TPI 2026 International Education Conference & Field Day Brochure
2026 ATTENDEE BROCHURE
Host Hotel
JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort Your desert retreat for TPI 2026
Experience the beauty of the Sonoran Desert at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort — our host hotel for the 2026 TPI Education Conference & Field Day. Nestled in the foothills just minutes from downtown Tucson, Starr Pass offers luxury accommodations, on-site dining, a full-service spa, golf, and breathtaking desert views — the perfect setting to learn, connect, and recharge.
Our exclusive TPI group rate is $279 per night, and a limited number of upgraded rooms and suites are available on the booking site.
Conference dates are Sunday, February 15 – Thursday, February 19, 2026. We strongly encourage you to reserve early — availability is limited and rooms will sell out quickly.
Host Farm
Evergreen Turf
2026 Field Day Host
We’re excited to host the 2026 TPI Field Day at Evergreen Turf’s Eloy, Arizona farm. Led by Jimmy Fox and Jeff Nettleton, Evergreen is a leader in innovation and quality sod production across the Southwest — the ideal setting to showcase our industry’s best.
FALL SPECIAL FULL CONFERENCE
(Ending 10/31/25)
EARLY BIRD FULL CONFERENCE
(11/1/25-12/31/25)
STANDARD FULL CONFERENCE
(1/1/26-2/14/26)
ONSITE FULL CONFERENCE
(2/15/26-2/19/26)
YOUTH FULL CONFERENCE (AGE 10-16) $178 $219
CHILDREN 9 AND UNDER $0 $75
SUPPLIER SOCIAL TICKET
(Open to exhibiting supplier members only.) $899 $899
FIELD DAY PACKAGE $325 $500
PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINARS (Space is limited.)
Full Conference
Your all-access pass to the TPI Education Conference and Field Day — featuring the full education agenda, Solutions Showcase, Field Day demonstrations, and all group meals and receptions.
Supplier Social
Engage, exhibit, and experience. Includes the welcome reception, Solutions Showcase, and field access all week!
Field Day Package
Where the turfgrass industry comes to life. Join every major supplier supporting sod farming for a full day in the field. Explore new technology, reconnect with old friends, and build valuable industry relationships. Experience live equipment demos, meaningful conversations, and unbeatable networking opportunities — all capped off with lunch, dinner, and live music from local band Arizona Wildflower.
AGENDA SPEAKERS
Our 2026 Education Conference agenda is built around what matters most — real conversations with the people shaping our industry.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2026
Pre-Con Master Class: Price Smarter, Market Sharper – Turn Customer Data into Profits on the Farm Flora Delaney
1-5PM
Pre-Con Master Class: People Power: Master HR Essentials for Growing a Stronger Sod Business Helena Long
Pre-Con Master Class: Unlock Your Personalized Roadmap to Farm Succession Success Mike Downey
11:15AM-12PM New Board Show and Tells, Eric Hjort, 2027 Welcome TPI Board
1-4PM Optional Activities
5-9PM Solutions Showcase Expo Hall and Dinner
WEDNESDAY,
11-6:30PM 2026 Field Day, Dinner, and Live Music by Arizona Wildflowers
THURSDAY,
Nichole Harken
Dr. Nikki Harken is an Associate Professor of Instruction. She teaches courses in leadership, community engagement, research, and relationship development in the Department Communication and Media at the University of Northern Iowa. While this is her passion - her vocation is to help others identify their passions and encourage them on the path to self-fulfillment and actualization. Every human has a purpose and finding that purpose is just one of the mysteries of life. She encourages all students to become curious, understand how they learn, and discover their passion. Once curious, their purpose and passion can be found and nurtured...work is no longer work and we realize, ‘it’s not how smart you are, but how you are smart.’
Helena Long
Helena is focused on the development and growth of organizations and the people that make up those organizations. Her career of over 40 years includes senior- and executivelevel positions in Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Learning & Development. She provides training and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies on a national and international level as well as to many small and middle-sized companies in a variety of industries including manufacturing, financial, non-profit, educational, technical, and local government. Her client portfolio includes AT&T, Sprint, Dell, Motorola, Honeywell, Ford Motor Company, The Hartford, Apache Hose, John Deere, Blue Grass Enterprises, CIVCO, Alliant Energy and Henderson Manufacturing. She has been instrumental to several organizations in leading their successful company-wide transformation efforts to a high-performing culture. Helena is a graduate of The University of Tennessee and she studied Organizational Development at Pepperdine University. She is a certified DiSC trainer and a long-standing member of the Association for Talent Development, serving in several Board positions including, President of the Hawkeye Chapter.
Mike Downey
Mike serves as the Manager of Succession Planning at UnCommon Farms, where he leads a team dedicated to helping farm families prepare for generational transitions. With nearly two decades of experience in farm consulting and family business planning, Mike brings both technical expertise and a deep understanding of the interpersonal dynamics that can make - or break - a succession plan. He has guided hundreds of families across the Country through critical decisions involving ownership, management, and estate strategies. Mike was born and raised on a family farm and graduated from the University of Illinois with Bachelor of Science in Ag Business and Finance. He holds several agricultural accreditation including a Certified Farm Succession Coordinator through the International Farm Transition Network (IFTN).
Flora Delaney
Leading Delaney Consulting, Flora is a sought-after speaker and author who helps businesses apply the fundamentals of the retail industry to their own business. Focusing on timeless principles: Strategy, Customer Service, Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Management and Operations always drives business success. It’s why customers ranging from Amazon to Tractor Supply to the California Strawberry Board engage with her and her team.
SPEAKERS
Christopher Schulte
Chris Schulte is a seasoned litigator and advocate who represents employers, including many in the agriculture industry, in connection with various workplace issues including immigration, labor, and wage and hour matters. He has nearly 15 years of experience advocating his clients’ positions before Congress and federal agencies on key legislative and public policy issues affecting their businesses.
Prior to joining Fisher Phillips, Chris was a partner at an international AmLaw 200 firm where he advised and litigated on behalf of agricultural and seasonal employers on business immigration and employment matters, including wage and hour, and H-2A and H-2B non-immigrant worker program compliance matters.
Eric Snodgrass
Eric Snodgrass is a Senior Science Fellow and Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions who develops predictive, analytical software solutions to manage weather risk for global production agriculture. He provides frequent weather updates that focus on how high-impact weather events influence global agriculture productivity. His current research uses machine learning to better understand field-level weather impacts on yields in the US and to increase confidence in longrange weather prediction. He presents his research as a featured speaker at over 100 conferences annually where he provides logistical guidance and solutions to weather sensitive financial institutions, farmers, commodity traders, and other stakeholders. He was recently awarded the Educator Award in 2023 for Distinguished Service to America’s High Technology Agriculture by the Mid America Croplife Association. Snodgrass is a co-founder of Global Weather and Climate Logistic, LLC and Agrible, Inc which were both acquired by Nutrien Ag Solutions in 2018. From 2006-2019, Eric was the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he taught over 20,000 students across a wide range of course work in Atmospheric Science. He won many prestigious teaching awards at the University of Illinois including College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence award, the Campus Teaching Excellence Award and the Campus Teaching Excellent Award in Online and Distance Education.
Fred Whitford
Dr. Whitford’s legacy is deeply rooted in his unwavering dedication to agricultural education and history. As a clinical engagement professor and director of the Purdue Pesticide Programs since 1991, he has authored more than 300 publications, 9 books, 160 extension bulletins, and has delivered over 7,000 presentations. His ability to translate complex pesticide regulations and safety practices into accessible information has made him a trusted voice across Indiana and beyond. His dedication to Extension outreach has earned him numerous accolades, including the Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence in Educational Service to the Rural People of Indiana, the Honorary Master Farmer title by Indiana Prairie Farmer, and an honorary fellow with the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators.
Casey Reynolds
Casey Reynolds, PhD is the Executive Director for Turfgrass Producers International. He earned his PhD at North Carolina State University and spent four years as a faculty member and statewide Turfgrass Extension Specialist at Texas A&M University. Since joining TPI in 2017, he has had a positive impact on many government relations items impacting sod producers. He has also been an invited speaker at over 80 events in 16 U.S. states and 6 countries and authored over 300 publications. Dr. Reynolds is a passionate advocate for turfgrass producers throughout the world.
SESSIONS
PRE-CONFERENCE MASTER CLASS SEMINARS
Price Smarter, Market Sharper – Turn Customer Data into Profits on the Farm FLORA DELANE
Not all customers are created equal—and not all pricing drives profit. In this hands-on session, retail expert Flora Delaney shows how to apply proven retail strategies to grow a healthier bottom line. Bring your own business data and walk away with clear customer segments, smart pricing tactics, and targeted marketing ideas that actually move product. Learn how to track who’s buying, how often, and how much they spend—so you can invest your time and money where it counts. We’ll dig into your angel customers (the ones who grow your profits) and expose the demons (the ones who cost you more than they bring in).
SPECIFIC SEMINAR TOPICS INCLUDE: Strategic Pricing for Business Owners, Importance of pricing, cost vs. value-based pricing, psychological pricing, segmenting by value and understanding price sensitivity, price model comparisons, bundling and tiered pricing, pitching prices changes and more!
If you’re ready to price with confidence and market with precision, this session will help you plant the seeds of sustainable profit.
People Power: Master HR Essentials for Growing a Stronger
Sod Business HELENA LONG
This four-hour interactive seminar is designed specifically for sod farm owners and managers who want to strengthen their workforce practices. From hiring the right team to keeping them engaged and compliant with labor laws, you’ll gain practical tools to improve employee performance, retention, and morale—ultimately boosting productivity and business success.
SPECIFIC SEMINAR TOPICS INCLUDE: Hiring Smart—Interviewing and Selection Basics (writing effective job descriptions, Legal and illegal interview questions, behavioral interviewing techniques, avoiding bias in hiring, and onboarding), Performance Management That Works (setting clear goals, handling performance issues legally and fairly, documenting performance), Engaging and Motivating Employees, and Staying Compliant, HR Laws every farm owner should know (wage and hour laws, workers comp, FMLA, ADA, and more)
This highly interactive session combines expert instruction with practical, hands-on exercises designed to reinforce key concepts in real time. Participants will engage in group discussions, scenario-based activities, and guided application of tools and frameworks, ensuring they leave with actionable insights and practical skills they can immediately apply within their own organizations.
Succession Planning: Unlock Your Personalized Roadmap to Farm Succession Success MIKE DOWNEY
What will happen to your farm when it’s time to pass it on? Too often, the answer is left to chance. In this interactive workshop, Mike Downey will guide participants through four pillars of farm succession planning - Business & Family Foundations, Business Continuity & Governance, Management & Leadership Transition, and Estate Planning & Wealth Preservation. You’ll learn how to bring clarity to tough conversations, structure your business for long-term continuity, and develop strategies to minimize conflict and taxes. Whether you’re in the early stages of thinking about succession or already facing pressing transition decisions, this seminar will provide practical frameworks and action steps you can begin applying immediately to your own operation.
SPECIFIC SEMINAR TOPICS INCLUDE: Business & Family Foundations (clarifying vision, values, goals, and priorities for the future), Business Continuity & Governance (structuring ownership for stability and fairness, defining roles, preserving family harmony), Leadership & Management Transition (planning for gradual transfer of management responsibilities, developing next-generation leaders, avoiding pitfalls), and Estate Planning & Wealth Preservation (coordinating estate plans with business succession, Exploring tax-efficient transfer strategies, preserving wealth while protecting the farm legacy)
Participants will leave with a framework to begin or refine their own succession plan, along with practical tools to foster productive family discussions and safeguard the farm’s future.
SESSIONS
CONTINUED
GENERAL SESSIONS
Problems? Probably Perception!
NICHOLE
HARKEN, EDD
Misunderstandings abound in the workplace and most often these misunderstandings can be explained by differing perceptions - about what someone said, what someone did, how someone reacted. The truth is, we all see the world through our own personal lenses. In this session, participants will learn how perception impacts everything we see, hear, and come to know.
What’s the Latest in Ag Labor?
CHRIS SCHULTE
In the world of agricultural labor, the only thing that may be as hard as finding enough labor is keeping up with the everchanging landscaping of regulations on it. Chris Schulte brings his year of expertise in labor law to TPI in Tucson for an in-depth discussion of the latest regulations surrounding agricultural labor. Please join us for this session to learn more about ag labor and how to stay compliant.
HR Headaches in the Field: 10 Mistakes That Can Mow You Down
HELENA
LONG
Think “that won’t happen on my farm”? Think again. From warm-body hiring to wage rules and safety slip-ups, this session uncovers the Top 10 HR Mistakes Farms Make—and how to avoid fines, lawsuits, and turnover before they take root. In just one hour, you’ll pick up practical fixes that keep your team members happy and your farm out of hot water.
Work On It, Not In It - Use Coaching and Service to Reclaim Your Time
FLORA DELANY
Running a sod farm shouldn’t mean running yourself ragged. If you’re stuck in the weeds—handling every customer issue and putting out fires—this session is your roadmap to freedom. Learn how to build a reliable team, coach with purpose, and create a customer service system that keeps things running smoothly even when you’re not on-site. It’s time to step back, scale up, and lead your farm like a true business owner.
Putting Equipment on the Road: Not for the Faint of Heart
FRED WHITFORD, PHD
Operating agricultural equipment on highways can be difficult. Having a clear mind will help you make good decisions when needed. Be patient, even when other drivers are rude, aggressive, and inattentive. Pattern your driving habits to know that if you must yield, then you will yield. It’s true that it may cost you a little time, but in the grand scheme of things, will saving time really make a huge difference over the course of the day? Definitely not.
This program will focus on driving ag equipment by including local traffic patterns, eliminating blind spots, wearing seatbelt, pulling over, making the left and right turns, one-lane bridges, posted bridge weights, cell phones, and backing up. Dealing with these factors protects yourself, other drivers, and prevents accidents.
TPI Innovation Series – 10 Ideas in 50 Minutes
TPI PRODUCER MEMBER PANEL
This exciting, fast-paced session will involve 10 sod producers from 10 different farms sharing their best “5-minute” idea that has transformed something they do at their farm. Everything from office practices, employee items, agronomics, human resources, and more are on the table! 10 ideas in 50 minutes are exactly what the description says, 10 ideas with 5 minutes each to share them.
GENERAL SESSIONS
High Impact Meteorology
ERIC SNODGRASS
Weather risk in production agriculture is ubiquitous and the successful execution of a crop plan requires accurate weather forecasting and analysis. We plan our operations based on weather averages and our experiences over recent growing seasons, but each year presents a new set of weather challenges. In this talk, we will focus on how to use the abundance of weather data to stay ahead to disruptive weather events. We will talk about the limits of predictability for weather events and learn about the resources available to monitor changes in longer-range forecasts. We will review the major lessons from the last growing season and talk about your state’s risk from severe storms – especially high winds, hail events, and tornadoes. We will talk about the big seasonal drivers like El Niño and La Niña discuss the outlook for the next spring and summer. We will finish with a discussion about the next growing season in South America, which competes directly with our crops.
Load Securement – Understanding Straps and Chains
FRED WHITFORD, PHD
Losing cargo on the road is serious business. It results in material loss, personal injury, destruction of property and, sometimes, environmental impacts. Properly loading and securing pesticide-related cargo within the truck or on a trailer prevents highway accidents and reduces your liabilities. The proper selection and use of tie downs can make a significant impact in keeping the roads safe from falling cargo. This program will describe how properly placed and correctly sized tie downs can hold cargo on and within trucks and trailers. This information will be presented in a way that can easily be transmitted back to your employees
Lawn & Order: TPI 2026 Industry Update
CASEY REYNOLDS, PHD
TPI works diligently on government relations impacting sod producers in many different areas. Whether it is testifying on legislative grass bans, working with state or federal agencies, or working with TPI members locally, we have a proven track record of working behind the scenes to make sure our industry has a voice in public policy. This session will provide a 2025-26 update of current public policy trends or initiatives impacting sod producers and TPI’s involvement in many of them. Farm bill, grass bans, The U.S. Departments of Labor, Transportation, Agriculture Departments, and more.. this session will cover them all.
New Board Member Show and Tell, 2027 TPI Conference Preview
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Join us for one of the most anticipated sessions at the TPI Education Conference! Meet our new TPI Board Members Doug Lechlider of Laytonsville Turf Farm in Gaithersburg, MD and Ryan Menken of Jasperson Sod Farm in Union Grove, WI. Discover their farms, backgrounds, and the inspirations that led them to serve on the TPI Board of Trustees. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn from these dedicated leaders! And finally to wrap up the conference, we’ll also get a quick preview of TPI’s 60th Anniversary in Amelia Island, Florida in 2027.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
TLI Play for Purpose
Add a little friendly competition — and a big impact — to your TPI week with one of our optional activities on Tuesday afternoon. Choose from a 9-hole golf scramble, pickleball tournament, scenic hike, or a tour of Old Tucson Studios.
Participation is $150 per person, and proceeds benefit The Lawn Institute’s mission to advance turfgrass research and education. Spots are limited, so gather your friends and register early!
HIT THE GREENS WITH INDUSTRY FRIENDS
Join fellow attendees for a relaxed 9-hole scramble at the resort’s championship golf course. Perfect for friendly competition and building new connections — no pressure, just fun.
FAST-PACED RALLIES, BIG LAUGHS
Team up and take the court for our lively pickleball tournament at Starr Pass. Whether you’re competitive or just curious, this event is all about camaraderie and courtside connections.
BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND EASY CONVERSATION
Explore the scenic desert trails around Starr Pass on a guided group hike. A perfect mix of fresh air, light activity, and laid-back networking with fellow turfgrass pros.
STEP INTO MOVIE HISTORY
Take a trip to Old Tucson Studios, where over 500 films and television shows have been shot — including classics like Arizona, El Dorado, Tombstone, Joe Kidd, Winchester ’73, and Three Amigos. Just 15 minutes outside Tucson, Old Tucson features over 60 buildings on 20 acres. A historian-led 60-minute semi-private tour gives you the chance to experience the iconic sets and rich history of this famous film location.
EVERYONE’S INVITED! THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL TICKET HOLDERS.
FIELD DAY PACKAGE
Where the turfgrass industry comes to life.
The 2026 Field Day is your chance to see the full turfgrass story in action. Every major supplier who supports sod farming will be on site — from seed companies and technology providers to tarps, mowers, and harvesters — showcasing the latest innovations and trusted solutions that drive our industry forward.
It’s more than equipment in the field; it’s about conversations, connections, and community. Reconnect with old friends, meet new peers, and spend the day building relationships that last well beyond Tucson.
Enjoy lunch in the field and cap off the day with a special dinner sponsored by Magnum, featuring live local music from Arizona Wildflower. It’s the perfect ending to an unforgettable day of learning, networking, and celebrating the turfgrass industry.
