MTGF CLIPPINGS - FALL/WINTER 2022-23

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

VOL. 30, NO. 2 FALL / WINTER 2022-2023

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA TURF AND

FOUNDATION VOL. 30, NO. 2

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA TURF AND GROUNDS FOUNDATION VOL. 30, NO. 2 FALL / WINTER 2022-2023

OFFICIAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

President Jamie Bezanson Highland Park GC, MGCSA

Vice President Sam Bauer Ramy Turf, MPSTMA

Secretary/Treasurer Tom Redmann Consultant, MASMS

Treasurer Steve Balfany Balfany Farms, MTA

Ex-Officio Matt Cavanaugh Rush Creek GC, MGCSA

Directors MAC Dave Kemp The Catholic Cemeteries

MAC Dominic Pierre Union Cemeteries

MASMS Tracy Closson MGCSA Nikk Dickerson Owatonna Country Club

MPSTMA Joshua Gerth, CSFM Bethel University MSA Manuel Jordán Heritage Shade Tree Consultants

Jeff Turtinen 763-703-4983 turtinen@mtgf.org P. O. Box 617 Wayzata, MN 55391 www.mtgf.org

The Business of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

By JAMIE BEZANSON President Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

As I get older and hopefully wiser, I often reflect and wonder if I have changed. Yes, my physical appearance has changed, I am getting more gray hair and becoming more of a shape and less in shape. I know my spiritual and political beliefs have evolved during my journey through life. I have struggled with the lessons that come with aging and realize I’m not the invincible 20-year-old I once was. I have learned to embrace those past lessons as wisdom and continue to seek new ideas and thoughts that can expand on who I am right now.

I grew up in Nova Scotia which is well known for its Lobster fishery. I heard a gentle men speak once about how a Lobster grows and the analogy has stuck with me. If you do not know a lobster has an exoskeleton which protects it from predators. How does the Lobster grow? When its shell becomes confining the lobster feels uncomfortable and under pressure. The Lobster goes under a rocky shelf to protect itself and casts off its shell and produces a new one. As it continues to grow, that shell becomes uncom fortable, and so it goes back under the rocks. It repeats this several times. The ability for the Lobster to grow is stimulated by the Lobster feeling uncom fortable which triggers the response to shed its shell. Times of stress are signals for a response. But, if we are not willing to feel uncomfortable, we will not change, and we will suf fer from chronic stress.

Moreover, for the lobster to grow it must make itself vulnerable. When it first emerges from the old shell, its new shell is soft and offers little protection. It takes many hours for its new shell to harden. Just like the lobster, both stress and vulnerability are key ingredients for our growth. A willingness to embrace the vulnerability of stress and discom fort makes us grow. Just as our muscles need physical stress to grow, our minds need a cer tain amount of mental stress to grow.

Through being open minded and continual trial and error in my life I have found that my curiosity is what excites me and keeps me interested in tomorrow. I’m always enthusiastic to grow and gain new information. The Northern Green is one of those places that an abundance of information is exchanged annually and the new changes that are com ing are exciting.

The MTGF and MNLA has listened to the members of the 7 allied associations and responded to the feedback. A Change is what was asked for and that is what we will get. The MNLA team worked diligently to come up with alternate options for the 2024 Northern Green. The decision to move to another venue will hopefully add a renewed energy for the event and bring green industry professionals together for Networking and education opportunities. The open exchange of ideas and information is something every employer should encourage and promote in their businesses and attending this event for green industry professionals is a must. I hope to see you all there.

Sincerely,

Jamie Bezanson President

Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

The mission of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation is to promote the Green Industry in Minnesota through support of research, education and outreach at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere.

Launching a New Chapter

By CASSIE LARSON MNLA Executive Director

The challenges of the past few years have given every one reason to pause, examine, and reassess. During the past several months, a collection of MNLA and MTGF board members and committee members have been meet ing to discuss how to make our feature event, Northern Green, even more relevant to today’s green industry needs. After gathering feed back from members, exhibitors, and vol unteers – we’re so excited to share that Northern Green will be transforming starting in January of 2024. Trade shows and events are evolving, and we are continuously striving to bring you the next best thing. The future is BRIGHT, and we’re excited for you to join us on this evolving adventure.

2023 MINNEAPOLIS SAINT PAUL 2024

will have education, product and service showcases, social events, and peer sharing designed specifically for the com munity’s needs. For example, are you a golf course super intendent who wants to connect with other superintend ents? Are you a grounds manager who wants to meet with other grounds professionals? The goal is to provide an experience with tools and connec tions you can take back to your work place to be even more effective.

First, you’ll notice that we’re on the move! We heard loud and clear from members and exhibitors that there was a desire to move the show out of Minneapolis following the tragic events of recent years. While we have enjoyed nearly 20 years at the Minneapolis Convention Center, evolution and growth often demand change...and so we're pleased to launch a new chapter of the Northern Green story in St. Paul, and in addition, showcase a new and interactive Northern Green October event that will be held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. We’ll be able to celebrate the season kick off and start to wrap up the year with a Northern Green experience on both ends! Northern Green becomes a year-round hub for all communities of the green industry, with the education, networking, and tools you need to grow your business and career.

The indoor portion of the event will still take place in January, just one week later, January 2325, 2024 with events at RiverCentre, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, as well as a variety of other event and restau rant locations close by in St. Paul. Finding your colleagues and making connections is at the center of the event’s design. So, we invite you to join us in the all-new Northern Green Villages – each community within the larger event

The addition of an outdoor com ponent to the Northern Green umbrella allows for more demonstra tions, hands-on edu cation / installa tions, and interactive experiences at the one-day October event in 2024. Plus, suppliers will be able to feature out door equipment in its natural environment – test drive a mower, take a spin in that mini-excavator, or purchase a plow for the upcoming snow season. A variety of quick-hit ting educational events will also be included.

Both event components, January and October, will fea ture curated social events to network and engage with your industry peers. This will be your opportunity to connect in a low-key, fun, and intentional way. Not everyone wants to interact in the same way, so we’ll have a variety of experi ences to choose from.

Finally, we’ll be launching a new flexible subscription registration model - register for one event or both all at one time to make it as easy as possible. Plus, send different team members on the same ticket!

While the big picture pieces are in place, many details are still in the development process. Are you interested in participating? We’d love to hear your ideas or have you join a team or committee that will help with the planning process. Please reach out, and we’ll get you connected.

Regardless, we hope you’ll plan to join us for the next chapter of the Northern Green story in St. Paul in January and October 2024 – you won’t want to miss it!

TUESDAY - NORTHERN GREEN WEEK - MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

MTGF MASTER CLASS

NATIVE PLANTS FOR MINNESOTA LANDSCAPES

January 10, 2023 / 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

As urbanization continues, native plants are often displaced by highly cultured species in these unnatural landscapes. The utilization of native plant species, where appropriate, can have significant value to pollinators, wildlife, and the surrounding environment. In this Master Class you will learn from experts which native plants would be most appropriate in practical settings such as lawns, landscapes, prairies and wetlands.

9:00 am

Native Woody and Herbaceous Ornamental Plants

Dr. Brandon Miller, Assistant Professor University of Minnesota

10:00 am

Native Trees for Landscapes

Dr. Gary Johnson, Professor Emeritus University of Minnesota

11:00 am

Native Plant Production and Landscape Restoration

Tory Christensen, Landscape Ecologist Landbridge Ecological

Lunch at Noon

To register: www.northerngreen.org

MTGF Allied Association Changes Its Name, Now the Minnesota Park and Sports Field Management Association

One of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation’s allied associations has changed its name from the Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association (MPSTMA) to the Minnesota Park and Sports Field Management Association (MPSF MA).

MPSFMA

President Mark Kruse made the offi cial name change / rebranding announce ment on November 16 at MPSFMA’s annual Fall Workshop held at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville. Kruse noted that the name change better reflects the membership. For more information, go to www.mpsfma.org.

The MPSFMA Spring and Fall Workshop are solid events, each gathering about 200 attendees and 25 sponsors in March and November. Kruse noted that the name change better reflects the membership. For more information about the workshops or the association, go to www.mpsfma.org.

1:00 pm

Trends in Planting Ecological Landscapes

Dan Shaw, Senior Ecologist

Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources

2:00 pm

Native Grasses for Landscapes

Dr. Mary Meyer, Professor Emeritus University of Minnesota

3:00 pm

Native Species for Lawns and Pollinators

James Wolfin, Conservation Specialist

By CHASE STRAW Assistant Professor, Turfgrass Management and Physiology Texas A& M University

Community-level sports fields (e.g., park and recreation, K-12) are public spaces that provide numerous physical, mental, and societal benefits. These fields are often governed, constructed, managed, and used by various interacting groups who have different value systems and preferences that impact their decisions. While sports fields offer an opportunity for community engagement and physical activity to residents of communities, poor field quality or lack of access from misinformed decisions can increase health issues and decrease physical activity participation, especially among youth. That is in addition to decisions made regarding water and energy resources required to maintain these fields. Those who have decision-making authority should consider input from the entire community and other relevant stakeholders; however, there is a lack of convergence and breakdown in communication among stakeholders’ needs and priorities. Additionally, decision-

makers often lack effective tools and proper knowledge to select and manage fields to meet demand in a sustainable and just manner.

Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota are in the progress of planning a research proposal centered around the complex decisions made about sports fields within nearly every community in the United States. The purpose of the research would be to improve the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of community-level sports fields. Decision-makers and sports field managers at the community-level, please consider helping us gather information for the proposal by scanning the QR code (left) and participating in a 5-minute survey.

Reference: Straw, C. M., McCullough, B. P., Segars, C., Daher, B., & Patterson, M. S. (2021). Reimagining Sustainable Community Sports Fields of the Future: a Framework for Convergent Science-Stakeholder Decision-Making. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1-11.

Increasing Resistance Against Snow Mold Using Artificial Lights During the Fall Hardening

By FLORENCE SESSOMS University of Minnesota DOMINIC PETRELLA Ohio State University

Snow mold is a famous early spring disease affecting many turfgrasses, in particular annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass. This disease is a concern for golf courses superintendents as a lack of correct application of fungicide in the fall results, during the following spring, in the loss of green, tee or fairway areas. An alternative to chemical application is focused on improving the winter hardening of turfgrass species through the use of artificial lightning as further described.

The decrease in temperature that occurs in autumn (>50 ℉) is associated with a reduction of day length (Figure 1), and both are signals that lead to important plant physiological responses to prepare for the winter.

Period

tions (fall temperatures and light reduction) but regulated by different molecular pathways. It is important to keep in mind that a plant’s ability to be tolerant to frost/freeze does not indicate a snow mold resistance and vice versa.

Sugar-based Snow Mold Resistance

This older concept involves the accumulation of carbo hydrates, in particular fructans, during the hardening peri od for snow mold resistance during the winter months. Studies on winter cereal crops have shown that snow mold resistance could be associated with total carbohydrate con tent and specific types of carbohydrate for a few possible reasons:

● Hypothesis #1. Snow molds are pathogens that develop in cool temperatures (0°C - 5°C) and low-light environments created by snow cover or winter months (Figure 2). During these cool and low light periods, plant photosynthesis is reduced. Plants, therefore, heavily rely on their carbohydrate storage accumulated in the fall. A depletion of their carbohydrate storage would make a plantmore susceptible to snow mold pathogens because of their reduced inability to fight the disease.

Figure 1. Total day length and temperature fluctuations in fall 2021 for St. Paul, MN. The hardening period will start when the temperatures reaches 50℉.

These plant hardening responses include changes in plant growth and height reduction, preference for nutrient storage in the root system, changes in the cellular metabo lism, and accumulation of different types of sugars in vari ous locations of the cell for better winter survival. This hardening period is extremely important for successful freezing tolerance and snow mold resistance during the winter months. Gaining freezing tolerance and snow mold resistance are triggered by similar environmental condi

Figure 2. Snow mold can be visualized on the turfgrass cover as snow recedes in spring 2020 (Photo: Florence Sessoms).

● Hypothesis #2. Fructan, a polymer of fructose, has been shown to accumulate in vegetative tissue during the hardening period as a future source of energy during the winter months and fructans also increase freeze tolerance by strengthening cell walls and decreasing cellular freeze

Artificial Lights & Snow Mold -

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points. This fructan accumulation was also associated with higher snow mold resistance. This complex polymer might be more difficult to be degraded and metabolized by snow mold pathogens. Hence, a higher presence of fructan (or certain types of fructan) might slow down the development of snow mold pathogens in plant tissue.

● Hypothesis #3. The accumulation of small-chained carbohydrates in the different cell compartments decreases cellular water potential and results in cell dehydration. This cellular dehydration protects the plant from further freezing damage occurring during winter. Interestingly, snow mold pathogens have shown optimal water potential for their development in plant tissues. A reduced cellular water potential could decrease their ability to develop in the plant tissue.

These different hypothetical mechanisms (carbohydrate accumulation, the presence of fructan, and reduced water potential) could work in synergy with each other for improved snow mold resistance and freezing tolerance (reduced water content). More research is needed to understand the involvement of these potential mechanisms in snow mold turfgrass resistance.

Why would artificial light help?

Snow mold resistance in winter wheat has been associ ated with increased photosynthetic activity during the hardening period but it has never been associated with increased photoperiod. The reduced day length occurring in the fall is also associated with a lower light intensity in the morning and evening of the day (Figure 3).

assumption that the lower temperatures and unaltered fall photoperiod would maintain the same hardening cellular metabolism. Our goal is to increase specific carbohydrate accumulation with higher light availability during the hardening period to improve snow mold resistance.

Could artificial light be easily used?

Golf courses have started to use supplemental lighting more frequently to improve the playability of their greens, during the autumn season when light is more limiting. We are proposing to use a similar approach for improving snow mold resistance on bentgrass greens. Our experimen tal set-up will consist of the application artificial lighting at the beginning of the day (2 hours) and the end of day (2 hours) on a bentgrass green without changing the photope riod during the 2 weeks when the temperatures start to be below 50 ℉ (typically late October through early November in Minnesota). The artificial lighting will be added by using the BU10 unit from SGL (https://sglsys tem.com/EN/index.php), outfitted with high pressure sodium lamps (Figure 4). These compact units, which are easily movable, can provide an additional light intensity of 250 umol.m-2.s-1 on a 10 square meters area and are already used on golf courses. Light-treated plots and con trol (no additional light) will be artificially inoculated with snow mold the day after ending the light treatment. In the later winter and early spring, after the snow melts, we’ll be able to see if our idea worked by comparing snow mold incidence on the turf areas that received extra light, with those that didn’t. We hope to see some positive results, but even if we don’t, our WinterTurf project team has a num ber of projects addressing ways to reduce snow mold on cool-season turfgrasses. Control plots are situated far enough away from the light source so they’re not influ enced by the extra light.

Figure 3. Potential light intensity occurring in St. Paul, MN, during the day of October 20, 2021.

In general, photosynthetic cells positively respond with increased light intensity: higher light intensity, more pho tosynthesis; our hypothesis is that increasing the light intensity for a couple hours in the morning and afternoon could induce a longer window of efficient photosynthesis, resulting in higher carbohydrate accumulation each day during the hardening period. We are also making the

Figure 4. BU10 unit from SGL light up in a morning dur ing fall 2021.

(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on the University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science blog (turf.umn.edu)

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT

MPSFMA Renovates Jim Kelley Field For Saint Paul Little Leaguers

By JEFF TURTINEN MTGF Executive Director

On October 12, members from the Minnesota Park and Sports Field Management Association and the City of Saint Paul spent a day renovating Jim Kelley Field, a little league field

near Concordia University for its 2022 Community Service Project.

The CSP could not have been accom plished without the help and supplies of key vendors and vol unteers from MPSF MA. The CSP is a yearly volunteer effort typically taking place in the Fall.

Minnesota Sodding Company was the lead vendor for this year’s project. The MSC representatives of Ben Boeding CSFM; Roger Weinbrenner CSFM; Joey Fitzgerald CSFM, and Kent Harris focused on renovating the infield by adding aglime and leveling while also aerating all the turf sur faces. FenceGuard’s Luke and Laura MacLean provided its long plastic product which fits under chain link fencing and minimizes maintenance Frost Inc. provided a dump box and focused on the renovating the warning track. Ken Rost, Cassie Roos and Tom Tauzell repre sented Frost Inc.

The Tessman Company provid ed seed and QP T/I Chemical. Ramy Turf provided infield turf mix. Other vendors on hand providing labor were: Mike Friedrichs, HLS Outdoor; Joe Churchill, Reinders Inc. Key individual’s for this year’s project were Mike McDonald CSFM, who served as the foreman and made sure all volunteers were being efficient in their responsibilities. Luke Wittrock, University of Saint Thomas, re-built the pitcher mound and helped with the bases. Bethel University’s Joshua Gerth CSFM, and Ben Plattes

helped in a variety of ways but mainly focused on renovating the bullpen by de-weeding and adding aglime.

The City of Saint Paul, led by MPSTMA vice president Derek Hollanitsch, provided extra labor as Gary Koemptgen, Maddy Bates, Travis Bjostad and Anthony Rodlund all helped with the project.

A special appearance by former MPSTMA president Matt Grosjean CSFM was welcomed by his peers. Matt was involved in a hor rific tree accident earlier this year and broke his pelvis among other things. After numerous surgeries, it was great to see Matt attending the CSP where he has been such a tremendous help in the past.

Ken Rost, Cassie Roos and Tom Tauvell of Frost Inc. concentrated on the warning track and made a vast improvement as seen from the before photo below.

I Need a Project and I Don’t Need Your Help

By MATT CAVANAUGH MTGF Ex-Officio Superintendent, Rush Creek Golf Club

There are a few things you need to know about me. First, I always need to have a project. This includes at work and around my house. The status quo is not an option for me. Second, I don’t need your help. I will go to great lengths to figure out how to do something on my own. I’ve always been this way and I certainly see it as a fault and I’m trying to change that, but currently, I still don’t need your help. With that…let’s change some greens at Rush Creek and let’s do it with the great staff I already have. Sounds like a plan.

My first year at Rush Creek was as an intern in 2000. Like any golf course there were some challenges and for Rush Creek we had what we called our “Problem Greens.” These were greens 4, 7, 8 and 13. These greens were treated differently in terms of water, fertilizer, fungicides, culturally and even mowing. To make things short, these greens sucked and didn’t like to have grass on them. This was mostly due to their size.

4 Green: 3,600 square feet

7 Green: 2,600 square feet

8 Green: 2,800 square feet

13 Green: 3,100 square feet

How ridiculous are those numbers? The size of these greens and the amount of play that Rush Creek receives just did not allow for the quality of turf that we need. In 2007 we did contract out the recon struction of our 13th green and the new green now measures 7,000 square feet. Perfect, only three problem greens remaining, and I won’t even be the super intendent for another 14 years. The remaining problems greens will certainly be fixed by then.

Nope. It was now 2021, I’m now the superintendent, and we still have the problem greens of 4, 7, and 8. Reference paragraph one…I need a project and I don’t need your help.

Plans started to form to change the 7th and 8th greens during the spring of 2021. Of the three remaining problem greens number 4 could wait, but 7 and 8 needed help and needed it soon. By the fall of 2021 the plans were in place for the Turfgrass Department at Rush Creek to increase the size of the greens for holes 7 and 8 (we don’t need a construction com panies help!). We decided to keep the orig

inal greens, but we were going to add on to these original greens. The main reason for this was to allow the course to stay open with 18 greens. Second, we were going to complete the 7th green in the spring and complete the 8th green in the fall. This will allow our staff to complete the projects and still have time to main tain the rest of the course. It would have taken us too long to do the greens back-toback. I love a good project. I’ll tell the story of our 7th green.

achieved, we started to dig down or what I like to say “core out” the new greens well to a depth of 16 inches. The new area will be 2,000 square feet making the new green for number 7 a total of 4,600 square feet. We used a plastic barrier around the whole edge of the green.

Step 1: We needed to remove a bunker from the front right of the original green as the new green will be going over this area.

Step 2: We need to add soil to the whole area to fill in the depression that was there and to gain the proper top eleva tion of the new green.

Step 3: Once the top level was

Step 4: After we got the whole greens well cored out to 16 inches, we needed to trench in the new drain tile lines.We went down an additional 6 inches in these tile lines.

Step 5: Drain tile is in. We now add pea gravel to a depth of 4 inches. This is the start of creating the USGA perched water table green.

Step 6: All the pea gravel is in and now we are ready to add the 12 inches of sand greens mix that will finish off our 16 inches of cored out greens well. Now, I was not going to overthink what our sand mix was going to be in this new area. I was not worried about trying to match the

Rush Creek Project-

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original sand mix in the original green area. To me that was too difficult anyway. On top of that, we are adding organic material to our greens mix anyway through root growth. So, I made it easy on myself and went with a USGA greens mix that was 93% sand and 7% peat. You may not agree but guess what, it worked and the green is amazing. I’m not much for overthinking. Make a plan, execute the plan, move on.

Step 9: We still needed to add some new irrigation to the area. With the larger size we needed to add two additional greens heads and we also added two addi tional surround heads.

Step 7: All the greens mix is in and it’s starting to look like a green. Now we start to work on our final float of the surface. Just prior to this we water the sand to pack and settle the sand as much as possi ble. The final float then allows us to add any additional sand to some low spots. We are now ready for the grass.

Step 8: One of my favorite parts of the project is that fact that we have grown the sod in-house on our own nursery. Most years we generally have 20,000 square feet of creeping bentgrass. Some is newly seeded, some is growing in, and some is ready for a project.

Step 10: Well, we have an additional 2,000 square feet of green. However, my second favorite part of the new area is the addition 2,000 square feet of surround cut area. This is the area just outside the green and provides for some unique shots with the differing topography and roll off areas.

The project took our staff a little over two weeks to finish (April 11th to April 27th). We had a few rain days, and we also did not work on any weekend days. We eventually opened the new area to play on July 4th. It took us a little longer to get the greens height down to where we needed it to be which was 0.120”. I could have maybe pushed it a little harder, but there really was no need to. It doesn’t seem smart to open up something too early just to allow it to fail.

Rush Creek is lucky to have some tal ented people on the Turfgrass Department staff that allows us to get stuff like this done. Mauricio, Alfredo, Kevin, Cruz,

Ranferi, David, Andres, Oliver, Dennis, Betsy and Ben. All their talents make this project easy and incredibly satisfying. We are also lucky to have the confidence and trust of the general manager Derek Stendahl to complete such a project. We dominated. With the success of the 7th green, we then completed a similar addi tion to our 8th green which we added 2,500 square feet of new putting surface. We are looking to have that open for play in June of 2023.

The Value of Turf Advocacy

By CHRIS AUMOCK Executive Director

Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association chris@mgcsa.org

We at the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association (MGCSA) believe advocacy will play a crucial role in the future successes of ours and other related industries. Stewardship efforts are hot topics that will continue to affect the green indus try. Over recent years, MGCSA has been fighting to assure access to water during peri ods of drought. These past few years have been notable examples of the difficulties turf managers could face during drought or water restrictions. The challenges are real and will only become more restrictive. Last legislative session, we helped introduce legislation that would have created a new water user category to assure minimal access to water during drought periods. For golf, that would mean we could basically only water the greens, and maybe a little bit more, just enough to keep our busi nesses viable. As of now we are classified as category 6 water users, non-essential. We would be the first category to have our water permits pulled when conditions require, which has temporarily happened to a number of our col leagues in recent times. For those of you who rely on water permits, consider what would happen if you lost that access?

shared interests, we can ensure better oppor tunity for our needs to be addressed.

Water is obviously a very pressing and concerning issue not only for industry, but communities as well. Apart from that, we are also monitoring the progression of state pes ticide and chemical laws, to ensure we have access to the tools needed for our work. This could be another opportunity to lend your voice and provide support. Previous years have seen legislation introduced relating to pesticide preemption laws, among other things working to allow municipalities the ability to determine their individual rules for chemical use. The state already has set stan dards and this local interpretation could lead to unfair business environments and deci sions being made by misinformed boards and committees.

Where is the future going?

Chris Aumock Executive Director MGCSA

Our approach has been around developing a strong grassroots advocacy program. Besides the recent covid years, we have had an annual Golf Day on the Hill at the capital each spring. This event has allowed us and our allied golf association to share the good stories of our industry and relay the concerns we have for the future of our businesses. This year we will be back in person on February 1st, delivering the good story of golf and dis cussing our future concerns.

So where do you come in? That is my question to you now. Is this something that could affect you and your operation? With our grassroots approach to advocacy, we believe we are stronger together, and the more voices, and with more industry partners that are fighting to preserve

The MGCSA continues to main tain that advocacy is a crucial ele ment of our mission. We will be active in fighting for golf and turf industry priorities. Now would be a beneficial time to analyze your industry, organization, or associa tions priorities and consider your advocacy needs.

This year we will be working to reintroduce water assurances leg islation with an eye to expanding the verbiage to include larger green and related industry. This is not just a discus sion of golf courses but could potentially have ramifica tions for MTGF and its partners. Please consider joining us, or starting your own efforts, to lend your voice to these important discussions.

The value of advocacy efforts is hard to quantify cur rently, as progress is slow. Yet, the concerns are fast approaching, and current conditions are not alleviating the stresses for our professionals. It is vital that we remain val ued partners in state and local discussions regarding the values our industries provide. We will continue to monitor future issues, work to educate communities on the realities of our industry and continue to be the responsible environ mental leaders we are. The turf industry is full of quality, educated professionals, and now should be the time for all of us to stand together and work to secure our futures.

Now would be a beneficial time to analyze your industry, organization, or associations priorities and consider your advocacy needs.

Introducing the New Turfgrass Extension Educator From the University of Minnesota

By JON TRAPPE Turfgrass Extension Educator, University of Minnesota jtrappe@umn.edu

My name is Jon Trappe and I recently began working as the Turfgrass Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell the members of MTGF a little more about myself and my role in this position.

I am originally from Indiana and got into turf because I became obsessed with golf. This initially meant working on golf courses for free golf but eventually turned into seeing how much I could learn about turf science. I went to Purdue University for a Bachelors in turf, the University of Arkansas for a Masters, and back to Purdue for a PhD. After I finished grad school, I worked for a few years in Eric Watkins’ lab here at the University of Minnesota, before working in the private industry for a few years.

My job as a Turfgrass Extension Educator is to

create an Extension program that responds to the needs of our state’s stakeholders within the turf industry. Some needs, like basic agronomic training, are more straightforward and we can somewhat anticipate when and how those can be met. Other less apparent needs we may have to learn about and address together, such as technical turf problems or adapting to or informing public policy. Regardless, I think an open and continual dialogue about the issues you as professionals are facing within the turf industry will be essential for me to serve you all best.

I am passionate about helping turf professionals and homeowners within the turf industry do more with less. I am convinced of the value turf brings to society and I want to do all that I can to help those managing that turf. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you all.

Professional Turf Supplies

Turf and grounds professionals in Minnesota and beyond have benefited greatly from innovative research funded by the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation. Since 2001, we have donated over $1.75 million to the University of Minnesota (this is over $88,000 per year!); this funding has helped build strong applied research programs focused on turf and landscape management. The ongoing support from the MTGF has given these research programs a foundation from which to seek larger grants that generate new approaches to landscape management that help sustain our industry. Unfortunately, this past year has created a challenge for the MTGF as our primary revenue sources, Northern Green, which is a joint effort between MTGF and the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, was not held in person and therefore did not generate sufficient income from which to make our annual donations for research.

Make a Point of Attending the Northern Green in January!

To continue our important role in support of turf and grounds research, we are asking for donations from individual MTGF members. In a normal year, you would’ve contributed to our efforts by attending the Northern Green, where you would have learned from leading horticultural educators, visited with vendors on the impressive trade show floor, and networked with your fellow green industry professionals. This year, you can have a positive impact by making a donation to help the MTGF continue our mission of funding research, outreach, and education for the turf and grounds profes sionals.

We hope you see this as an investment, one that will bring great returns in the form of new knowledge, more sustainable practices, and forward-looking approaches to maintain green spaces.

If you received this issue of MTGF Clippings in the mail, you are a member of one of seven allied associations, which makes you a member of the MTGF. MTGFG has no membership fees associated with being a member or vendor member. However, you have received the full benefits through the mission of the MTGF. The MTGF Board is made up of two indi viduals from each of the seven allied associations plus two vendor members. The seven MTGF allied associations are:

+ Minnesota Association of Cemeteries + Minnesota Educational Facilities Management Professionals + Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents' Association + Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association + Minnesota Society of Arboriculture + Minnesota Sod Producers + Minnesota Turf Seed Council

Funding provided by the MTGF through your participation has been able to leverage millions of more dollars for turf and grounds research. The ramification was felt when the MTGF had to decide to put a hold on research grant funding for 2021 in hopes that we can return to normal in time for the 2022 funding season. Your attendance at the 2022 Northern Green helps is key. The Green Industry as a whole has been rewarded year after year through the research dol lars granted by the MTGF and we are now asking for extra help for 2021 to be able to continue this same success. Please visit the MTGF website (www.mtgf.org/donations) where you can find additional information on how you can donate to additional turf and grounds research in 2021. Thank you for your consideration.

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