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TPI’s 2021 Virtual Series Recap
by TPIturfnews
EMBRACING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
A VIRTUAL SERIES FEBRUARY 16-19, 2021
TPI’S 2021 VIRTUAL SERIES RECAP
TPI adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions on travel and large gatherings just as so many other associations have needed to do—virtually—with TPI’s Virtual Series. While we missed gathering in person with all our friends and colleagues as we usually do at onsite conferences, we were able to enjoy a topnotch program virtually!
The TPI 2021 Virtual Series took place February 16 through February 19. It was an immersive digital experience that provided interactive content, networking opportunities, collaboration with peers, and even two Virtual Field Days.
The Virtual Series theme was Growing Forward, and it was packed with virtual sessions focused on doing so. The virtual format gave virtual attendees the option to set their own “where and how” to take part and many TPI members included many of their staff members in the experience.
This special section of Turf News, compiled by Steve and Suz Trusty, captures many highlights of the Virtual Series. Share it with all your team via the online version of the magazine.
TPI Annual Business Meeting
Reports presented during the TPI Annual Business Meeting showed TPI remained strong through the difficult Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020 and is continuing to do so into 2021. TPI Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD, is working in conjunction with the TPI Board of Trustees to serve the association’s membership even more effectively through bringing more attention to turfgrass sod producers and reaching out to consumers about the importance and benefits of natural grass in multiple ways, including through the new TLI website. Dr. Reynolds also spoke about TPI’s current and future endeavors interacting with governmental agencies on regulatory affairs on behalf of turfgrass producers and spreading the word on the Sod Checkoff initiative. The 2021 TPI officers and Board of Trustee members began their year of service on January 1, 2021. The slate of officers and trustees for 2022 was presented and elected unanimously. The 2022 officers are Jim Keeven - President; Bob McCurdy - Vice President; Diane Mischel - Secretary/Treasurer; and Steve Griffen - Past President. Elected to the Board of Trustees to serve three-year terms are Larry LeMay, Albrecht Knigge, Lindy Murff, and Wade Wilbur.
U.S. Sod Checkoff Initiative
The 2021 Virtual Series featured a session conducted by TPI Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD, that highlighted the upcoming U.S. Sod Checkoff Initiative. This session was FREE for anyone to attend, whether they had registered for the Virtual Series or not!
Dr. Reynolds explained the background of checkoff programs, noting what they are—and what they are not. Stressing that the sod checkoff program is being developed and will be managed by natural grass sod producers for natural grass sod producers, Dr. Reynolds encouraged all to check out the ongoing initiative at SodCheckoff.org and, if they have questions or comments to share, to reach out to him personally by email to CReynolds@TurfGrassSod.org or by phone to 847-7371846 to learn more.
In addition, Dr. Reynolds highlighted the positive impacts a Sod Checkoff program would bring to the entire natural grass industry—and especially to turfgrass sod producers. TPI Executive Director, Casey Reynolds, PhD, provided an update on the progress made to date in working with governmental agencies on regulations and legislation impacting the natural grass sod industry in the U.S. He stated, “In the last year, we have had two big successes in getting sod deemed to be agriculture for transportation exemptions and Covid-19 relief, and we don’t plan to stop there.”
He reported, “We are working with the U.S. Farm Service Agency to create new crop insurance options specifically for sod producers that we hope will be beneficial for many years to come. We are working with private health insurance providers to explore health insurance for TPI member farms. We are working with our policy consultant to make sure sod farms are accurately represented in the next U.S. Farm Bill and future agricultural census surveys.”
TPI Government Relations Impacting the Sod Industry
Session Highlights
TPI’s 2021 Virtual Series educational sessions were all about “Embracing Transformational Change” as the pandemicaltered year of 2020 came to a close, allowing the process of Growing Forward in 2021 to begin. All the great content attendees have come to expect from TPI was transitioned to the virtual experience.
Though all sessions were conducted online, the “Chat” feature gave participants the ability to post their questions during the presentations and follow up with a live, interactive Question and Answer segment at the close of each session.
In addition, all the speakers provided their contact information for any follow-up questions.
Margaret Considine established her management consulting firm, EQuita, in 2001 following years of national and international positions in consulting, service and manufacturing organization. Skilled in assisting both private and public sector clients in the strategies of negotiations, her four-day Negotiations Workshop was highly interactive, with participants frequently working in small breakout groups to tackle a pre-assigned case requiring complex negotiations and reconvening as a group to dissect their actions and learn new negotiating strategies.
Dr. Bill Withers has nearly three decades of management and leadership experience in both business and education and was a contributing writer to three books in the areas of leadership and customer service. His first session, “Shift Happens,” dug into strategies to navigate times of change and disruption. Dr. Bill Withers’ second session, “XYZ: Better Understanding the Marketplace of our Youngest Generations,” compared the attitudes and expectations of five generations, all of which could be interacting within a company’s workforce. He provided strategies for effectively meeting the expectations of the youngest generations who are part of the “Relationship Era,” and are driving “The Experience Economy.”
Dr. Marco Palma is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University and the director of the Human Behavior Laboratory, a transdisciplinary facility the integrates technology to measure the biometric and neurophysiological responses of human decision making. His session focused on the developing economic outlook and marketing trends as they impact the green industry.
Dr. Dennis Todey is the Director of the Midwest Climate Hub for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. His session focused on climate change and its impact on agricultural production.
Dr. Ariana Torres is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. For her first session in the two-part Social Media Deep Dive, she teamed with Kate Gahimer, CEO and Co-founder of Senler Studio, a social media consulting firm. That session focused on how to develop a social media program for your business. Dr. Torres was the sole presenter in the second session, which concentrated on how to prove your social media works using analytics and ROI.
The Women in Turf interactive networking session was coordinated by TPI Board of Trustees Member Diane Mischel and TPI Marketing and Membership Manager Allie Shriver. Dr. Matt Elmore is Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Weed Science at Rutgers University. His presentation focused on Weed Control in Cool-Season Grasses. This screenshot shows part of the interactive Question & Answer session that followed his presentation.
Dr. Aaron Patton, Professor and Interim Department Head of the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department of Purdue University and Dr. Ross Braun, post-doctorate Lead Research Scholar at Purdue reported on their research in Fine Fescue Sod Production.
Dr. Jay McCurdy is Associate Professor and Agronomy and Turfgrass Extension Specialist in the Plant and Soil Science Department of Mississippi State University. His presentation focused on Weed Control in Warm-Season Grasses noting how weeds and weed control strategies impact natural grass sod production.
TLI Online Auction & More
The Lawn Institute (TLI) Fundraiser for TPI’s 2021 Virtual Series was a Virtual Auction—totally online! Many had been “Embracing Transformative Change” during the Covid-19 shutdowns by sharpening their online shopping skills. That proved to be a great warm-up for shopping the array of offerings up for auction in TLI’s 2021 Fundraiser. All auction proceeds go to support TLI activities, including public relations, scholarships, natural grass research grants, and development of TLI’s new “Environmental Benefits of Turfgrass Facts.” In addition, the NEW TLI website, TheLawnInstitute.org, is a valuable resource for spreading the word to consumers on the many attributes of natural grass.
AUCTION ITEMS, THEIR GENEROUS DONORS AND THE HIGH BIDDERS
ITEM DONOR HIGH BIDDER
$500 Seed Package #100 Jonathan Green & Sons Linda Bradley – Turf Mountain Sod $500 Seed Package #101 Jonathan Green & Sons Greg DeBuck – DeBuck’s Sod Farm of NY $500 Seed Package #102 Jonathan Green & Sons Ryan Menken – Jasperson Sod Farm $500 Seed Package #103 Jonathan Green & Sons Greg DeBuck – DeBuck’s Sod Farm of NY Steak & Wine Package Jasperson Sod Farm Anne-Marie Tribbett – JB Instant Lawn Sunset Cruise Valley Irrigation John Coombs – Coombs Farms Big Green Egg Saratoga Sod Farm Anne-Marie Tribbett – JB Instant Lawn Weekend in Nashville Cameron Financial Linda Bradley – Turf Mountain Sod R & R Products R & R Products Charlene Kogelmann – Creek Side Farm Bison Cooler Summit Seed/Profile Products Steve Griffen – Saratoga Sod Farm BIG SKY Montana Trebro Manufacturing Jim Keeven – SelecTurf San Diego 3-for-1 Pass Newsom Seed Doug Lechlider – Laytonsville Landscaping Spa Gift Card Turf Merchants Inc. (TMI) Linda Bradley – Turf Mountain Sod Yeti Package Harmony Outdoor Brands Ryan Menken – Jasperson Sod Farm Bass Pro Shops Saratoga Sod Farm Bob McCurdy – McCurdy Sod Farms One Gallon of Terradigm Locus Agricultural Solutions Greg DeBuck – DeBuck’s Sod Farm of NY SD Whale Watching Tour Turfgrass Producers Association John Coombs – Coombs Farms SD Whale Watching Tour Barenbrug USA John Coombs – Coombs Farms Cheesecake of the Month Bethel Farms Randy Jasperson – Jasperson Sod Farm Spa Gift Card Turf Merchants Inc. (TMI) Diane Mischel – DeBuck’s Sod Farm, Inc.
This Research Project underway at Purdue University is one example of a TLI-funded research project.
Virtual Field Days took place on the afternoons of Tuesday, February 16, and Thursday, February 18. Gold and Silver Sponsors participated with their own “Virtual Meeting Rooms” hosted online. In addition, there were three “track sponsors” who provided a video introduction to the sessions within that track: Executive Track Sponsor was Mountain View Seeds, Marketing Track Sponsor was Turf Logistics, and Agronomic Track Sponsor was Magnum. Just as during the onsite Field Day experience, each Virtual Field Days vendor was center stage to feature their products and services in their own totally unique way. Some chose to demonstrate a new product or showcase an existing product or series of products. In some meeting rooms, videos featured equipment operating in the field. Some vendors featured video presentations highlighting their products and services. Some vendors offered opportunities for their virtual attendees to connect directly for one-on-one or small group chats that included in-depth discussions about products and services and a chance to simply say hello. All vendors provided contact information for follow-up contact. Once more attendees (though virtual) were able to connect with suppliers and check out the latest and greatest for the sod production industry!
By Cecilia Brown
Thomas Turfgrass is a longtime, well-known sod producer and installation business in Wharton, Texas. The sod company prides itself on its family operation and pleasing customers throughout the entire process of purchasing new grass. Emory Thomas is the owner of Thomas Turfgrass, managing the operations of four sod farms spanning the area around Wharton, Austin County, and Bastrop County. In high-seasons, they have roughly 70 employees and in the low-season, they have somewhere around 40.
He complimented his employees’ positive attitude towards work and said it is what makes running a sod farm and business so rewarding. “It’s a good way to make a living. The fact that I can work with my family and that we have a great team to work with,” Emory said. “It’s just my happy place out on the farm growing grass and solving problems. It’s a dream come true.”
History
Emory’s father, Emory Augustus (E.A.) Thomas Jr. started the sod business back in 1969 after one of the family’s lifelong friends in the area convinced E.A. and Emory’s grandfather it was a good way to make a living. The Thomas family had been involved in the dairy industry for years, but Emory said when Lake Granbury, a reservoir in North Texas, was created it took away most of their grazing land for their cows. The Thomas family planted turfgrass on what remained of their land and this began their sod farming operation. “I liked it a whole lot better than the dairy business and there seemed to be more opportunity in the sod business. I really enjoyed it. To be honest, it was and is a lot of work but it’s very rewarding in my opinion,” he said.
Emory Thomas is owner of Thomas Turfgrass.
Emory was in junior high when his dad started the company, Thomas Brothers Grass. He said he saw it then the same way as he does now, an opportunity for him to work together with his family. Emory and his three brothers worked together with their dad to help run the sod business. In 1990, their dad sold the business and signed a noncompete agreement.
In 2002 Emory and his wife, Sandy Thomas, started Thomas Turfgrass as a sod installation company. Emory explained he saw this as a new opportunity for him to work with Sandy, Seth his son, and Traci his daughter. At the time, Seth was in high school and Traci was in college at Baylor University. Emory knew that running a sod business required a lot of effort and hard work, so he didn’t know if his children would get involved when they graduated. “I always wanted them to become part of the business, but I wasn’t trying to force them to be part of it. Either way was fine with me, but I’m thankful that they decided to do so,” he said.
When Traci graduated college, she began looking for a job. Thomas Turfgrass had plenty of positions available and she became involved with the wholesale store near San Antonio as their sales associate covering San Antonio and Austin. Since then, her role has changed and Traci is heavily involved in the company’s marketing, handles their H-2A Visa program, and coordinates their health insurance plans.
Seth joined the company when he graduated from Texas A&M. Emory said that he was pleased that both of his children decided to join the family business. “That’s what makes it fun to me, we have our differences from time to time, but we seem to be able to iron those out and it works really well. Basically, I’m living the dream,” he said.
Emory and his wife, Sandy Thomas, started Thomas Turfgrass in 2002.
Traci Thomas (left), Sandy Thomas (center), and the former media manager for Thomas Turfgrass, posed for this photo when Thomas Turfgrass was planting sprigs on Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Seth Thomas holds up a slab of sod harvested from one of the Thomas Turfgrass production fields. This Thomas family photo pictures three generations, Emory and Sandy, their children Traci and Seth, along with their spouses, and all six of the grandchildren.
Both Traci and Seth have three children each. Emory said that he and Sandy love their six grandchildren, consisting of four boys and two girls. Their families live on farms in Bastrop and Austin counties, making it only an hour’s drive in either direction to visit.
Industry changes
Over the years, one of the greatest differences Emory has observed in the sod industry is mechanization. He recalls harvesting in high school when they used a sod cutter they would walk behind. They would push the rolls of sod up by hand and stack them onto trailers. He even remembers when they finally bought a forklift to stack pallets of sod. Emory said he is appreciative of these mechanical changes over time. Emory also complimented computer software that has made their bookkeeping systems much more efficient and faster. “We also have better chemicals and safer chemicals than they did back in the 1970s and that’s very important,” he said. He estimates 90 percent of the grass Thomas Turfgrass produces is grown on sand-based soil which is what sports field architects specify for projects. He explains the reason for this is because water can percolate through the sod quickly after heavy rain so athletes can resume play rapidly if the field is designed properly.
Sod installation
Thomas Turfgrass produces, installs, and maintains sod products. With seven installation crews, Emory said this responsibility just went along naturally as a part of their sod business. “Most of our competitors do not install grass at all. It’s a real benefit for us and brings a lot more business our way. We think our crews do a better job of installing than anybody else does anyway, so we highly encourage that,” he said. Thomas Turfgrass has completed several high-profile sod installations and many small projects. Emory said no matter the size of the project, their goals are to make sure their customers are happy and that they resolve any issues quickly. Last year, Thomas Turfgrass’s Celebration® Bermudagrass was installed at LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Emory said this was a high-profile project that they enjoyed completing. He joked it would have been a lot better if they’d repeated their national football championship and is hopeful it will happen next season. Thomas Turfgrass also installed its Latitude 36® Bermudagrass at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Emory said since they had a good season this past year, they were really proud to see their grass played on at this stadium. A few years ago, Thomas Turfgrass produced and installed the grass for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. They also furnished and installed Latitude 36 at the Amarillo Sod Poodles minor league baseball field and the BBVA Compass Stadium professional soccer arena in Houston, TX. Emory said there are more listed on their website, thomasturfgrass.com, but these are some notable jobs they have completed.
Thomas Turfgrass is a sod farm that aspires to be a part of its community. The business has donated several athletic fields near the farm. “We donated entire fields and we installed the grass for both private and public schools.
We’ve done a lot of repair work for baseball and athletic fields for little leagues, schools and town leagues that don’t need a full replacement, but infield and portions of the field replaced,” Emory shared. Thomas Turfgrass also provides partial scholarships to people who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to go to college. “We look for people that we can actually help in the community and that always comes back to help us in the long run,” Emory said.
COVID-19
Over the past year, Thomas Turfgrass has taken precautions during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep everyone healthy. Emory explained they have five bunkhouses for their H-2A visa employees. He said between these houses and their installation crews traveling to and from sites, they are trying to keep everyone safe. “It’s pretty alarming and kind of scary but we just have to keep moving forward and do the best we can,” Emory said. The business has purchased disinfectants, hand sanitizers and Emory said for the most part the employees have done a good job of keeping things clean. He said that some people have started working from home and will continue to do that until risks are reduced.
Thomas Turfgrass has not had as many athletic field installations during the pandemic. This year, they have started to see things steadily pick back up.
Future
Emory said the future of Thomas Turfgrass is dependent on the political climate. “I’ll be a little boastful about our state. We’re very fortunate to live in Texas,” he said. Emory said they plan for Thomas Turfgrass to double in size within the next 10 years. He explains they are happy at the size they are at right now but will continue to grow at a steady pace while improving what they have. “We always give God the credit for everything that we’ve done. He’s the reason. He’s given us the ability and the wherewithal to do it. God has blessed us with a great team and of course a family operation and I am very happy with that and very thankful,” he concluded.
In a YouTube video, Emory Thomas reported that Thomas Turfgrass grows eight varieties of bermudagrass, two varieties of St. Augustine, and four varieties of Zoysia, with 1,500 acres in production spread across four different farms. The majority of their sod is sand-based, which is preferred for the sports fields and golf courses that make up 40 percent of their sales. The remaining 60 percent of their sales are for commercial and residential properties.
Thomas Turfgrass planted sprigs on Kyle Field at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Roberto Gurgel, executive director of research for Sod Solutions (left) and Seth Thomas (right) check out the Texas A&M soccer field.
Cecilia Brown is Media and Content Manager for Sod Solutions. This article was developed for the company’s Producers Update series and is posted on their website, SodSolutions.com.
Photos provided by Sod Solutions.
