The EarthWorks Podcast

The three-legged stool analogy reminds us of the essential balance between soil chemistry, physics, and biology. While chemistry is relatively easy to test and analyze, and we have reliable tools for assessing soil physics, soil biology has remained more elusive. Laura Decker’s company, MicroBiometer, has developed a simple, handheld meter that provides valuable insights into fungal and bacterial...

The highlight of our work is meeting individuals who are deeply passionate about what they do. Jay Werbalowsky, Golf Course Superintendent at Wallkill Golf Club, shares captivating greenkeeping stories and vividly describes the golf courses that sparked his love for golf and greenkeeping. Visit EarthWorks at:  https://www.earthworksturf.com Podcasts: https://www.earthworksturf.com/earthworks-podca...

Justin Mandon has been a guest on the podcast in the past, and we wanted to bring him back to discuss the reconstruction of the Alister MacKenzie-designed Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California. This may be one of the best reconstructions we’ve seen in years, but it was not without its challenges. The work was broken into two parts: the front nine was completed first, and a year later, the...

Dave Wilber may very well be one of the best agronomy minds in the turf industry. A close friend of EarthWorks for over 30 years, he has appeared on numerous EarthWorks Podcasts and is one of our most popular guests. Dave spent many years as a golf course superintendent, much of his career as a turf consultant, and he has also been a site manager for construction projects. One of his greatest stre...

Each year between the holidays we run a “Best of” podcast where we choose one guest from each of our three podcast hosts and share a piece of the podcast recording. It is always a challenge to choose what we call “the best” when each week we have an informative and fun guest who is passionate about turf. So to all of our guests we say thank you because you all have made the EarthWorks Podcast one...

At the end of each year the EarthWorks agronomy team gets together for the last podcast of the year. Kevin Hicks, Kirk Castner, Jack Higgins, Joel Simmons and newcomer Marshall Evans go around the table talking about the events of the year, the weather, and some ideas that we have formulated throughout the turf season. It was hot and dry in most corners of the country, even more so in the east and...

Two EarthWorks team members took some time away from the turf industry to attend the ACRES USA Annual Conference and Trade Show, the premier regenerative agriculture conference in our country. Kevin Hicks and Joel Simmons sat down together to discuss their takeaways and share their undeniable enthusiasm about the subject. Speakers relayed their experiences on their farms, talking about how organic...

From river birches to rhododendrons, we have it all in this week's special plant healthcare episode of the EarthWorks Podcast! We are joined by our friend Bobby Solar of Solar’s Custom Arbor Care in southwest Virginia. Bobby recently joined me in the EarthWorks booth at the 2024 Tree Care Industry Expo in Baltimore, where he shared some fascinating case studies from the past year on beech trees, r...

Lawrence Mayhew has become one of our most requested podcast guests, thanks to his in-depth understanding of soil’s inner workings and the dynamics of soil geo/bio/chemistry. Lawrence spoke at the country’s premier regenerative agriculture conference, ACRES USA, in Madison Wisconsin. We asked Lawrence to join us to discuss his presentation, entitled “Biological Carbon Fertilizers.” As usual he was...

This week Kevin caught up with Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, MG as he is getting settled into his new role as Rick Tegtmeier, retired golf course superintendent. Rick was one of our early guests on the podcast back in 2020, so it seemed only fitting that we have him back after just completing his final month at Des Moines Golf & CC. We talked about the changes he saw in his 40+ years in the industry,...

Mike Nowicki is the Director of Agronomy at a famously tough golf course to play and to manage: Victoria National Golf Club outside of Evansville, Indiana. The property was designed by Tom Fazio and built in the late 1990s, with the mandate to make one of the toughest golf courses to play in the world. Most would agree that he accomplished that task. It was built on an old coal mine and much of th...

Ken Kleinedler is a self-proclaimed carbon based soils guy. It might be because his course has been hit by multiple hurricanes over the past few years and the saltwater infiltration has been unreal. Ken has been the superintendent at Collier’s Reserve since March of 2017. Located in Naples Florida, a couple of miles off the Florida coastline, he has seen his fair share of hurricanes. He talked to...

Beware of the Headless Horseman! I think I heard the pounding of hooves in the distance as our guest, Jon Heywood, CGCS and I rounded the corner to reveal the stunning view of the Hudson River from the top of the 15th fairway at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. This is a Halloween special and we have a lot in store for you. A dual perspective episode looks back at the USGA’s 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Hear...

The hardest thing to do as a guest on this podcast is to be vulnerable and talk about mistakes. Juan Casiano does just that in the first minutes of this episode. His candor comes as no surprise: Juan is a confident guy and an excellent turf manager. He is also dedicated to maintaining a very low ecological impact by greatly limiting his annual pesticide and fertilizer use. Enjoy this conversation...

This week we caught up with Dean Piller, longtime superintendent at the beautiful Cordova Bay GC in Victoria, British Columbia. Dean has been on the property since it was built 34 years ago. We discussed the keys to longevity and staying fresh in a long-term position. Dean also dove into the ways he and other Canadian superintendents manage turf in varied climates with very few traditional tools a...

Are you wondering how to set yourself up for success? Well, the secret is out: it’s all about outlook and attitude! We run through a lot of topics in this podcast, but I love when Vinny shares the thoughtful ways he takes care of his crew. His passion and love for humanity really comes through in this talk. Our conversation took place on the golf course, and that set the stage for a nice leisurely...

Kevin takes the conversation in a different direction by interviewing his oldest son, Mike. He wanted to have this conversation to offer a glimpse into the life of a college athlete and why so few succeed at balancing school with athletics. Mike had a successful college career that led to opportunities off the field and forged a work ethic that will lead to successes in life. It’s not all fun and...

It is finally football season, and many of us are spending our Sundays in front of the television cheering for our favorite team. So huddle up with us to revisit a few of our past podcasts that featured some of our favorite NFL grounds managers: Travis Hogan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ryan Bjorn of the New England Patriots, and Tony Leonard of the Philadelphia Eagles. Each talked about their exper...

Kevin Mercer has been in the turf management industry for over two decades and has worked on golf courses, sport fields, schools and universities. He has been a good friend to EarthWorks for much of his professional career and a true steward of the environment. Kevin recently released a new book, Environmental Solutions for Grounds Management, which is available for purchase from Amazon and other...

Lawrence Mayhew, the EarthWorks Chemist, is a perennial favorite on the podcast. In this episode, we talk about the value of using strong acids to remove soil bicarbonates from the soil surface of a golf green or sports field. Bicarbonates are one of the “first limiting factors” when it comes to growing quality turf. They will restrict the flow of air and water by creating a seal on the soil surfa...

There may not be a busier person in the golf industry than Andy Jorgensen, the Director of Community Maintenance Operations at On Top Of The World Communities in Ocala, Florida. Andy manages over 200 employees, including the golf staff that runs three golf courses and their construction projects, and a landscape staff that takes care of 3600 homes in the community. He is a master of juggling eleph...

Paul Skafas has been a fixture in the New England turf market for over 40 years. Today he is semi-retired from his position as Vice President of the Tom Irwin Company, a premier turf distribution partner in New England. Although his day-to-day duties have diminished, he remains involved with industry projects. Of particular note is the Tom Irwin Soils Academy, a highly sought after training progra...

Want to learn how to push your turf so it can handle more stress and usage? Then this podcast is for you! Jerad Minnick from the Maryland SoccerPlex highlights his team's methods to ensure the best playing conditions, no matter how challenging the weather or event schedule. Building resilient turf is demanding work, but Jerad insightfully speaks to the fact that we are all ultimately working in th...

The EarthWorks Podcast welcomes Mike Clifton, the owner and operator of Chesapeake Grounds. Mike tells the story of how he vertically integrated his business by growing all of the nursery stock Chesapeake Grounds uses for their clients’ properties. With a keen understanding of plant life’s needs, he has developed very knowledgeable methods for managing and nurturing flora. EarthWorks is a large pa...

Addison Reserve CC is a premier country club in the southeastern corner of Florida. Josh talked to us about the club and the renovations they did to move from Bermuda grass to Platinum Paspalum. Originally from Virginia, Josh’s first real turf experience was in Richmond, which is one of the toughest places to grow bent grass. He moved to Florida in pursuit of further training that he knew he neede...