Category: Chapter Meetings

The Central Florida Sports Turf Managers Association (CFSTMA) partnered with host site Lake Jem Farms, CEU speaker sponsor Sod Solutions and lunch sponsor Everglades Equipment to conduct our 7th Annual Field Day March 21, 2019.

More than 75 attendees from the Central Florida area had the opportunity to receive 1 CEU credit toward maintenance of their sprayer applicators licensing with a talk from Jerad Minnick, Entrepreneur Consultant for natural grass sport surfaces. He discussed the evolution of Bermudagrass varieties, explored the evolution in its maintenance and how new varieties of Bermudagrass are creating new possibilities for high-use natural grass surfaces.

Prior to the CEU session, attendees visited 12 table top vendors (listed below) and after the CEU session, 12 equipment vendors (listed below) were afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their equipment in action – live in a parade format.

TABLETOPS VENDORS – Site One Landscape Supply, Pioneer Athletics, Beard Equipment, FMC, Nufarm, Yara North America, The Turfgrass Group, Scotts ProVista, Rain Bird, Harrell’s, Terra Feed, and Sod Solutions

EQUIPMENT VENDORS – St. John’s Turf Care, Helena Agri Enterprises, Beard Equipment, Wesco Turf, Global Turf Equipment, Crystal Tractor, Turf Tank, STEC Equipment, World Sports, Aerification Plus, Power Turf, Everglades Equipment

A lunch of BBQ ribs, potato salad, corn on the cobb was prepared on site by Everglades Equipment sales personal who double as expert BBQ Chefs. The meal was especially good eating enhanced by being outdoors under a tent on a beautiful Florida spring day.

There were varied organization represented at this Field Day….In no particular order they were:  City of Maitland, Orange County Parks & Recreation, Mountverde Academy, Volusia County Parks & Recreation, Orange County Public Schools, Plant City, West Oaks Academy, City of St. Cloud, City of Ocala, City of Orlando, Citrus County School Board, Town of Belleair, Polk County BOCC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, City of Debary, City of Tavares,

The CFSTMA Board in remarks at the conclusion of the event expressed their appreciation and a “Thank You” to the event sponsors;  Lake Jem Farms for hosting the event, Sod Solutions for sponsoring Jerad Minnick our CEU speaker and Everglades Equipment for providing a wonderful lunch. Specifically we recognized:

• Jim Granger with Lake Jem Farms
• Christian Broucqsault with Sod Solutions
• Rafael Lara with Everglades Equipment

Everyone, vendors and attendees enjoyed the education session and the equipment demo!  Event concluded around 2:00 p.m. with Lake Jem’s demo of sod harvesting and install equipment.

It was a wonderful spring day at Lake Jem Farms for CFSTMA professional, & commercial members and our first-time guests!

The Central Florida Sports Turf Managers Association want to thank Matt Bruderek, the Sports Turf Manager with Orlando City for hosting CFSTMA’s bi-annual election of officers and its Chapter Meeting.  The meeting was held at the Orlando City Soccer Stadium Thursday, December 6th. Dave Nowakowski, CSFM of Harrell’s presented a CEU accredited Fertilizer Analysis Comparison session to over 85 attendees.  This was an enjoyable and well attended sessions at a first rate professional facility.

If you missed this presentation or want to review it again, visit CFSTMA’s Knowledge Base on the www.CFSTMA.org website.

The Central Florida Sports Turf Managers Association sixty plus members and guests conducted a spray calibration CEU training at its August 1, 20018 Chapter Meeting at Raymond James Stadium (RJS). Dave Nowakowski, of Harrell’s and CFSTMA Board member of Education conducted the training. CFSTMA Board and its members want to thank our host, Wayne Ward sports turf manager at RJS for giving the association a “back of the scene” closeup view of the facilities and its operation. It was a real treat to get a group photo on the Buccaneer ship!  Check out the scenes below from the event….

Again, thanks to Wayne Ward and his support staff for making this day a memorable Chapter Meeting for CFSTMA!  Remember, CFSTMA members can login to access the knowledge base for this spray calibration and other turf application application formulas.

Hope to see everyone, at CFSTMA’s December 6, 2018 Chapter & Business Meeting at Orlando City Soccer Stadium in Orlando.

So, save the date, login and Register now.

We had 30 plus members attend an informative presentation from Dr. Phil Harmon Extension Specialist from the University of Florida IFAS Department of Plant Pathology, Gainesville speaking on turfgrass diseases, mostly on fungi identification and  remediation.

CFSTMA members and the Board want to thank Marlin and the City of Tampa Parks & Recreation for providing us with a great venue for our Chapter Meeting and sharing your insight into its re-development.  You where a gracious host.

CFSTMA wanted to recognize those sports turf managers in the State of Florida who hold Sports Turf Managers Association CSFM designation.  Combining years of practical experience with continued education, they sat for an exam covering four major areas of turf management:  Administration, Agronomic, Pest Management and Sports Specific.  This is a 300 question exam requiring 80% to pass in each of the four areas. Those listed below successfully met these requirement in obtaining their CSFM designation:

Name                                                                                                                                          City

*Denotes Central Florida STMA Chapter Members

Congratulations to those listed here for challenging themselves as turf managers and demonstrating their desire to enhance the sports turf industry’s professionalism  locally, statewide and nationally.   These turf managers along with some 250 nationally are leading the way to inspire others in this industry to take up this challenge as well.  If you are interested in learning what is required to becoming a CSFM, visit https://www.stma.org/csfm-programs  

The Central Florida Chapter (CFSTMA) is providing financial reimbursement up to $350.00 for any Central Florida member “in good standing” who self-pays and successfully obtains the STMA’s Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) designation.  Contact any of the board members to make an application for reimbursement.

It was a beautiful spring day for more than 150 sports turf professional and commercial attendees at Central Florida Sports Turf Managers Association 6th Annual Field Day.

Before recapping the event, the Board wants to thank Tim Flowers, a CFSTMA member, the turf manager at Disney for hosting this event.  We can’t say enough how easy Tim and his Disney team were to work with.  They exceeded our expectation.  We held our CEU sessions inside the All Star Café.

The professionals had the opportunity to meet with the vendors prior to and just before lunch, with CEU sessions on water Quality and Foliar Absorption presented by Lynn Griffin, tropical plant and soil expert with a  session by Dr. Jason Kruse, Assistant Professor Turf Grass Specialist who discussed history of BMP’s (Best Management Practices) and the need to be aware of potential industry restrictions effecting turf grass managers.

Simultaneously,  Toro Company Bruce Funnell held a field demonstration trouble shooting, tracking wire with open conversation of Central Control Irrigation systems.

We ended the training session with a tour of Disney’s sports facilities after a lunch provided to the attendees by our sponsor, Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply.  Thanks to Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply for lunch.

CFSTMA held our winter chapter meeting Thursday December 7, 2017 at the University of Florida Plant Research Center in Citra, Florida.  On the unseasonably cool day thirty-four attendees were treated to a field tour with the opportunity to learn from a dedicated group of University of Florida professors.

The attendees were treated  to lunch from Jeff Heulsman, Melissa Barron & Kevin Wasilewski of Syngenta USA.  Moe’s catered lunch which was enjoyed by all.

CFSTMA Board and Membership want to thank our wonderful host Mark Kann, Manager of the research center.  Helpful facility managers such as Mark aids greatly, with our participating sponsors, to offer invaluable programs such as these to sports turf professionals who otherwise may not have the opportunity to learn and share with others turf grass managers.    Thank You!

9:30 am – 10:00 am Field Tour # 1 – Kevin Kenworthy – status of turf verities
10:00 am – 10:30 am Field Tour # 2 – Phil Harmon – Top dressing mixes for turf re-grow
10:30 am- 11:00 am Field Tour # 3 – Billy Crow – Nematode resistant topdressing
11:00 am – 11:30 am Field Tour # 4  – Natasha Restuccia – fungus management
11:30 am – 12:30 pm      Lunch sponsored by Syngenta from Moe’s
12:30 pm- 1:30 pm Guest Speaker – Jason Smith UAA – Day to Day U of F Athletic turf

CFSTMA held their summer chapter meeting Wednesday June 14, 2017 at Ed Smith Stadium, spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles.  Sixty-six attendees had the opportunity to receive CEU’s and learn much about nematode management from Dr. Crow of the University of Florida.  He discussed the three different species of nematode that can thrive in Florida’s turf grass and the types products labeled for their control.  Dr. William Crow, Landscape Nematologist with the University of Florida stressed timing consideration for nematicide applications.  Consider applications in the cooler months of the year when nematodes are in the root zone layer of turfgrass.

The attendees were also treated by our lunch sponsor, Luis Lauretti, a CFSTMA Commercial member with World Sports Solutions International, to a field demonstration of a “re-dressing” machine that pulls sub-surface soil up as topdressing material for your turf.  This process also aerates and dethatches making your time and energy more efficient.

Below you can see members participation at this meeting….

CFSTMA Board and Membership want to thank our wonderful host Daniel Thomas, the CFSTMA Sports Turf Manager with the Baltimore Orioles organization and his tour guide for showing off their newly refurbished stadium…it’s beautiful.  Without willing facility managers and our participating sponsors, turf professionals like ourselves, who make on-field play possible everyday, would not be able to come together to share and learn off the field.    Thank You!

CFSTMA held it’s Spring 2017 Chapter Meeting March 28th at Plant City Stadium and Softball Complex currently the home of the International Softball Federation.  There were 56 attendees taking part in chemical spill training workshop conducted by Paul Mitola FDACS Field Training Coordinator.  Lunch was sponsored Chris Key with BASF.

CFSTMA was recognized by the United States Marine Corps Reserve for contributing to the 2016 Toys for Tots campaign.  Toys were contributed by attendees at our December Chapter meeting.  This effort has become an annual event for our association.  A tremendous THANK YOU goes out to those who made  a child’s holiday brighter and more joyous!

Click here to view the “Certificate of Appreciation“.