What could be a more appropriate theme for the 2006 TPI Midwinter Conference than one that reflects its venue of historical southern charm: Service with a Smile in Savannah. During the Exhibit sessions, attendees will also have ample time to meet one-on-one with representatives from equipment manufacturers, suppliers and other companies involved in turfgrass production.

Focus of the TPI Midwinter Conference is on education. The first session for attendees who arrive in time for Wednesday’s Pre-Conference seminar is entitled “The Art of Bringing the Customers Back,” by Richard Flint, author of 11 books, counselor and talk-show participant.

The General Education sessions begin with the highly informative “Show and Tell” presentations in which three turf producers from different countries describe their operations. Using a PowerPoint program to show their farms, equipment, staff and family, these individuals will describe in detail how they operate their turf farms. From these presentations, attendees always learn something new and useful that they can take home and apply immediately to increase efficiency, or save time and money.

The second General Education session will feature presentations by several turfgrass extension specialists. This session is the result of a meeting earlier this year when the TPI PR Working Group met with extension specialists. All participants agreed on the value of increasing two-way communications and working more closely together to more effectively educate the general public as well as each other.

An always-informative event is the Roundtable Forum from which numerous ideas have developed. If you feel strongly about a particular topic, want to share your ideas or just sit in and listen to the conversations, this is the place to be. Each roundtable features a different topic of interest from which members can choose. When you arrive, just fill your plate, select a table and join in the conversation. A TPI Board or staff member will be at each table to take notes and to facilitate the information exchange. Afterwards, the Board will review all comments from roundtables. Many TPI benefits and programs are underway as a result of these comments.

Attendees will find more live information during the JCB factory tour with dinner. There will even be entertainment by the Dancing Diggers! This year’s ITPF Banquet will be held conveniently in the host hotel, Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. Attendees can expect great food and entertainment, and maybe even a surprise or two! Presentation of the annual TPI Awards and Honors is always a highlight of this event.

Visit the TPI website frequently as more information is made available. If you are already a TPI member, complete Conference information, including hotel and registration forms, should arrive in your mailbox soon. It also will be posted in the “Events” section of the TPI website, www.TurfGrassSod.org. Take advantage of the early registration discount (December 15, 2005) and reserve your place at this year’s event.

Turfgrass Sod to be Defined in Specialty Crop Legislation
TPI is working with U.S. federal legislators to define turfgrass sod as a "specialty crop" in upcoming legislation, including the 2007 Farm Bill. Successful efforts will open the door for state turfgrass associations to more effectively pursue the annual specialty crop marketing funds allocated to individual states by the federal government.

While turfgrass sod often is considered a specialty crop, without explicit statutory definitional language or guidance in the past, the USDA has not known how to treat turfgrass when implementing legislation. The consequence occasionally has been the exclusion of turfgrass because the USDA relied on traditional agricultural definitions of "food and fiber" within which turfgrass sod and nursery crops “do not fit.” To overcome this ambiguity on federal public policy issues, in the past TPI has sought successfully to explicitly include turfgrass sod within legislation affecting our industry.