Proud to be a turfgrass producer

October 18, 2013  - By

I’m just a turfgrass producer, but like other farmers who grow row crops, raise livestock or grow vegetables, I too have a love for the land and have a commitment to the stewardship of the environment. It’s true that you won’t find the product I grow on a shelf in your local grocery store, but you will find it wherever families gather together or children play. You’ll find it in sports stadiums, in parks, on golf courses and around residential homes. You’ll find it in big cities and in rural areas, in suburbia and along the world’s highways, byways and back roads.

Photo: Jim Novak, TPI

Photo: Jim Novak, TPI

I’m just a turfgrass producer, but you’ll find me and other turfgrass producers across the globe in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. You’ll find that some of our turfgrass farms have catchy names like Chickasha, Bladerunner, King Ranch, Oz, Jimboomba, Coolabah, Mountainview and Todoverde; or names that seem much more obvious such as Evergreen, Red River Grass, Green Hills and Blue Grass.  Though we may speak a variety of languages, come from various regions throughout the world, or grow cool season or warm season grasses, we have one distinct and common bond, we take pride in the product we produce and the customers we serve.

I’m just a turfgrass producer, but you’ll find that my peers and I do far more than just grow grass, we support turfgrass research in an effort to find new grasses that are more drought tolerant, resistant to pests and disease and require less water. We attend conferences and conventions to broaden our understanding and to keep abreast of innovations in technology; the latest in turfgrass research and related issues such as soil conservation, proper use of fertilizers and learn to better address numerous environmental concerns.

I’m just a turfgrass producer, but the networking that’s available to me through associations like Turfgrass Producers International gives me an opportunity to meet with turfgrass producers from around the world and has helped me to operate more efficiently, become more innovative, allowed me to explore new marketing opportunities and resolve issues of concern so I could improve the way I do business and produce a quality product as cost efficiently as possible.

I’m just a turfgrass producer, but the product I grow produces oxygen, cools the air, sequesters carbon, cleans the atmosphere, purifies rain water and prevents erosion. It enhances a community’s pride, serves as a low cost ground cover and is known to relieve stress. It helps the environment, enhances community and human health and offers economic advantages by beautifying the homes and communities in which we live.

Yes, I’m just a turfgrass producer . . . and darn proud of it!

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Turfgrass Producers International – TPI

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