The EarthWorks Podcast

The EarthWorks team introduces the term Eco Adaptive Chemistry. This term is gaining strength in the worldwide agronomic community. The concept observes natural soil systems and helps define the symbiosis between minerals, microbes and plant roots. Eco Adaptive Chemistry helps explain how a soil really works.

Steven Ball is a young superintendent with mountains of experience. Ballyhack Golf Club is a stunning links course in southwest Virginia and a jewel of the nationally renowned Dormie Network. This conversation uncovers tools Steven uses to reduce compaction and manage the very heavy clay soil on the property. Steven doesn’t hold back and this is a very insightful conversation. Enjoy!

What are you looking to learn from a 25 year veteran turf manager at one of the busiest facilities in the country? If it is how can you optimize your aerification for the ideal playability of the field and satisfaction of the client athletes it’s covered here!

Matt Muhlenbruch has has one of the best resume’s in the golf business. He escaped the stresses of the Mid Atlantic summers to move to the west coast where he worked at the Olympic Club during the 2012 US Open, moved to Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach and recently did a major rebuild at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. A great conversation between two guys from Jersey!

We turn the tables on our regular host this week and interview Joel Simmons. Joel founded EarthWorks in 1988 with business partner and mentor, Jerry Brunetti. Joel and Kevin discuss the early days of the company including the challenges of building an organic based company well before it was vogue. A highlight of the podcast is a nod to the brilliance of the formulations that Jerry put together ye...

A great conversation between two friends just talking shop! Ryan tells great superintendent stories about making more with less. How many of you can relate? Can you imagine moving water on a property that has only 1 foot of fall from an 8 ft elevation to 7 ft? Ryan discusses some of the challenges and strategies to maintain a golf course in this environment. Stay tuned to the end for a midsummer u...

Dean Graves spent the majority of his professional career as a golf course superintendent in the heat of the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington DC. He is currently the principal of his own consulting company and consults to golf courses all across the country. We had time to catch up and talk about his career where he was fortunate enough to work at three golf courses within miles of each other....

Mike Huck, owner of Irrigation and Turf Services joins Kevin Hicks to talk about his many career steps including his affiliation with an aftermarket sprinkler nozzle market, his time as an agronomist with the USGA, and finally hanging his own shingle as a consultant for water rights, irrigation auditing, and turf consulting. We discuss his early years as a course employee in Wisconsin, his venture...

Debunking the Myths of Humic Acids Lawrence Mayhew is generally recognized as one of the world’s premier experts in humic acids. He is a chemist and one of the founding members of the Humic Products Trade Association (HPTA) a not for profit organization set up by chemists. HPTA builds accepted standards for testing humic acids to protect all consumers. In addition they fight the over the top claim...

We’ve got a real treat this week! An enthusiastic and insightful conversation with Ryan Merriman, Golf Course Superintendent of East Hampton Golf Club. Join us as Ryan bounces the conversation from a recent rebuild of the 17th green to the unique characteristics of the golf course. Throw in a discussion on the challenges of maintaining daily tournament conditions with a staff of sixteen and only o...

Joel Simmons Celebrates the US Women’s Open This week’s EarthWorks Podcast celebrates the 29 female volunteers of the recent US Women’s Open held at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. This podcast includes three separate, but related, interviews. We begin with Troy Flanagan, The Director of Golf Maintenance discussing his historic vision to build a large team of female volunteers for the tournamen...

This week we have a great conversation with Canadian superintendent Randy Booker of Otter Creek Golf Club. Randy has been on a path to regenerative golf maintenance. The regenerative concept goes beyond the current “sustainable" buzzword to a level that has allowed Randy to not only eliminate pesticides, but to also shift turf species on his golf course. We discuss some topics not commonly heard i...

Water Testing Part 2 Dave Wilber returns to the EW Podcast to continue the important conversation about the impact of irrigation water on your soils program and the health of your plants. In Part 2, Dave explains the difference between rain water and irrigation water. He tells some interesting stories about the importance of flushing a soil, and shares some of his clients' experiences pushing salt...

Water Testing Part 1 In Part I of our water testing conversation we discuss irrigation water - your “biggest input” and potentially your “biggest red flag”! Dave goes through a sodium rich water sample and talks about how to manage the potential damage that this water can cause your soil and your plant material. This in depth conversation evaluates every line item on the water test in detail. Afte...

Jack Higgins interviews Scott Anderson, Greens Superintendent at Huntingdon Valley Country Club near Philadelphia PA. Scott talks about his William Flynn golf course where he has been the superintendent for 40 years and his philosophy on keeping the property dry to improve playing conditions. They also discuss one of Scott's passions, using divining rods to discover geopapthic stresses and water o...

Pete Wendt is one of the premier golf course superintendents in the country and is just finishing up a major renovation of the championship course at Congressional Country Club. We talk about the changes and the challenges of the new layout and his career as a superintendent that has spanned four decades, including building Kinloch Golf Club. Throw in a little agronomy and a lot of fun!

We welcome back Josh Saunders from Lancaster Country Club to celebrate a full year of the EarthWorks Podcast. It has been a crazy year but the Podcast has been a highlight for all of us here at EarthWorks and we are so grateful for all those who have joined us, for all who have been listening and for all who have subscribed to our Youtube channel. We will continue this project and continue to disc...

Get ready for the most informative tree talk on the internet! You’ll never meet a more passionate or smarter tree expert than Bobby Solar. He’s BoboPedia! Seriously, this talk answers all the questions about the best way to revitalize and fertilize trees and shrubs. Enjoy!

This week we visit with Mr. Pat Finlen the General Manager at Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista California. Pat is the former General Manager and Superintendent at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, former President of the GCSAA, and host of the 2012 US Open. Pat brings his years of experience to a conversation that is full insight for any turf manager.

This week’s podcast we’re glad to have Mr. Duane Sharpe with Brett Young in Canada. Duane and I discuss the move from Golf Course Superintendent to a position in Sales, with an interesting stop or two along the way. Sharpee, as his friends know him, has become a trusted friend and partner in the industry and we thought it would be interesting to dive into how sales positions aren’t exactly what ot...

Work force development is a weakness for many businesses. Finding staff and crew in the turf industry may be our biggest challenge. Tyler Bloom talks about the challenges of finding qualified employees and the steps his company is taking to make this easier.

Meet Gina Rizzi, President of @RadiusSportsLLC and ARCUS Marketing. We talked about Gina's business model and the various industries served by her company. The discussion then shifted to BMP’s, marketing strategies for our business, and where golf goes from here. We’re thrilled to have Gina weigh in on the environmental opportunities that are available to the golf and sports turf industry. We love...

One of the Icons of the Turf Industry - Mr. Armen Suny talks of his time at Merion Golf Club, the state of the industry and some helpful tips on how to land that big job.

A different type of grass! A fascinating conversation with Jason Sanders about how medical marijuana production helps so many children who suffer from seizures. Jason is the Production Manager at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, a medical marijuana facility in Austin, Texas. Join us to talk about growing grass!

Joel Simmons and Jack Higgins enjoy another visit with EarthWorks Chemist Lawrence Mayhew. We talk about how many nutrients really are important to the plant growth and how amino acids can help the plant. A scientific conversation on how a soil really works.