Fresh Cut Grass

Tanner and Jeff talk with Zach Holm, Turf Care Manager in Central Park, New York City. Central Park has an unbelievable amount of foot traffic annually. More than 42 million people walk, run, bike, or recreate in Central Park. Additionally, there are 26 baseball or softball fields in Central Park! Zach talks about the maintenance schedule, traffic issues, and project planning in the iconic park in...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Matt Williams of SGL about artificial lighting for improving turf growth. If you haven’t seen these systems, you will want to hear about them in this episode.  If you have heard of them and maybe even have one, you will still want to listen to this episode when Matt talks about some new smaller, more portable lighting systems.    Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host) ...

Tanner and Jeff talk with John Mascaro, President of Turf-Tech International about his monthly photos in Sports Field Management magazine and Golf Course Management magazine about some of the craziest mistakes he has seen. But more important than the mistakes, we talk about the creative solutions managers have used to fix the error!  Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host) Tanner Delvalle, Penn S...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Doug Schattinger, President of Pioneer Athletics .  Doug talks about how a paint is made, the differences in paint types, and research that goes into a product before it hits the market. We also discuss paint removal from a variety of surfaces. He also talks about his recent Founders Award from the Sports Field Management Association .  Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Erin Wilder with Sod Solutions and Jimmy Simpson, Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) with the Town of Cary, NC about bermudagrass.  In the first “Fresh Cut Grass” panel discussion, we cover topics including breeding, maintenance, and cultural practices with bermudagrass. The use of bermudagrass has been marching northward over the past 20 years, and it will continue to...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Sun Rosselin about managing turf at over 5,000 feet. Sun is President-Elect of Sports Field Management Association and a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) for Jefferson County School District in Golden, Colorado. She talks about the challenges of growing cool-season grass at altitude and managing fields that six different high schools use! Jeff Fowler, Penn State Exte...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Dr. Kevin Frank from Michigan State about snow and ice cover on turf. The conversation focuses mainly on putting greens, but the conversation gets at the root of the problem with ice. We discuss ways to manage ice and Dr. Frank gives some management tips to prevent winter kill and snow mold.   Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle, Penn State Extension...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Dr. David Huff, long-time Penn State faculty member, about the genetics of Poa. We have an in-depth conversation about DNA sequencing and the epigenetics of these crazy plants! David has traveled around the world collecting Poa seeds. He explains all of this in terms that everyone can understand. Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle, Penn State Extens...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Dan Brockett, a long-time Penn State Extension Educator about the candidate pool when looking for good employees. Dan has worked with countless small business owners over his career to help recruit, train, and retain high-quality employees. He gives tips for employers to use to find and retain the best employees.   Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Andy Gossel of the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs . Andy’s path to the majors is probably one of the roads least traveled by sports turf managers. Andy was a PE teacher/Athletic Director when the Iron Pigs hired him. He tells us about his most significant challenges when he started on the third day of the 2021 baseball season! He talks about the role he has taken with mentor...

Tanner and Jeff talk with Rodney Hopkins of Innovative Turf Application and Consulting, Inc. (ITAC) in Virginia. Rodney has extensive experience in field construction and renovation. In this episode, we focus on the topic of fraze mowing. Fraze mowing is a relatively new maintenance practice that is done to medium to high-level athletic fields. We talk about how it's done, the benefits of doi...

In this episode, Jeff and Tanner talk about how their careers have led them to Penn State Extension. They also discuss hobbies and life lessons. Tanner asks Jeff to talk about his battle against cancer. Finally, find out the new questions they will be asking guests in Season 2 as they strike each other out at the end of the show. You don’t want to miss this final episode of Season 1. Jeff Fowler,...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk to Casey Montgomery, Director of Turf Operations for the Sporting Kansas City, Major League Soccer soccer club. Casey shares his favorite part of the profession with us and then turns the discussion to his bermudagrass fields. Casey manages nearly 20 acres of bermudagrass soccer pitches. Like many, Casey got bit by the turf bug at a young age. Casey spent a fe...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Jeremy Thomas, owner of Thomas ProTurf.  Jeremy is a 2004 graduate of the Penn State Turf Program and went on to start his own construction and field renovation business. Jeremy talks about how he assesses a field and works on a multi-year plan for the customer. Jeremy has extensive experience with fields having worked on the Beaver Stadium crew, internin...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Colorado State University's Extension Turf Specialist, Dr. Tony Koski about WATER—a resource that people in the East take for granted. Colorado is one of only two states in the US that does not have water running into it from another state! Often referred to as a headwater state, Colorado supplies much of the water to the Southwestern states. You won...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Penn State’s Dr. John Kaminski about annual bluegrass. Dr. John Kaminski is Professor and Associate Head, Department of Plant Science and the Director, Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program. They discuss both suppression and control methods for this major turfgrass weed. Chemical and cultural practices are examined on how they can influence annual blue...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Turf Manager James Snell.  James is the turf manager for possibly the busiest turf area in the country! James cares for turf on the National Mall in Washington DC. The National Mall is the area between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. We discuss fertility, mowing, cultural practices, and much more for a very well-used turf area.  Jeff Fowler, Penn St...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with legendary Golf Course Superintendent Matt Shaffer, Brand Ambassador for Anuvia, and John Fowler, VP of Sales for Anuvia. Matt talks about relieving compaction in nontraditional ways on a golf course. These principles can be used on all types of turf and can improve soil health anywhere. Discussion centers around soil conditions, watering and reducing pest...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk about the lessons that they learned this year. Topics include seed supply, fertilization, aeration, and armyworm prevention. They also discuss new equipment on the market that can make your job easier. And finally, they both uncover what their personal secret society would be!    Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle, Penn State Extension (...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Nick McKenna, Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) President, about the upcoming STMA conference and managing athletic fields at Texas A&M. The meeting will be held in Savanna, GA, from January 17-21, 2022. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and connect with old friends! This educational conference is second to none,...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Chris Ball, the volunteer grounds crew coordinator from the Little League Softball World Series. Jeff discusses the Little League Baseball World Series. The two compare notes about the 2021 experience with limited fans in the middle of a pandemic. They talk about what they learned and what will change moving toward 2022 when the tournament expands to more...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Drew Miller and Sam Ruwe about the Brentsville High School turfgrass instructional program.  This high school training program prepares students to be job-ready when they leave the classroom. Drew has over 200 youth enrolled in his class taking classroom learning and applying it to the real world. Drew has done a remarkable job of preparing these kids to...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Patrick Coakley. Patrick was a long-time sports turf manager in minor league baseball and is now a Business Development Specialist for DuraEdge. They talk about what it takes to make a quality infield mix. Patrick uses his more than 20 years of experience to talk about the challenges of managing high-quality infields.   Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Judy Houck, Director of Parks and Recreation in Spring Township, PA. Judy discusses the public works department and field maintenance. Grow blankets and topdressing are discussed as well. Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle, Penn State Extension (host)  Judy Houck, Director of Parks & Recreation in Spring Township, Berks County P...

In this episode, Tanner and Jeff talk with Ross Kurcab, longtime head groundskeeper for the Denver Broncos. Ross talks about his years in Denver and his consulting work. Ross was the first STMA member to pass the Certified Sports Field Managers exam. Ross also performs field testing with Dr. Andrew McNitt on NFL fields around the country. Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (host)  Tanner DelValle,...