The Central Florida Sports Turf Managers Association (CFSTMA) partnered with host site Lake Jem Farms, CEU speaker sponsored by Sod Solutions and lunch provided by Everglades Equipment to conduct our 9th Annual Field Day March 30, 2023. Without their support this event would not have been as successful as it was. This was the largest number of attendees for a CFSTMA Field Day conducted to date.
One hundred sixteen (116) attendees from the Central Florida area had the opportunity to receive 2 CEUs toward maintenance of their FDAC sprayer applicators licensing with a talk from Bonnie Wells, UF/IFAS Commercial Horticulture agent in Brevard County. Her PRESENTATON focused on the many types of insect pests that affect the safety, playability and aesthetics of sports fields. She reviewed the best management practices currently available for their control.
In addition to Dr. Wells’ presentation, Craig Potts, Project Manager with Sod Solutions, Inc. discussed turfgrass varieties, and their development and management. He shared his experiences as a sports field manager describing in some detail the issues he faced and the ways he overcame them to provide safe, playable and aestheticly pleasing playing fields.
Sports turf managers met with likeminded professionals and commercial vendors to share best management practices and to learn of industry developments to more effectively manage their sports fields. Every sports manager’s challenge is to cost effectively provide safe, playable and aesthetically pleasing sports fields. This event aided in achieving this goal!
Thirty (30) sports field commercial vendors were available to the attendees to discuss their products and services ranging from field construction to soil enhancement to field line painting.
Twenty (20) were TABLETOPS VENDORS – B&A Associates, Toro, Fibersoils, Green Nature, AxisDE, JSM, New Generations Ag, Green Resources, Field Turf, Ewing, Pioneer Athletics, FMC, Nufarm, The Turfgrass Group, Rain Bird, Harrell’s, Terra Feed, BASF, Lake Jem Farms and Sod Solutions.
Ten (10) were EQUIPMENT VENDORS – Grove Equipment, St. John’s Turf Care, Beard Equipment, Wesco Turf, Global Turf Equipment, Crystal Tractor, STEC Equipment, Hysquvarna Group, Lake Jem Farms and Everglades Equipment
A BBQ lunch of ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob was prepared on site by Everglades Equipment sales personnel who double as expert BBQ Chefs. The meal was especially enhanced by being outdoors under a tent on a beautiful Florida spring day.
Take a virtural tour via the pictures below of the day’s activities…
