Hello again everyone, Brian Thompson here with a video blog update from FarmLinks.

Check out my interview with Roger Stewart, CGCS from TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., at the sporting clays down on the farm.

Superintendents win with better pest management—BASF Golf Industry Show booth 3039

Visit the BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals Golf Industry Show booth to learn, connect and participate in our super activities. Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10:00 a.m. Get a FREE signed copy of Dr. Thomas Nikolai’s book, “Superintendent’s Guide to Green Speed Management” (*Supplies are limited. Must be a superintendent to qualify). 12:00 p.m. Play Superintendent Thousandaire for your chance to win up to $1,000! 3:00 p.m. Play Superintendent Thousandaire for your chance to win up to $1,000! Thursday, February 11, 2010 10:00 a.m. Meet Da Coach Mike Ditka, one of only two people ever to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach. 2:00 p.m. Special edition of Media Thousandaire for Charity featuring editors Larry Aylward, Golfdom; Seth Jones, Golf Course Management; and Mike Zawacki, Golf Course Industry. 3:30 p.m. Play Superintendent Thousandaire for your chance to win up to $1,000!

BASF’s All-Day Events

BASF Turf Timeline – Illustrates “Great Moments In Turf” including cherished architects, game-changing players, professional and university organizations and genius turf tool inventions.

BASF Survey Kiosk – Complete a three-minute survey and enter to win an iPod® Touch.

BASF WatchDog™ Plant Disease Weather Station Giveaway – Visit our booth during show hours and enter to win!

Comment below to tell us if you’re going or why you can’t make it to the show. Stay connected with BASF remotely on our BASF Turf Talk blog and @BASFTurf_us Twitter during the Show!

Three minutes is all it takes for your chance to win an iPod® Touch at BASF GIS Booth 3039
Visit our BASF Golf Industry Show booth 3039 on Feb. 10-11 to share how you use your cell phone. Three minutes after starting, respondents can enter to win an iPod® Touch! Full BASF booth schedule here.
Have a big idea for a new turfgrass management app? Comment below and tell us what mobile tool would make your job easier!

Digital turf gadgets
Mobile phone applications can now help turfgrass pros conveniently access tools that streamline their work. Get up to speed on the turf tech tools making waves:

• Golf Course Industry “Mobile Mileage”
• From the Desk of GCM Blog
• iTurf Apps and Tech by William Brown, CGCS

Not familiar with mobile device functions? Visit the GIS Test Drive Technology Booth – Presented by GCSAA, NGCOA and CMAA
According to the Golf Industry Show Web site, “This lab on the show floor offers you and your team the opportunity to experience the newest technology solutions in the industry and “test drive” state-of-the-art hardware and software ranging from iPhone® applications to Panasonic Toughbooks®. The solutions you find here are intended to help you more effectively and successfully manage all aspects of your business.”

Helping golf course superintendents create preemergent Naturalized Area programs
I had a great visit with Frank Tichenor at Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield, N.J. We covered most of the entire 95-year-old course and looked at where he has significant naturalized areas where he wants “junk” controlled. They even got to hit some golf balls from the fairway that some members were practicing from—with their clubs. We spent lunch-time working on a program with his assistants present. I recommended they start with some of the products left over in his newly constructed, heated storage facility. Unfortunately these are not BASF preemergent products, but it will give him opportunity to deplete stock.

Click here to download the BASF Managing Golf Course Naturalized Areas PDF.

Congrats to Morgan on her college graduation!
Well my wife and I survived 90 family and friends over on Saturday to celebrate my youngest daughter, Morgan’s, college graduation. A great time was had by all but way too much work putting the house back together on Sunday.

Great Northern PA Turf Conference, but not so great travel weather
Traveled to Wilkes-Barre, Penn., for the Northeastern PA Turf Conference and Tradeshow. Travelling there was not a problem, but travelling back last night was a different story after snowing on and off for most of the day. Fun! Fun! Anyhow, traffic was okay as I’m sure hampered by weather. Next week is my first trip of 2010 to the walled city of Pittsburgh.

Have a great weekend. Notice I didn’t say a word about weather.

Success of Michigan’s ski resorts helps near-by golf course operations
The weather has been very cold with heavy snow accumulation. The Northern Michigan ski resorts have been in full swing for the last couple of weeks. The ski resort business is a large economic compliment to the resorts that also have golf courses. There is approx 1.5 to 2.0 feet of snow on the ground in this geography. Western Michigan also has about the same snow fall accumulation. Down state in Western Ohio where I live, we have about 8 to10 inches of snow on the ground with very cold temps.

Bruce Jones receives OTF Award
The Ohio Turfgrass Foundation presented Bruce Jones, of John Deere Landscapes/Golf, with its 2009 Professional Excellence Award. Bruce Jones is a golf sales representative based out of Dublin, a Columbus-area suburb.

The honor was bestowed upon Mr. Jones at the OTF’s 43rd Annual Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show in December. The event drew about 2,400 industry professionals to Central Ohio and more than 150 companies were featured. The OTF has presented the Professional Excellence Award since 1971.

In 2010, Bruce Jones will work as a golf sales representative in Central Ohio. In 2009, Bruce managed a SOW sales route in Central Ohio. Bruce is a close personal friend, I am very glad he was honored with this very deserving award.

Great Lakes Trade Exposition Conference & Trade Show 2010
The GLTE conference and trade show is the most impactful event in my territory. There were 350 exhibiting companies present at the show. This combined event offered a variety of education tracks including: Grower, Landscape-Design/Build, Landscape Mgt., Plants, Retail, Business, Pesticide Credits Clinic, Irrigation, 2nd Annual Assistant Superintendent Symposium, Golf, Commercial Turf and Athletic Field, Equipment Technicians, Golf Course Superintendents, Arboriculture, and Certification Central.

This event was sponsored by the MNLA (Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association) and the MTF (Michigan Turfgrass Foundation). This event was held on January 4-6th at the DeVos Place located in Grand Rapids, MI.