holyoke Dr York, PA 17402 Todd Burns Greene Township Board of Supervisors 1145 Garver Ln Chambersburg, PA 17202

Rob Copple 200 S Providence Rd Wallingford, PA 19086

Sean Cullen Turf Equipment & Supply Co 8015 Dorsey Run Rd Jessup, MD 20794 Paul Curtis Pennsylvania State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802 Jeff Cuthbertson Windview Athletic Fields P.O. Box 2506 West Chester, PA 19380 Bryce Dalpiaz P.O. Box 414 414 Walnut Street Liverpool, PA 17045

Dan Douglas Reading Fightin Phils P.O. Box 15050 Reading, PA 19612

Mike Fidanza PhD Penn State University Berks Campus 111 Luerssen Bldg Reading, PA 19610

Charles Duprey Naturcycle LLC P.O. Box 97 Plainville, NY 13137

Jessica Fink Sherwin Williams Co 3540 N Progress Ave #201 Harrisburg, PA 17110

Charlie Dwyer CoverSports 5000 Paschall Ave Philadelphia, PA 19143 Ken Dyer P.O. Box 328 Elizabethtown, PA 17022 John Eberhart Gettysburg Area School Dist 900 Biglerville Rd Gettysburg, PA 17325

Joe Fischetti Borough of Plum 2001 Old Mine Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15239 Mike Fisher Fisher & Son Inc 110 Summit Drive Exton, PA 19341 Brian Fitz Dallastown Area School District 700 New School Lane Dallastown, PA 17313

Donald Eck Upper Saucon Twp 5500 Camp Meeting Rd Center Valley, PA 18034

Timothy Fleming 411 W Manheim St Philadelphia, PA 19144

Chris Ecton 900 Art Rooney Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Brandon Forsburg Harrisburg Senators P.O. Box 15757 Harrisburg, PA 17105

Bill Ellinger Jr Pittsburgh Steelers 3400 S Water St Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Donald Fowler 750A Menno Village Chambersburg, PA 17201

Tyson Cain Hummer Turfgrass Systems 1527 S Colebrook Rd Manheim, PA 17545

Ryan Daub 4 Wheatland Dr Myerstown, PA 17067

H Wayne Biesecker Susquenita School District 158 Old Trail Rd Apt #25 Duncannon, PA 17020

Brandon Caldwell 540 West North Street Carlisle, PA 17013

Mike Daubert Northern Lebanon School Dist 345 School Dr Fredericksburg, PA 17026

Scott Ely Field Lining and Painting Services LLC 601 Meadow Creek Lane Kennett Square, PA 19348

Tim Bigler Lower Dauphin School District 291 E Main St Hummelstown, PA 17036

Bill Caramanico C Caramanico & Sons Inc 6 Race St Upland, PA 19015

Scott Deiley Montgomery Township 1001 Stump Rd Montgomeryville, PA 18936

Andy Erickson Pioneer Athletics 4529 Industrial Parkway Cleveland, OH 44135

20 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

Brian Evans County of Berks Parks & Rec Dept 2083 Tulpehocken Rd Reading, PA 19610

Mike Dickert 108 Swedesford Lane Millersville, PA 17551

Travis Brookens Greene Township Board of Supervisors 1145 Garver Ln Chambersburg, PA 17202

Ron Baldino Rose Tree Media School District 134 Barren Rd Media, PA 19063

Craig Esbenshade Turf Equipment & Supply Co 150 Bowman Rd Lancaster, PA 17602

Jeff Fowler Penn State Extension – Venango Co 867 Mercer Rd Franklin, PA 16323 John Fox Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc 3400 S Water St Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Ron Franks 1970C Easton Turnpike Lake Ariel, PA 18436 Andrew Fredericks Cranberry Township Public Works 2525 Rochester Rd Cranberry Township, PA 16066 Kim Frost Britton Industries P.O. Box 6499 Lawrenceville, NJ 8648 Brad Frye In the Net Sports Complex 798 Airport Rd Palmyra, PA 17078 Rob Galdieri Marywood University 2300 Adams Ave Scranton, PA 18509 Ramon Garcia 2627 Chestnut Street Camp Hill, PA 17011 Alfie Gardiner Target-Specialty Products 710 Corporate Center Drive Bldg 7 Reading, PA 19605 Chris Gawryla Penn State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802 Richard Gdovin Andre & Son Inc 17150 Sr 706 Montrose, PA 18801 Trever Gill South Middleton Twp 520 Park Dr Boiling Springs, PA 17007 Matthew Gillespie 1420 Conway Drive Swarthmore, PA 19081 Andrew Gossel 1050 IronPigs Way Allentown, PA 18109 Thomas Goyne Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building University Park, PA 16802 Todd Grace 33 Baldy Hill Rd Alburtis, PA 18011 Mike Granieri Mike Granieri Lawn Care Inc 1996 Stout Dr Unit A-1 Ivyland, PA 18974 Bob Grothey West York Area School District 1891 Loucks Rd Suite 100 York, PA 17408

Robert Guthrie Little League International P.O. Box 3485 Williamsport, PA 17701

Steve Himmelberger Tulpehocken Area School 430 New Schaefferstown Rd Bernville, PA 19506

Randy Haffling Moravian College 1200 Main St Bethlehem, PA 18018

Rodney Hockenberry Penn State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802

Mike Hakes 2627 Chestnut Street Camp Hill, PA 17011

Bruce Hoffman Martin Stone Quarries Inc 1355 N Reading Ave Bechtelsville, PA 19505

Tom Haley Pioneer Athletics 4529 Industrial Parkway Cleveland, OH 44135 Carl Hall 426 Clearfield Street Grassflat, PA 16839 Jeff Hall New Enterprise Stone & Line 3580 Division Hwy East Earl, PA 17579 Ian Hammer Horsham Township 1005 Horsham Rd Horsham, PA 19044 Edward Harbaugh Philadelphia Eagles NovaCare One NovaCare Way Philadelphia, PA 19145 Kelly Harper Pennridge School District 1303 N Fifth Street Perkasie, PA 18944

Matt Hoke West York Area School District 1891 Loucks Rd Suite 100 York, PA 17408

Richard Laubenstein 251 Long Lane Kutztown, PA 19530

Neil Hosick City of Hermitage 800 N Hermitage Rd Hermitage, PA 16148

Stephen Kennedy Shearon Environmental 5160 Militia Hill Rd Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

CJ Leas Armark 209 Abbottstown St P.O. Box 161 East Berlin, PA 17316

Judy Houck Spring Township Parks and Recreation Department 2850 Windmill Road Sinking Spring, PA 19608

Timothy Kennedy 52 Potts Ave Norristown, PA 19403

Christopher Huffer Hampden Twp 230 S Sporting Hill Rd Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 Brandon Hull 721 S. Sixth St. Chambersburg, PA 17201

Wayne Ingerto York Suburban School District 1800 Hollywood Dr York, PA 17403

Cody Harvey 981 Church Rd Lebanon, PA 17042

Integrated Turf Management, Inc. P.O. Box 5006 New Britan, PA 18901

Tim Herd PA Recreation & Park Society 2131 Sandy Dr State College, PA 16803

Craig Keisch Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042

Lester Lanman Lower Swatara Township 1499 Spring Garden Dr Middletown, PA 17057

CJ Lauer The Bryn Mawr School 109 West Melrose Ave Baltimore, MD 21210

Brian Hartman Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042

Jim Heilman 700 New School Lane Dallastown, PA 17313

Todd Kaylor Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042

Dr. Peter Landschoot PSU Dept of Plant Science 116 ASI Bldg University Park, PA 16802

David Kelsey Greensburg Salem School District 1 Academy Hill Place Greensburg, PA 15601

Dave Hunley Fisher & Son Inc 183 Saddle Dr. Furlong, PA 18925

Ben Heemstra 730 Sunset Lane Northumberland, PA 17857

Daniel Kallen Friends Central Schools 437 Linden Ave Glenside, PA 19038

Linda Kulp KAFMO 1451 Peters Mountain Rd Dauphin, PA 17018

Steve Horne SWB Railriders 235 Montage Mt Rd Moosie, PA 18507

Otis Harrison Stancills, Inc 499 Mountain Hill Rd Perryville, MD 21903

Mark Heckaman Donegal School District 1051 Koser Rd Mount Joy, PA 17552

Jones Turf Management Inc P.O. Box 502 Paoli, PA 19301

Ben Jacoby Moravian College 4627 Terrace Rd Orefield, PA 18069 Brad Jakubowski Penn State University 209 Tyson Bldg University Park, PA 16802 Michael Janzer Plant Food Company 38 Hightstown Cranbury Station Rd Cranbury, NJ 8512

Shannan Hidey 9 Venture Way Eldersburg, MD 21784

Ken Jeinnings Lawn & Golf Supply Co Inc 647 Nutt Rd #3395 Phoenixville, PA 19460

Ryan Hills Lehigh Valley IronPigs 1050 IronPigs Way Allentown, PA 18109

Matt Johnson Northern York Co S D 650 S Baltimore St Dillsburg, PA 17019

Matthew Kerns Episcopal Academy 1785 Bishop White Dr Newtown Square, PA 19073 Tom Klich 1050 Iron Pigs Way Allentown, PA 18109 Thomas Klos Lower Dauphin School District 291 E Main St Hummelstown, PA 17036 Doug Knauss 1900 Lingelstown Rd Harrisburg, PA 17110 Shane Kneasel Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042 Brian Koehler Park Maintenance Institute 2131 Sandy Drive State College, PA 16803 James Koontz Jr Cumberland Valley School Dist 6746 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 George Kostelich Jr Township of Upper St Clair 1820 McLaughlin Run Rd Upper St Clair, PA 15241

Steve Legros Le GROWS Inc 720 Appalachian Ave Carlisle, PA 17013 Karisa Lehman 540 West North Street Carlisle, PA 17013

Shawn Mahonski 224 Bentley Road Parkton, MD 21120 Thom Mahute Fisher & Son Co Inc 110 Summit Dr Exton, PA 19341 Grass Management Inc 845 Pennsgrove Rd Lincoln University, PA 19352 Madison Manos Hempfield School District 350 Mumma Drive Landisville, PA 17538 Joe Marchozzi 1785 Bishop White Drive Newtown Square, PA 19073 Joshua Marden Profile Products Turface 31 Woodlawn Ct Blue Ridge, VA 20464 Loren Martin Terra Gro Inc P.O. Box 790 Terre Hill, PA 17581 Michael Martin 120 Monroe Street Boyertown, PA 19512

Keith Lehman Pine Grove Area School Dist 103 School St Pine Grove, PA 17963

Keith Maurer Green Pro Solutions LLC Natures Pro LLC 2143 Route 22 Suite A Jonestown, PA 17038

Tony Leonard Philadelphia Eagles NovaCare One NovaCare Way Philadelphia, PA 19145

Nicholas Maurer Musco Sports Lighting 100 1st Avenue W Oskaloosa, IA 52577

Doug Linde Delaware Valley University 700 E Butler Ave Doylestown, PA 18901

Michael Maxwell Borough of Conshohocken 400 Fayette St Suite 200 Conshohocken, PA 19428

Mike Lindenmuth Tomlinson Bomberger Lawn Care 3055 Yellow Goose Rd Lancaster, PA 17601

Christopher McCardell Windview Athletic Fields P.O. Box 2506 West Chester, PA 19380

Andy Lipinski E.H. Griffith, Inc. 2250 Palmer St Pittsburgh, PA 15218 Gene Long Long Specialties 4 Pleasant View Dr Grantville, PA 17028

Eric McGuckin Springfield Township 400 W Sproul Rd Springfield, PA 19064 Bryan McKinney Tiny Mobile Robots 2937 Horner Sawmill Rd Inwood, WV 25428

Mark Miller Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building University Park, PA 16802 Nic Mitchell Corteva 325 Thomas School Road Unit 1 Greensburg, PA 15601 Reid Mitchell Finch Turf 9 Venture Way Eldersburg, MD 21784 James Mong Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042 Boyd Montgomery 8111 Lyndale Ave S Bloomington, MN 55240 David Moore Muhlenberg School District 187 Sandhurst Blvd Blandon, PA 19510 Chad Murray 53 Lighthouse Rd Selbyville, DE 19975 Greg Narmour World Class Athletic Surfaces 3001 Old Taylor Road Unit 306 Oxford, KS 38655 Erik Nurenberg Unionville Chadds Ford School District 651 Harveys Bridge Rd Coatesville, PA 19320 Chris Olimpo 515 Meetinghouse Rd. Jenkintown, PA 19046 Chris Overman 8111 Lyndale Avenue S Bloomington, MN 55420 Todd Paparo Total Package Landscape LLC 150 Parkview Heights Rd Ephrata, PA 17522 Richard Patrick Penn State University Berks Campus 12 Edgedale Court Wyomissing, PA 19610 Chuck Perkins South Jersey Turf Consultants 1634 Route 206 Tabernacle, NJ 8088 George Peters Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building University Park, PA 16802

Suzanne Longacre Laurel Valley Soils P.O. Box 70 Avondale, PA 19350

Andrew McNitt PSU Dept of Agronomy 116 ASI Bldg University Park, PA 16802

Lamar Kramer 1446 Auction Road Manheim, PA 17545

Jeffrey Ludwig West York Area School District 1891 Loucks Rd Suite 100 York, PA 17408

William Meiser Middletown Area School Dist 100 Industrial Ln Middletown, PA 17057

Edward Peters Jr Chambersburg Area School Dist 721 S 6th St Chambersburg, PA 17201

Norm Kropp Jr Celtic Roots Inc P.O. Box 190 Exton, PA 19341

Neale Magill Silver Spring Township 8 Flowers Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Daniel Miller North Huntingdon Township 11279 Center Hwy North Huntingdon, PA 15642

Robert Piccolo II Derry Township Public Works 874 Front St Hershey, PA 17033

Lee Kozsey Syngenta 3710 Amherst Ct Bethlehem, PA 18020

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 21

KAFMO Membership Directory • continued

Jim Pike Pioneer Athletics 4529 Industrial Parkway Wilmington, DE 44135

Robert Rehnert Lehighton Area School District 1000 Union St Lehighton, PA 18235

Cindy Potts A-Turf Inc P.O. Box 157 Williamsville, NY 14231 Dwayne Prosceno Central Columbia School Dist 4777 Old Berwick Rd Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Trent Reisinger South Middleton Twp 520 Park Dr Boiling Springs, PA 17007 Timothy Resh 1048 Clinton Ave Bensalem, PA 19020

James Ravier Upper Saucon Twp 5500 Camp Meeting Rd Center Valley, PA 18034

Dudley Rice Solebury Township P.O. Box 139 Solebury, PA 18963

Greg Rebert Dallastown Legion Baseball 470 W Main St Dallastown, PA 17313

Michael Richline 732 Goepp St Apt 212 Bethlehem, PA 18018

Todd Rebman Reading School District 2845 E Cumberland St Myerstown, PA 17067 Schuylkill Haven Recreation Department 340 Haven St Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972

Doug Rider Syngenta 320 Spencer Rd Devon, PA 19333 Mary-Sidney Ritch Turf Tank 1775 West Oak Pkwy Suite 500 Marietta, GA 30062

Matt Robson Seedway P.O. Box 250 Hall, NY 14463

Matt Schlegel Deer Country Farm & Lawn 2710 Mt Joy Rd Manheim, PA 17545

Tom Serensits Penn State University 116 ASI Bldg University Park, PA 16802

Shannon Slevin Quali Pro 5903 Genoa Red Bluff Pasadena, TX 77507

Doug Rosefsky Pennsylvania State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802

Ryan Schmidt Lebanon Valley College 101 N College Ave Annville, PA 17003

Matthew Slingerland Susquehanna University 514 University Ave Selinsgrove, PA 17870

Michael Roth Penn State Harrisburg 3922 Brisban St Harrisburg, PA 17111

Kurt Schneider Golf Cars Incorporated 4180 Skyron Drive P.O. Box 247 Buckingham, PA 18912

Ryan Shaffer White Township Recreation Complex 497 East Pike Road Indiana, PA 15701

Mary Beth Ruh FM Browns Sons Inc P.O. Box 2116 797 Commerce St Sinking Spring, PA 19608 Jerry Sanders The Groundsmaster LLC 4811 Fahringer Dr Hellam, PA 17406

Jerry Schrack Jr 500 College Ave Swarthmore, PA 19081 Scott Schukraft Elite Sports Turf & Landscape Management 19 Mapleseed Drive Dallas, PA 18612

Steven Saunders 26 Meadow Dr Greensburg, PA 15601

Bob Seltzer Fisher & Son Inc 110 Summit Drive Exton, PA 19341

Brandon Schanz Erie County Conv. Center Authority-UPMC Park 809 French St Erie, PA 16501

Michele Seltzer Annville Cleona School District 520 S White Oak St Annville, PA 17003

Robin Sherrerd SiteOne Landscape Supply 4217 Fritch Dr Bethlehem, PA 18020 Jay Shook Penn State University 103 Bryce Jordan Center University Park, PA 16802 Mark Shrift JMT 214 Senate Avenue, Suite 102 Camp Hill, PA 17011 Jeff Simcox Wilson School District 4 Cloister Ct Sinking Spring, PA 19608 Wally Simpson 473 Main St Corsica, PA 15829

Corey Snyder Hatboro-Horsham School District 411B Babylon Rd Horsham, PA 19044 James Soltis Upper Macungie Twp 8330 Schantz Rd Breinigsville, PA 18031 South Middleton School District 4 Forge Rd Boiling Springs, PA 17007 Chris Spotts Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building University Park, PA 16802 Adam Steckbeck Lebanon School District 1000 S 8th St Lebanon, PA 17042

TheTurfZone.com is the central hub for turfgrass research and information from multiple state turf associations.

555,000+

334 Podcasts

153 ISSUES

115,000+

Annual Digital Page Views

of Turfgrass Magazines

and Many More to Come!

Monthly Social Media Impressions

Contact us today to learn about effective and unique TurfZone marketing strategies that target turf industry professionals.

sales@leadingedgecommunications.com 888–707-7141 facebook.com/theturfzone

22 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2022

twitter.com/theturfzone

continued • KAFMO Membership Directory

Nicholas Sterlace 6162 Woodford Dr Lake View, NY 14085

Richard Tshudy 1020 Lehigh Ave Lancaster, PA 17602

Donald Waddington P.O. Box 31606 Alexandria, VA 22310

Sam Stimmel AQUA-AID Solutions 200 Hilltop Ln Washington, PA 15301

Kurt Uhler South Middleton Twp 520 Park Dr Boiling Springs, PA 17007

Charles Walter 420 S Duke St Dallastown, PA 17313

Jim Strohecker Aquarius Supply 131 Lloyd Street Allentown, PA 18109

Joel Umberger Umbergers Landscaping Inc 1976 Laudermilch Rd Palmyra, PA 17078

Curt Walter Tomlinson Bomberger Lawn Care 3055 Yellow Goose Rd Lancaster, PA 17601

Scott Sunday Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building University Park, PA 16802

Lloyd Umberger Jr Umbergers Landscaping Inc 1976 Laudermilch Rd Palmyra, PA 17078

Tim Sweeney McKeesport Area School District 1992 Parklane St McKeesport, PA 15132

Rich Valentine STEC Equipment 405 McGee Rd Anderson, SC 29625

David Talhelm 222 Market St Lykens, PA 17048

Troy von Holdt The Toro Company 8111 Lyndale Ave South Bloomington, MN 55420

Dave Trutt Greene Township Board of Supervisors 1145 Garver Ln Chambersburg, PA 17202

Roy Waddell West York Area School District 1891 Loucks Rd Suite 100 York, PA 17408

Greg Walters South Hanover Township 161 patriot Way Hershey, PA 17033 Dustin Wells Ultimate Athletic Complex 1592 Wyomissing Rd Mohnton, PA 19540

Larry Whitehead West Shore School Dist 507 Fishing Creek Rd Box 803 New Cumberland, PA 17070 James Wian III Jamco Products P.O. Box 37 Carlisle, PA 17015 Matt Wimer Hummer Turfgrass Systems 1527 S Colebrook Rd Manheim, PA 17545

Tim Ziegler Governor Mifflin School Dist 10 South Weaverly St Shillington, PA 19607

Edward Yergey 315 E 4th St Boyertown, PA 19512 Drew Yoder Penn State University 6 Field Maintenance Building Big Hollow Rd University Park, PA 16802

Jim Zimmerman TurfTime Equipment 800 N Railroad Ave New Holland, PA 17557

Jon Yorgey Wyomissing Area School District 630 Evans Ave Reading, PA 19610

Luke Zimmerman Natural Fertilization & Pest Control 2950 Lewisberry Rd York, PA 17404

Tom Wobber Bertz Hess & Co LLP 36 E King St Lancaster, PA 17602

John Young 2090 Young Rd. Pottstown, PA 19465

Kevin Yeiser Lebanon Valley College Maint Cen 101 College Ave Annville, PA 17003

Rob Zemanick Nazareth Area School District 357 Tatamy Rd Nazareth, PA 18064

Jim Welshans 100 Kokomo Ave Hummelstown, PA 17036 Joann Wheeler 4 Bishop Avenue Oil City, PA 16301

If you find an error in your listing, contact KAFMO@aol.com

Better Built. Quality Results. Period.

Sports field, Park and Estate Mowers

Contour / Rough Finishing Mowers

Steep Slope Remote Controlled Mower

Turf Grass Production Mowers

The Slope-Pro® is a steep slope, rotary mower capable of 50º slopes

Roller Mower cutting widths: 65”, 90”, 12’, 15.5’, 22’*, 29.5’*

Contour/rough finishing mower: Pro-Flex™ 120B 10’ cut TDR-X™ roller mower 10.5’ cut

Tri-Deck cutting widths: 12’, 15.5’, 22’*, 36’*

Steep Slope mower: Slope-Pro® 52” cut

* available with bolt-on galvanized deck shells

Progressive Turf builds the right mowers and rollers for any field.

For over 30 years they have set and re-set the standards in commercial grade mowing equipment.

Contact your Progressive Dealer to find out why Progressive products are outstanding in any field!

WWW.PROGRESSIVETURFEQUIP.COM

800.668.8873

Quality built in North America and supported by a world-wide Dealer network.

Summer 2022 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 23

TheTurfZone.com is the central hub for turfgrass research and information from multiple state turf associations.

More Than

555,000 Website Page Views Per Year.

Contact us today to learn about effective and unique TurfZone marketing strategies that target turf industry professionals.

sales@leadingedgecommunications.com 888–707-7141 facebook.com/theturfzone

twitter.com/theturfzone

B A S E D O N D ATA A S O F N OV E M B E R 2021.