2022 Brouwer Female Leader Award Honors Sarah Nolte

2022 BROUWER FEMALE LEADER AWARD

HONORS SARAH NOLTE

The offices, meeting space, shop and storage area of Blue Grass Enterprises, Inc., in Alburnett, Iowa.

Editors note: The following information is from a Brouwer Kesmac Press Release.

After 50 years of business, Brouwer Kesmac recognizes the collective pride and passion that lives within those in the turfgrass industry. Though automated advancements may lead you to think one could do it all on their own, the reality is, we as farmers know that nothing would be possible without a solid team of dedicated individuals behind you. The Brouwer Female Leader Award honors a woman who shows a commitment and passion not only to the turfgrass industry, but also to the education of others and the proliferation of the industry as a whole. This individual represents the core—and often familial—values held by the community and provides overwhelming value and richness to the turfgrass farming collective. The 2022 recipient is Sarah Nolte, the business manager of Blue Grass Enterprises, Inc., located in Alburnett, Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. She is a third-generation sod farmer who now runs and manages her family’s 400-acre farm, which was started by her grandmother Audrey in 1969, and nurtured by her parents Mike and Marilyn Loan. Sarah is an accomplished athlete and musician who is always looking for adventure, yet at her core is a working mom who loves her job and making time for her family. Sarah has an extensive background in researching, teaching, training, and business development, as well as in marketing and advertising, that she infuses into her business and across the turfgrass community. She is an outspoken ambassador for education who can often be found running seminars for wholesale and retail customers that incorporate sound components of turfgrass management, such as sharing her knowledge of soil sampling and disease mitigation. Sarah strives to lead the industry with integrity and progression and is constantly improving her practices, while implementing new sustainable and environmentally friendly tactics, helping to reinvigorate her team, and aiding them in operating more efficiently. Sarah is part of the Leadership for Five Seasons program (LFS). LFS is a premier community leadership program that focuses on developing top talent through formal leadership and provides participants with community knowledge, connections, and inspiration to make a positive impact on the community. She serves on several committees for TPI and TLI that focus on research, technology, and industry innovation. In addition, Sarah is part of the first cohort of TPI’s Future Leaders Fellowship. As Sarah’s impact in the community grew, so did her farm’s reputation. Sarah’s down-to-earth approach in cultivating and growing relationships with both her customers and staff is reflected in her authenticity and the respect she has earned that is echoed throughout the industry.

It’s not just Sarah’s measurable success, but her willingness to make mistakes and thrive through them by taking the time to do what is right; which is rarely what is easy. In 2021, Sarah helped Blue Grass Enterprises achieve new milestones and sales records while navigating the global pandemic and a subsequent natural disaster; all while becoming a new mother. She is described as a utility team player who remains steady in the eye of a storm. She is able to switch from office to field work, while continuing to maintain an ongoing active role in supporting her colleagues and community through education and the construction of sports fields and public green spaces. Even though her influence is growing, Sarah states she is “still at her best when she is out in the field, mowing, spraying, and fertilizing.” The 2022 Brouwer Female Leader Award presentation will be held this summer at the Blue Grass Enterprises farm in Alburnett, Iowa, on behalf of Bubba Simons of Brouwer Kesmac and Tim Wollesen of Sales Midwest, Inc. m in wer

One of the turfgrass production fields of the Blue Grass Enterprises farm in Eastern Iowa.