Many years ago, I interviewed at the venerable Canterbury Golf Club with Terry Bonar, CGCS. Besides being an absolute legend, he struck me with his warmth and respect. He shared this document with me, written to help young people succeed. It's amazing how much hasn't changed.
5 years ago today, I sat on my living room couch around 11:30pm, filing the articles of incorporation with the Ohio Secretary of State for this idea I had called Field Source.
The idea was simple: take all the parts I loved about my job, from design, construction, and
Today marks 5 years since Field Source was founded. We are profoundly grateful for dozens of wonderful clients who trust us to improve the facilities, their organizations, and their communities one field at a time. Thanks to each and every one of you who have given us the
For the record: Overseeded
@Tahoma31Bermuda
grown on a sand-based rootzone, under heavy traffic, works just fine. This is in Ohio in November. A bit different than the Super Bowl field setup, but the point is, the bermudagrass doesn't deserve the hate.
As turfgrass managers in the middle of a challenging growing season thus far, it's important to remember the wise words of one of the greatest turfgrass scientists in history, Dr. James B. Beard.
Give yourself some grace and enjoy the view from the best office in the world.
Very proud to earn my CSFM designation through
@FieldExperts
. I could not have done it without the help, support, & friendship of
@ganobleberries
,
@Grassybrit
, and
@andrewmuntz
. Thanks to them & all other SFMs who I've had the pleasure of working with and meeting over the years.
Glad to be in Daytona Beach this week for
#SFMA2024
. Soaked up some sun, presented in three different sessions, and celebrated two dear friends (
@wappelfeller
and
@mitchhooten
) winning major awards.
Excited and energized to head back home to family and work in the year ahead.
Welcome to the world Margaret "Maggie" Ann DeMay, born today at 8:41am. Mom and baby are both happy and healthy. Dad is watching YouTube videos how to braid hair.
HUGE job opening with the City of Columbus Golf Division!
The Golf Course Maintenance Manager oversees the staff, operations, and capital projects at the City's five golf courses.
Great team, top-notch benefits, and work/life balance that's second to none in this industry.
Turfgrass can be the most frustrating crop to grow except when you have:
✅Awesome genetics
✅Great weather
✅Solid agronomy
✅Top-notch results
75 days after seeding, this
@Landmarkseed
HD Sports 2.0 Kentucky Bluegrass looks fantastic. Practice starts here in 4 weeks.
IronCutter bermudagrass roots. 2" sand cap over native soil in the northern transition zone of Ohio. This a major reason why we're seeing cold-tolerant bermudagrass cultivars perform so well in places they rarely have before.
PSA to Landscape Architects and Civil Engineers: Erosion control matting has limited efficacy for establishment in most managed turf areas. Further, it creates safety issues and turns into an absolute maintenance nightmare during grow in. There are better ways.
New sign for the shop. Everyone on our staff now walks out of the building and past this sign everyday. It took several years and many fantastic people to build this culture. Proud to share it with all those who will be part of our staff now and in the future.
23 years ago, I walked onto the
@CFAES_OSU
Wooster campus for the first time as a prospective student in the Turfgrass Management program. The program leader at the time was blunt but encouraging:
"The profession will take everything you have to be successful at it but, if you
What an awesome opportunity to combine student experience and learning with what will be a transformative project for this part of the
@CFAES_OSU
Wooster Campus!
We are proud to partner with
@OhioState
, their faculty, students, and staff to design, build, and program maintenance
10 years ago, I switched from golf to sports turf. One of the first people who reached out was Wes. Since then, he set the standard to follow, providing an MLB-caliber field at the AAA level.
Perfect example of backing up ego but not letting it get in the way.
Thank you, Wes!
After 23 years in professional baseball, tonight will be my last game. I can't begin to thank everyone who has contributed to my career thus far and helped get me through. It's time to begin the next chapter of my life.
Our experiment with fabric covers compared to polyethylene covers went well. This spot was covered from December 15th to February 28th. Very good performance for a fraction of cost.
In 2021, I quit my dream job to pursue
@fieldsourceohio
full-time. About two months into being on my own,
@MegKruger_
asked me to be on the
@pioneerathletic
#GroundskeeperChat
podcast with her to talk about all of the things I had built the company around.
At the time, it was
When I think of an expert in the field,
@rtdemayturf
is one of the first professionals to come to mind. He is extremely well-versed in helping SFMs create budgets, negotiate their bottom line and earn themselves a seat at the table. Give our
#GroundskeeperChat
a listen!
Amazing to see 140 turfgrass professionals come together for a spring
@OhioTurfgrass
Education event on campus at
@CFAES_OSU
.
The Leadership track, featuring speakers from industry and academia sold out nearly two weeks before the event. Emerging leaders to pillars in the
Proud to represent
@OhioTurfgrass
in facilitating conversations with
@Turf_Cowboy
,
@TurfgrassTiger
, and school districts in Ohio to incorporate a turfgrass curriculum. Excited for the opportunities ahead for students and families. Stay tuned...
#careersinturf
Bonus: No one is harder on the Sports Field Managers involved than themselves. They can reflect, dig into the issues, & make massive improvements for next year. Trashing them in wastes energy on being part of the solution. Lift the industry up, be better, & let's work together.
If you're a
@FieldExperts
& don't know Dr. McNitt, I encourage you to learn more about his work & partnership w/ our industry.
Many thanks,
@McNiTurf
for being a great ally in the industry & for the enormous impact you made (& continue to make) for decades.
Enjoy retirement!
Mid-April in Central Ohio: Non-overseeded
@Tahoma31Bermuda
breaking dormancy after a warm week. Interestingly, sand slits from last year are showing differences in the thermal properties of sand vs. native soil with more green up in the channels.
HUGE thanks to our
@OhioTurfgrass
Education Committee, including the newest member,
@TylerTalksTurf
. Grinding for 2 hours on a Friday PM to prepare for our OTF Spring Education Event on February 28th in Columbus at OSU. More details to come for lawn care, sports fields, and golf!
Grass cultivars have drastically changed over the years. The lime green in both pictures is a basic 80’s blue/fine/tall mix. Left is Rescue Fescue mix. Right is a cheap blue/rye mix.
#boslanden
Great to see 90+ Sports Field Managers, vendors, & partners at the
@OhioTurfgrass
SFMA summer field day. Huge thanks to Brian Gimbel, Brent Packer, and Brian Blount for hosting at
@OhioStAthletics
!
Awesome celebrating 25 years as a
@FieldExperts
chapter with members new & old!
Incredible day meeting with two SFMs I've respected and admired for decades. Many thanks to Brandon &
@mizzou94_pate
for the time, hospitality, and wisdom. Special thanks to
@ganobleberries
for setting up a great early birthday gift & Neal for a banger of a lunch recommendation!
🙏 RIP Terry Bonar, CGCS🙏
"When an old man dies, a library burns the ground." - African Proverb
An incredibly important figure in the Ohio Turfgrass industry passed away today. A man who cared so deeply about the development of those who worked with him, he memorialized the
Many years ago, I interviewed at the venerable Canterbury Golf Club with Terry Bonar, CGCS. Besides being an absolute legend, he struck me with his warmth and respect. He shared this document with me, written to help young people succeed. It's amazing how much hasn't changed.
Fantastic behind the scenes visit of Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah. Ruth, Aaron, Robinson, Gehrig, and Mantle have played in this ballpark. Cool stop for tomorrow's
@FieldExperts
Seminar on Wheels!
#SFMA2022
#STMA2022
Growth of any company is good and important. Growing it with great clients and a fantastic staff is rewarding and my personal definition of wealth.
For now, I'm not worried about the destination; just enjoying the journey.
Incredibly proud to partner with the
@cityofsavannah
and
@TheSavBananas
to bring a safer, more consistent, and beautiful playing surface to Historic Grayson Stadium.
Banana Ball is about to have the Stage of Dreams for the Greatest Show in Sports!
#FansFirst
#PrepareToPlay
@MattPrehm
Photo taken 8:20AM PST today.
@RedboxBowl
field completely removed by 1AM PST. Photo courtesy of sod grower/installer,
@WestCoastTurf
, who along w/ Matt VerNess, 49ers Grounds Manager, are
@FieldExperts
experienced in delivering safe, championship field conditions for
@CFBPlayoff
@VAturf
Natural and synthetic both require active management from a qualified SFMs. Employing a SFM is usually framed as a lack of $/resources by agencies. Really, it's a misappropriation of priorities. Prioritize safety, hire a SFM, set standards, measure against standards, and improve.
IronCutter bermudagrass roots. 2" sand cap over native soil in the northern transition zone of Ohio. This a major reason why we're seeing cold-tolerant bermudagrass cultivars perform so well in places they rarely have before.
Absolutely fantastic experience at one of the country's best turfgrass conference and shows. Many thanks to all the hosts from
@NE_RTF
&
@NE_STMA
. Special thanks to
@BPolimer
,
@mdacostaUMASS
, her team, &
@PGRBill
for a quality meal together on Federal Hill. Hope to be back soon!
A great morning of meetings in Columbus w/ Ohio legislators &
@OhioTurfgrass
leadership. Advocacy requires strong relationships in the legislature. Join us to learn how you can help the
#turfgrass
industry w/ workforce development & pesticide regulation.
@ZaneRaudenbush
,
@turf_man_dan
and I had just the best day spoiling a good golf cart ride.
Much respect to
@OSU_ATI_Turf
Turf Club for a great outing! Great opportunity to catch up wity students, alumni, and partners.
@Turfpigments
and Dominic Petrella put on a fantastic event!
2017 was a fantastic year for our Grounds Crew & Sports Section. The #'s don't lie.
- Added 121 acres of fields/parkland to our operation
- 25,543 hours worked
- 10,046 acres mowed
- 1,571,691 people played at our facilities
- 42% reduction in pesticide use
- 80,096 hours of use
Just like that, the 2020 baseball/softball season comes to a close. 8,509 games were played, 50% less but more fulfilling than a normal year. Our entire staff adapted, & overcame to create a safe environment for all. Don't forget to turn the lights off & thanks for stopping by.
Incredibly proud of our team for earning the
@FieldExperts
Envinronmental Facility Certification for Berliner Sports Park. It has been 5 years of creating, aligning, and sustaining a great program executed by top-notch people.
#teamaward
We're all thankful for our family & friends but, what about
#turfthanksgiving
? Who are you grateful for in the industry?
@ganobleberries
reminded me of a story I've never told about person who showed me it was possible. Please share who you are thankful for on
#turfthanksgiving
.
I'll be honest. It was weird seeing people tag
@WhoDeyTurf
for a while after his passing. Would be nice if somehow Twitter is able to respectfully "retire" the handles of those who have passed, rather than deleting them and putting them up for grabs.
The BEST
@ohioturfgrass
education event is back in Columbus on March 7th. Spring Tee Off this year features two tracks focused on those leading and growing our industry.
REGISTER TODAY
Leading: We asked over 100 Ohio turfgrass lawn care, golf, and
Three MLB Head Groundskeepers presenting, a behind-the-scenes tour of the field at Huntington Park, lunch and networking with the best and brightest Sports Field Managers, SB/BB Coaches, and Athletic Directors in Ohio. What's not to like?
Register NOW!
@Spinmartin21
@QuestnFakeGrass
"A synthetic turf field looks its best on the first day of the first season. A natural grass field looks its best on the first day of every season."
144 teams at Berliner for the 31st Annual
@crpdsports
Christopher Columbus Tournament. The whole staff did an outstanding job to prepare the park this past week. Our
@osu_ati_turf
intern
@DHerm14
lead our edging crew yesterday to get edges in KFC shape.
#extratastycrispy
Some people go to college to drink, party, and dick around. The folks from
@OSU_ATI_Turf
are all about the hustle to make the campus look fantastic and play safe. Well done, ladies and gentlemen!
@Grassybrit
"Nothing happens quickly in agriculture besides crop failure."
- Unknown (Thanks
@GlobalTurf
for having it on a slide deck many years ago!)
Be patient, stay the course, and realize that sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.
Great meeting Zach Simons for the full tour. Nearly the entire "Crazy Enough to Grow
@MVPGenetics
IronCutter in the Midwest" Club was present for today's meeting. Thanks to Zach for all the long talks sharing ideas for each of us to keep getting better.
#IronSharpensIronCutter
As photographed and captioned by my talented uncle,
@BDeMay
:
"In case any of you golfers were wondering,
#7
at Ohio Prestwick CC is ready for play today."
HUGE opportunity for
#sportsfield
professionals with
@ColsRecParks
. Outstanding quality of life, benefits, & the culture people spend a career looking for. If you want to serve 1.5M+ participants across 32 facilities 85k+ hours per year, get on this now!
The "busy" season at Lou Berliner Sports Park begins this weekend. About 10k games will be played between now and Labor Day weekend. Proud of the
@CRPDSports
for delivering an outstanding experience each and every day. Excited to see all of our customers, new & old!
#nooffseason
It was great to see everyone ath the show. Already planning the 2022 event. If you have any feedback you want to share, please DM me. Thanks again to all of our members, partners, speakers, and attendees!
Dr. Carr has quickly established himself as a great resource, staunch advocate, & an example of lifelong learning for turfgrass managers in Ohio. Our lawn care, sports field, & golf course industries within
@OhioTurfgrass
are grateful.
@OSU_HortCropSci
is lucky to have him!
I stopped by
@TCCMuirfield
yesterday morning while Rodney Robbins and his team where finishing up fall aerification. It’s great learning how different Ohio supers approach cultural practices in the fall months.
Are any Golf Course Superintendents in Ohio interested in using cold-tolerant bermudagrass on your courses?
A
@fieldsourceohio
sports field project in Central Ohio will generate ~ 1 acre of 2-year-old IronCutter sod we could donate to several sites for evaluation. DM for info.
Spring All Nighter tournament is in the books. First pitch 7PM, last out 5:57AM, 44 teams. Next tournament starts at 8AM. Busiest March ever with nearly 1,200 games played.
That's a wrap for the 2018 softball season. 14,030 games played = 1000's of satisfied customers. Grateful for those who chose to spend their leisure time with us. Even more excited for the future as we transition to new playing surfaces in 2019. More games, more people, more fun!
The turf industry is a better place because of the effort, energy, and enthusiasm
@matt_d_will
imparts on students and his peers. I know you will succeed in your new role because you never let anyone down, ever. Now go show the world how a Buckeye can Pay It Forward.
We had a big party today to celebrate
@matt_d_will
and wish him well in his new career adventure. Lots of former students, friends and colleagues came out to show him how much he has meant to us over the years. Best wishes my friend!
@osuturf
@OSU_ATI_Turf
#CFAES
An incredibly productive advocacy day at the
@OhioStatehouse
for the
@OhioTurfgrass
& Ohio Lawn Care Association! Sports Turf, Golf, & Lawn Care were all well represented. Thanks to our legislators for learning about the impact we can have together on the Ohio turfgrass industry!
Huge thanks to
@chrisAturf
& his assistant Eric for spending some time on Zoom tonight talking bentgrass mgt. Their
@OSU_ATI_Turf
debut comes this week in the Turfgrass Cultural Practices lectures. Always grateful for other alumni willing to share their knowledge and experience.
Huge thanks to
@MPSTMA
for the opportunity to speak at their Fall Workshop. Big and engaging crowd trying to improve themselves and their sports fields.
#PrepareToPlay
I don’t post Ws much, but this one hit me hard. Never forget - Somebody is always watching and learning. A casual interaction for you may be all it takes to change a life. Good luck ahead Owen!
#JumpAround
Year 2 of
@MVPGenetics
IronCutter bermudagrass has been a success in North Central Ohio.
This absolutely would not be possible without the astute management of
@ryan_kopke
and
@mneff4
all year long.
@ganobleberries
came along the last few weeks to add some flair and pride with
Intern
@DHerm14
Pulling the team of
@DuraEdge
,
@ABISportsTurf
, &
@OSU_ATI_Turf
together for dirt work after a long week of games. Also proving the old axiom: "You can get a lot of work done instead of waiting for it to rain."
3. Despite slips and traction issues, thankfully, there were no catastrophic lower extremity injuries in
#SuperBowlLVII
, unlike last year.
With a renewed focus on the top 3 priorities, let's hope the
@NFL
begins a new streak like this next year in
@AllegiantStadm
.
Proud to share, longtime
@OhioStma
members/officers.
@ganobleberries
&
@rtdemayturf
earned the
@FieldExperts
President's Award for Leadership in launching a very successful Town Hall series bringing members together during COVID-19 & beyond. Watch here.
Faculty & support staff at
@OSU_ATI_Turf
&
@OSUturf
are WORLD CLASS. Now more than ever, they need the resources to conduct research, attract/teach students, & disseminate best practices through extension. If you want better information& more interns, ask how you can help today!
Massive thank you to
@prusajcp
@rtdemayturf
and
@WehrkampE
for helping us to get the research green in place - appreciate the help as we embark on the OM accumulation trial.
@DHerm14
our intern from
@OSU_ATI_Turf
out here growing and applying his skills in just his second week on the job. Just like the football team, we don't bring them here to redshirt, they come here to play from Day 1!
Building a Turfgrass Management teaching lab at Hawk's Nest within 3-5 years will make
@OSU_ATI_Turf
THE best program in the country.
@OhioTurfgrass
industry is ready for OSU to commit the resources that will make our grads the most well-prepared & employable in the US.
.
@OhioStateATI
has one of the best turfgrass management programs in the country. Students are able to get hands-on experience at
@OhioState
’s Hawk’s Nest Golf Course. Had fun trying out some of the tools of the trade.