MTF Executive Director Articles
MTF Executive Director Update by Tom Smith
Ag Day at the Capitol: May 23, 2006 marked the second annual Ag Day at the Capitol. Although the turf industry participation was down from last year, we still had a good showing of folks to take the message of turf to our legislators. In addition to supplying a package of corn-based golf tees to the gift flower pot that each legislator received, MTF members also made separate visits to discuss turf industry issues, especially Senate Bill 840, and dropped off a copy of the fall 2005 Futures Magazine that features the MSU turf program.
Thanks to MTF President Tim Doppel , MTF Board Members Dan Bissonette and John Fulling, and MTF members John Kirtland, Jim Johnson, Craig Hoffman , Scott Pulaski and Karen O’Dell for taking the time to participate in the event and visiting with legislators.
Thanks also to Kay Patrick and Debbie Swartz, who set up and worked our MTF and MTESP Capitol display and Ron Calhoun, Kevin Frank and Thom Nikolai for being at the Capitol to talk to legislators and their aides. Also thanks to Jack Knorek from MDA who joined us at the booth.
SB 840: SB 840 passed the senate on June 29, 2006 with all of the phosphorus language stripped from it, which was a huge disappointment. I have already met to develop an educational effort geared towards legislators and the industry coordinated by MTF, Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA), Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA) and Michigan Golf Course Owners Association (MGCOA). As part of this action, we plan to develop an improved alert and communication system with our members. We will be meeting as a re-invigorated Michigan Green Industries Coalition (maybe with a new name) to put our plan together. One of the keys to effective legislative efforts is to make sure our members engage their legislators by making phone calls and sending e-mails promptly when action is needed. I cannot stress enough how much weight a contact from a constituent carries with a legislator, especially in an election year.
Great Lakes Trade Expo: We had a committee meeting on July 20, 2006 . The 2007 figures are on track to surpass the 2006 numbers, up approximately 6% from last year. We had a lively discussion about reconfiguring the trade show space to include islands and other types of exhibitor space. Any change in the trade show area would not take place for the 2007 show because of timing, but is being evaluated for 2008 and beyond.
Water: Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA) has organized a seminar in the Detroit area on October 10, 2006 titled: It’s All About the Water. Proceeds from this event will be earmarked to support the MTESP . This seminar will provide a thorough review of the new legislation passed in April, the Water BMP’s developed by the Green Industry, the groundwater mapping available on-line, and some background in the science of groundwater. Look for more details on this program to come your way soon.
MTESP Habitat Seminar : “Get Wild – Creating, Preserving, Enhancing, & Managing Native Habitat” is a new seminar being developed by the MTESP . This will be held in September at Forest Dunes GC. The details of this program will be released shortly.
What is the Value of Green?
Too often the Green Industry is on the defensive about the potential negative impacts we have on our natural resources. Phosphorus pollution in our surface water and nitrates in the groundwater blamed on the fertilizer we use; air pollution and excessive noise from our equipment. We hear that lawns are of little benefit to our environment, golf courses pollute our water, and wildlife is crowded out by our recreational spaces.
When you stop to think about it, none of this makes any sense. It isn’t even logical. We grow plants that put down roots, stabilize soil and take up nutrients. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to use in photosynthesis and produce oxygen in the process. Our turf is a perennial plant, providing long-term stability to the landscape to prevent soil erosion and to store carbon dioxide taken out of the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming.
Someone somewhere doesn’t get it. The science left the discussion long ago. Don’t get me wrong – poorly managed anything can be a detriment to the environment. It is our duty to educate the industry, which we do more of more frequently than most other industries. It’s critical we self-regulate, because one bad apple does spoil it for everyone else. And it’s paramount that we do the research to prove our point.
I think we are at the beginning of a third stage of research. In the first stage, way back at the beginning, we demonstrated how to grow good turf – make it pretty and functional to use. The second stage started some 25 – 30 years ago and continues today – we demonstrated how to do the first stage while reducing impacts on resources. I’ll call this the age of BMP’s (Best Management Practices). Nutrient management, water management, and IPM are all part of this second stage. Now we are at the cusp of the third stage, and it is up to us if we choose to take this route.
The third stage I call the ‘Value of Green’. It’s where we demonstrate through valid research the significant value and benefit we have on the social and environment issues of our time. We don’t defend what we do, we celebrate what we do.
Here are titles of just a few projects currently funded or pending developed by the MTF that fit into this third stage:
Stormwater Retainment for Golf Course Irrigation – Water Quality, Cost Benefit Analysis, and Water Conservation Potential (funded)
Development of Curricula Using Turf as a Model to Teach Math and Science to At-risk and Underrepresented Youth in Michigan (funded)
Assessing and Maximizing Carbon Sequestration in Turfgrass (pending)
Michigan Turfgrass Stewardship Student Training Pilot Program to Enhance Math and Science Achievement, and Transition from School to Work for At-Risk Students (pending)
The Michigan Turfgrass Foundation has started to show the ‘Value of Green’. All of us in the green industry need to get on board to help support this work through the Turfgrass 2010 campaign.
Tom Smith
MTF Executive Director
Living With Success
Choosing the title of this article was pretty easy. As I contemplated what stresses I face each day as Executive Director of the MTF, what I worry and fret about, what I need to accomplish to meet the needs of this Foundation, I realized it arises from success, not failure. What I live with each day and what challenges lay ahead for the Foundation are a result of the MTF, supported by this industry, being absolutely and wildly successful. We have is an industry driving the MTF that continues to expand economically, environmentally and politically. We created it, nurtured it and now it's running full tilt, and we're all trying to climb on board and keep it steered in the right direction.
Because of the success of the MTF (a result of a lot of hard work and dedication by those we respectfully refer to as the old-timers in this industry), we have created an interest and an excitement for turf in Michigan. The synergy and critical mass are here right now, so our expansion is measured in leaps. 10 original acres at the Hancock Center expanded to 55 acres; 4 faculty in the 1970's to 13 faculty now; student numbers that now make up 1/3 of the Department of Crop & Soil Science; and a partnership with MSU, MDA and MDEQ that is held up as an example for others to follow.
Here are some highlights:
Water:
Water continues to be a hot issue at the state capitol as well as in local communities. Senate Bill 289 has passed and will add a bit to the reporting fee for golf courses and other large landscape water users. For the most part, this law evolved from a restrictive monster to a very livable compromise. This will not be the last we see or hear about water at the state level and look for some federal input to come along. We'll be there every step of the way.
Phosphorus & Environmental Stewardship:
Several local phosphorus ordinances are in place and more will come as local governments deal with federal Phase II storm water regulations that mandate steps to reduce phosphorus levels in surface waters. Never mind that no one has done any significant research showing a cause and effect from P fertilization on turf and an increase in P levels in surface waters. Our industry is easy to blame and so it has become a focus on the local level. We are currently working with MDA and a number of advocacy groups to craft statewide legislation that would regulate phosphorus applications in a sound agronomic and environmental manner with the development of best management practices including soil testing. Unlike other states like Minnesota that have banned phosphorus use in municipal counties and restricted it in other counties, this legislation will allow phosphorus use based on sound science and proper agronomic practices. This will provide a consistent statewide regulation for all users of phosphorus.
Not only will this legislation recognize the current stewardship program on golf courses, it will set the framework for the development of other professional stewardship programs for lawn care, sports turf managers, school and commercial grounds managers; it will develop a homeowner education and outreach program; and it will facilitate much needed research specific to phosphorus issues. Reasonably increased fees will partially fund these activities and we are currently exploring other funding strategies to make this program a reality.
Labor and Community Development:
A major initiative continues to develop with the City of Detroit and some surrounding communities that will provide training to parks employees and other groundskeepers; expose K-12 children to turf as a job and career while providing an educational model for math, the sciences and other core subjects; and identify grant opportunities and sponsors to support this program. This initiative will have broad and far-reaching impacts on the economic vitality of our urban areas and on the educational development of our youth, especially those that may be disadvantaged economically. It will open up a motivated labor force for our industry and will provide opportunities to improve our urban green spaces, all using turf as a model.
Coupled with this initiative is an initial labor survey of the nursery, landscape and turfgrass industry. This survey and associated analysis will be completed this fall. It will provide facts and figures that our industry can use to secure resources and target our outreach and training efforts in support of programs like the one above.
Continuing Education:
Providing continuing education opportunities for members has been a consistent goal of the MTF. The turf conference, field day and turf school are all examples of this commitment. Now, with a turf program being developed for China that will utilize web-based and other distance learning technology, we have the opportunity to expand continuing ed to our members. Turfgrass classes can be offered in addition to other university classes in business, hospitality, labor relations and other program offerings that may suit the needs of our members. A committee is currently forming to develop a preliminary list of course offerings of interest to members. Any member input would be appreciated and if you want to serve on this committee let me know.
Communication:
The statewide directory is moving forward, with publication targeted for late winter of 2004. This is just another effort that the MTF is making to improve communication with all groups involved in turf. At the same time, this directory will generate some much needed funds for research and extension support. Other improvements in communication include: the MTF list serve for rapid release of information to members and a mechanism for members to respond back; a revised information packet for MTF membership that describes our mission and the benefits of membership; and an updated logo and description of the opportunities for giving to the MTF.
Research & Extension Support:
We continue to improve the grant request and review process. This year we implemented a call for pre-proposals that allows us to look at a more complete scope of potential research projects. As part of the review of these pre-proposals, we have expanded the review committee to a larger group involving all industry segments. This will provide more input and ensure the research needs and priorities of all groups are well represented. (See the related article on the pre-proposals.)
Challenges:
All these developments are truly exciting for our industry. The vision of the MTF Board inspired by our membership continues to keep the turf industry in a positive position with MSU administrators, state agencies, elected officials, and other commodity groups. The challenge that we face is continuing to secure resources to make all of this a reality. If we were to fund all of the pre-proposals submitted for just one year, it would require over $400,000.00. Expanding the stewardship program into lawn care, sports turf, school and commercial grounds requires similar resources. Our challenge is to expand, where possible, our current fundraising efforts, but more importantly seek additional ways to generate the resources to keep our industry moving forward with these programs.
As we move into the fall, I will be asking many of you to sit down with me and help develop and plan the strategy needed to bring all of this work to fruition. We will need to be creative, resourceful and energetic. Our success will bring a significant return to our industry that will ensure the continuation of what was started long ago, which has led to the fruits of what we enjoy today. I look forward to working with all of you as we move forward.
Tom Smith
MTF Executive Director