THE MI T TEN

Dr. Casey Reynolds has been the Executive Director of TPI since May 2017, and prior to that he served as Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist at Texas A&M University and as a researcher at North Carolina State University. He is a passionate advocate for the many benefits of natural grass in urban and suburban environments worldwide. Since joining TPI in 2017, he has been the author or co-author of over 200 written publications and an invited speaker at over 60 events in 5 countries and 14 U.S. states.

Ronald Schiedel

Since its inception in 1975, Greenhorizons Sod Farms has been a family business, growing and harvesting some of Southern Ontario’s finest sod on more than 5,000 acres of land. The family roots run deep and business is currently operating in its 4th generation. Graduating high school in 1977, Ron quickly stepped into the family business with his parents. He attended his first TPI conference in 1977 and it’s safe to say that sod farming quickly became ingrained in Ron. Along with his brother Steve, he has been at the helm of expanding their family sod business now with their anchor brand; BigYellowBag®. This iconic garden soil brand has seen over 1.1 million bags of garden soil sold across North America. The family also owns & operates an architecturally designed golf course in the area named Willow Valley, where you will find a top-class bent grass practice facility.

Today, Greenhorizons is a leading sod supplier for infrastructure, golf courses, nature spaces, sports fields and so much more. An active member of his community, Ron has also been President of both The Nursery Sod Growers Association of Ontario and The Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation. Ask many in the industry and when you think passion for turfgrass, you think Ron Schiedel. But it’s not all turf & soil for Ron - he has a love for snowmobiling, curling, and shares a passion of antiques with his wife Sue. To this day, Greenhorizons continues to farm the same land the Schiedel’s ancestors did, and you can regularly find Ron scouting the fields, moving soil, or gladly sharing his wealth of knowledge with the next generation.