Power, Efficiency, Comfort

Spotlight on mower innovations that matter

By Rick Cuddihe and Ron Hall
  Avoid the logic that there's nothing new on the market and that the type or brand of mower that has worked in the past remains best for your operation. You can't stand still when it comes to mowing or you'll get run over. In these times you must find ways to mow more property in less time, and safely, too. Don't forget quality of cut, either, as it remains critically important in customer retention. Manufacturers realize this as well and are responding. "Customers are looking for ways to reduce or eliminate turf damage, compaction, scalping," says Isaac Roth of Ventrac Products.
  Each ... (Read More...)

Cover Story: Extreme Weather 101

Even the most experienced superintendents learned from one of the most wicked weather years ever in golf course maintenance

By Larry Aylward
  While taking shelter in the clubhouse basement at the Cimarron National Golf Club, Gene O'Brien could hear the harrowing tornado outside as it rumbled through the neighborhood like a Norfolk Southern freight train. But O'Brien, Cimarron's golf course superintendent, had no idea of the destruction the tornado was causing to the golf club and the surrounding area.
  When the ferocious wind stopped blowing and O'Brien and others ventured outside, they saw a tree lying on the ground near the course's 10th tee. When O'Brien scanned the area some more, he saw downed trees ... (Read More...)

Field Care: Weathering the Winter - Cool-Season Turf

A tale of two turf types

By Mike Schiller
  From Mississippi to Fairbanks, Alaska, back to Northern Texas and finally home to Northern Illinois, I have been able to work on athletic fields of all types in a variety of climates during my career in sports field management.
  The common factor throughout my career has been preparing fields for the winter, or in most cases getting facilities in northern climates ready for the following spring. By doing the heavy prep in the fall you get a jump on having your fields ready in the spring, especially your baseball and softball fields.
  The timing of performing ... (Read More...)

Tools & Techniques: Crane Use for Tree Operations

By Michael Tain
  Cranes are becoming an almost commonplace sight on tree care work sites, particularly given the wide variety of shapes, sizes and configurations that are available. While a crane can make tree work safer and more efficient, these valuable tools do require some thought, knowledge and training to use safely and correctly. This column is not meant to be the "be-all and end-all" of crane use in tree work, as that would require a book's worth of diagrams, instructions, pictures, tables and charts, and probably even a DVD. Rather it's meant to introduce some of the basic concepts, principles ... (Read More...)

Taking a Bite Out of Theft

Steps you can take to protect your equipment

By Patrick White
  When John Klevanosky came to work at JK Landscapes in Naples, Fla., one morning last April, everything looked normal. "The gate was closed and the lock was on it," he recalls. But soon his employees came running to report that the company had been robbed. Missing were blowers, trimmers, chain saws, hedge trimmers and other hand-held tools with an estimated value of several thousand dollars.
  Klevanosky says the thieves knew exactly what they were looking for. "We had mowers out there and the keys were in them, but they didn't touch those. They wanted the hand-held stuff ... (Read More...)

Cheesemaking Considerations

What to look at when sourcing milk

By Patrick White
  Look on any cheese label, and you'll see that the first ingredient is milk. Milk is the absolute foundation of cheese. So, it's no surprise that most cheese makers are pretty particular about their milk. While many farmstead cheese makers work only with milk from their own farms, there are many who search for sources of quality milk, and they're often willing to pay a little more to get what they want. This opens up an opportunity for dairy farmers to provide milk to these cheese makers. (This article relates to cheese made from cow milk, but the same criteria likely applies to goat ... (Read More...)

Big-Time Organic

Can your large operation make the move?

By Rebekah L. Fraser
  In the last 40 years, farmers have been relearning their ancestors' organic and biodynamic methods, and developing new methods that combine modern science and technology with aspects of organic production.
  In 2000, the USDA formalized the turning tide, creating regulations to standardize organic production. The National Organic Program strictures were written to be scale -neutral, thus making the transition to organic production and certification the same for everyone. The standards have been refined over the last decade to meet the changing needs and demands of ag ... (Read More...)

Putting Down Roots

Laying the foundation for a successful business growing native plants, Connor Shaw concentrates on developing strong, healthy root systems.

By Sally Benson
  It's said that 90 percent of an iceberg lies below the surface. While what we can see may be awe-inspiring, it wouldn't exist without the foundation that supports it. Strength and stability - a firm and nurturing foundation - are what make that massive chunk of ice so impressive.
  The same can be said of plants. The most breathtakingly beautiful, vital plant would be nothing without the foundation of a healthy, supportive root system. Strong, sturdy stems, lush foliage and rich blooms? They owe everything to the structure beneath the soil.
  No one knows ... (Read More...)