WANT TO INCREASE VALUE PER ACRE? A U.S. SOD INDUSTRY CHECKOFF CAN BE THE SOLUTION By Kiersten Schroeder and Casey Reynolds, PhD At the heart of every checkoff, from mangoes to blueberries, propane to paper packaging, soybeans to softwood lumber, is a mission to benefit every producer. And in turn, every producer supports the checkoff at an equal rate per acre. A group of volunteer sod producers has been working diligently the last few years to create a national sod checkoff program. The reason? To ensure long-term preference and demand for sod, even in the face of growing regulations and shifting consumer attitudes. The overall goal of the U.S. Sod Checkoff program will be to increase value and profitability per square foot for every producer involved, and programs funded by the checkoff must meet that objective. Whether it’s increasing the preference for sod over competitive products, promoting sod to consumers nationwide, conducting research to better understand consumer demands and values, or educating industry regulators and elected officials—everything ladders back to creating more value per square foot.
U.S. sod producers, with a vote expected in the next year. And if approved, the decision to continue the checkoff will also live with producers, with periodic votes for continuation every seven years.
Snapshot of a Successful Checkoff About ten years ago, U.S. softwood lumber producers made the decision to start a national checkoff program. Their number one priority was increasing demand for softwood lumber, with work focusing largely on consumer and customer promotion, converting construction projects to timber, and influencing codes and standards. After just a decade of checkoff investments, softwood producers have seen an increase of 6.3 billion board feet (about a 25 percent increase in demand) and an incremental $2.4 billion in sales revenue. And softwood lumber advocates are currently sitting on multiple code committees and work directly with decision-making trade organizations.
At a local level, checkoff dollars will be used to equip producers with customizable promotional tools. Checkoff dollars will be invested by a group of 13 volunteer sod producers who make up the checkoff board of directors. Board members will represent the diversity of U.S. sod producers, including geography, type of farm, and size. One of the first responsibilities of the board will be setting strategic priorities and in turn, creating a budget. Every checkoff dollar spent will be the decision of these producer directors. And that means every checkoff program will be decided on by actual sod producers. The decision to move forward with the checkoff lives with Softwood Lumber 2020 Funding Priorities & Budget
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TPI Turf News July/August 2021
