INDUSTRY NEWS

The U. S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency( USDA-RMA) created Turfgrass Value Select( TVS), a new insurance program designed specifically for turfgrass sod producers, developed with the help of Turfgrass Producers International( TPI) over the course of the last six years.

A first of its kind for the sod industry, TVS launched July 1, and will be available as a pilot program in select counties across 10 states. It allows producers to select a dollar amount of coverage for irrigated turfgrass types they choose based on their expected inventory and risk management needs. Producers who purchase TVS can choose to add on the Occurrence Loss Option for shallow coverage or Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index coverage.

TPI Executive Director Casey Reynolds, Ph. D., was a key part of the program’ s development from its start. The USDA-RMA has offered crop insurance for many years; but in talking with sod farmers in his first few years on the job, Reynolds heard that the Non-Insured Disaster Assistance and Whole Farm Revenue Protection Programs weren’ t a good fit for sod.

“ We approached USDA-RMA back in 2020 to seek approval for creating a specialty crop insurance program that is specific to our industry,” said Reynolds.“ Over the last few years, we have worked with USDA-RMA to visit sod farms to hear directly from producers so we could develop this new program.”

“ The development of TVS supports our goals of advocating for the sod industry and connecting natural grass producers directly with policymakers,” Reynolds added.“ This program has been years in the making, and we’ re proud to have helped in its creation.”

TPI is currently working with private crop insurance companies who sell TVS to raise awareness of the program. Anyone interested in purchasing this new insurance product should contact their local crop insurance agent to learn more.

The new pilot program is available in select counties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

Story by Baylee Smith, courtesy of OSU Supporters of Oklahoma State University( OSU) Agriculture gathered June 27 to celebrate the grand opening of the Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center.

“ The Turfgrass Center represents a major step forward for OSU’ s turfgrass research, teaching and Extension programs,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture.“ It provides a centralized space where faculty, students and industry partners can come together to collaborate, learn and advance the science of turfgrass management.”

Jayson Lusk, Lou Bentley and Justin Quetone Moss unveil a sculpture of Lionel K. Bentley during the grand opening of the Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center at Oklahoma State University.( Photo by Bryanna Freer, OSU Foundation)

The Turfgrass Center, located on a 100-acre facility north of The Botanic Garden at OSU, is named in honor of the late Lionel Bentley of Washington, Oklahoma. The new center will specialize in ornamental and recreational turfgrass research, creating adaptive turfgrasses and developing eco-friendly pest management solutions.

Bentley graduated from OSU in 1970 with a bachelor’ s degree in agronomy with a focus on turf management. In 1984, he retired from the City of Norman as director of the parks and recreation department to pursue Bentley Turf Farms, a full-service turf establishment and erosion-control company.

Bentley was known as a turfgrass sod pioneer in Oklahoma, offering customers U-3 bermudagrass, Tifway bermudagrass and his own Gracemont bermudagrass. He developed his turf-type tall fescue sod, and was among the first in the state to offer Meyer Zoysia and El Toro Zoysia.

Bentley’ s wife, Lou, made the gift in memory of her husband. Her gift directly supports The Code Calls, OSU’ s $ 2 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign. The center embodies one of the campaign’ s core pillars— powering progress— and will drive turfgrass innovation and solve real-world problems in the industry.

Lou Bentley said it was rewarding to observe her husband’ s passion for turfgrass, including his ongoing research and experimentation, as well as his continued association with the OSU turfgrass program.

“ I wanted to honor Lionel with something of a permanent nature— an honor that would stand up to the incredible person he was, and that his name and life would be honored, but not forgotten, and that exemplified his love for his life’ s work,” she said.“ Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center— a dream come true.”

The Turfgrass Center’ s modern facilities will support faculty and students and serve as a welcoming environment for workshops, field days and industry collaboration. It will directly support the research and discovery that ensure Oklahoma remains at the forefront of turfgrass innovation.

The OSU Landscape Services design team worked closely with project stakeholders to create the donor recognition display and landscape spaces. Sustainability and long-term maintenance were important considerations throughout the design process, said Nick Ouellette, OSU Landscape design manager.

The donor recognition monuments were fabricated from locally sourced stone, and the decorative rock mulch used throughout the installation aligns with OSU’ s landscape standards.

According to Ouellette, the project also provided a valuable learning opportunity, as an OSU landscape architecture student intern played a significant role in developing design concepts and renderings.

“ The Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center is an excellent example of collaboration between donors, researchers, students, university leadership and campus operations,” said Ouellette.“ Beyond recognizing a transformational gift, the project highlights OSU’ s commitment to hands-on learning, innovative research and creating spaces that inspire future generations of students and industry professionals.”

The facility marks a significant milestone for the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture as it continues to expand opportunities in turfgrass education and research, said Justin Quetone Moss, head of the department.

“ It is especially meaningful that this center is named in honor of Lionel K. Bentley, a leader whose career embodied the values we strive to instill in our students,” Moss added.“ We are honored to recognize his legacy through this facility.”

The turfgrass industry contributes more than $ 40 billion per year to the U. S. economy and $ 1 billion per year to the Oklahoma economy. OSU turfgrass scientists have contributed 11 turfgrass varieties used on golf greens and fairways, residential yards, sports fields and in commercial production. Additionally, two OSU faculty members recently received federal funding for new turfgrass-related research projects, bringing more than $ 1 million in research funding to the program.

Used at some of the most recognized sporting events, OSU turfgrass varieties have appeared at the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, the PGA Championship, the World Cup, the Super Bowl and professional baseball and football stadiums.

STEC announced the launch of the STEC Store( www. shop-stec. com), a new online shopping experience that gives customers another convenient way to browse and purchase equipment, parts and more.

For years, STEC has helped customers find the right equipment by combining quality products with knowledgeable, personal support.

The STEC Store builds on that experience by making it easier to browse products, compare equipment, and shop whenever it’ s most convenient. Whether researching equipment after work, comparing implements before visiting, or ready to make a purchase, the STEC Store provides customers with another way to shop on their schedule.