Turf News is the perfect place for professionals working within the UK’s vibrant turf industry – keeping you up-to-date with topical news, latest market developments and much more across all areas of the industry.
NEWS ARTICLES

Evo-Stik NPL unveils GreenFields as official Pitch Partner

/in , /by

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League unveils GreenFields as official Pitch Partner – Sports turf specialist GreenFields was today unveiled as the new official pitch partner to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League (NPL).

Evo-Stik NPL unveils GreenFields as official Pitch Partner

The deal, initially for the 2017/18 football season, was announced at a meeting of the league’s 68 clubs, with an introductory presentation from GreenFields.

GreenFields will provide NPL clubs with surface solutions to meet the growing demand for 3G and hybrid turf pitches, as well as advice on maintaining grass surfaces. As a result, the league hopes to reduce the number of fixture postponements, especially during the winter months.

NPL club Hyde United have already been working with GreenFields for a year having laid a 3G woven pitch. The club is delighted with their choice of surface as Pete Ainger, General Manager, explains. “The feedback has been excellent. Players and officials alike have commented that it is amongst the best surfaces they have experienced. The technology is massively different from other 3Gs, it performs like a grass pitch with increased durability. The woven technology enables the grass to stay upright and it’s an obvious difference to standard 3G pitches.”

Mark Harris, Chairman of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League is delighted to have GreenFields on-board. “We’ve been looking for a pitch partner for some time to meet the information needs and growing demand from clubs looking to artificial turf pitches to generate additional revenues as well as providing a surface to play good football on. GreenFields’ philosophy matches our own so this agreement makes total sense for the league.”

Page 1 of 2

Over the coming season the Evo-Stik NPL will be working with GreenFields to provide clubs with exclusive pitch installation and maintenance information and advice with a presence from the company at NPL events including the launch of a new ‘Pitch of the Year Award’ selected and presented by GreenFields at the annual awards event next June.

Paul Milton, Director of GreenFields commented: “We are excited by this new partnership and look forward to supporting and advising member clubs on their current and potential sports pitches. With over a decade’s experience, we have the expertise in house to be able to provide clubs with the best possible solution to meet their requirements.”

More information on GreenFields can be found at www.greenfieldsturf.co.uk

Council Sees Efficiency Soar Thanks To New Toro Mower

/in , /by

Council Sees Efficiency Soar Thanks To New Toro Mower – Uttlesford District Council’s decision to opt for Toro’s LT-F3000 flail when the need arose for a new grounds mower to tackle the area’s parks and open spaces is one that has made a significant difference to productivity and efficiency.

Council Sees Efficiency Soar Thanks To New Toro Mower

The LT-F3000 is expected to maintain 760,000 square metres of parkland and open spaces per month and Steve King, Uttlesford’s street services supervisor, says it was evident that the LT-F3000 was “more than up to the task” straight away as it began having “a notable impact on the efficiency of the workforce” within just two weeks.

Steve continues: “We’ve been using the flail for two weeks now and it’s already having a notable impact on efficiency. We’re finding the LT-F3000 is capable of achieving the same amount of work that we would otherwise have to bring three dedicated mowers in for. This level of versatility in one mower has significantly improved the team’s productivity rate.

“Our previous machine’s cutting width was 1.7m, but the new mower boasts a 2.12m cutting width, which has enabled us to cut down on operating times. We’ve also found that the flail’s three cutting units follow the contours of the ground better than our former single unit machine, resulting in a superb after-cut appearance.”

This high quality finish is achieved no matter what the length of the grass is to start with, says Steve: “Long, short, wet, coarse, the result is always great. The LT-F3000 can easily cut meadows, the height of cut just needs to be adjusted, and it’s very good with small bank work as it’s solid and stable.

“It’s easy to transport too; the front units can be tucked up out of the way and secured by good, sturdy fixing points so towing is safe and fast. With this feature, the machine can be moved from site to site hassle-free and we can now access trickier sites which were previously impossible. We are looking to get the machine road registered, so it could be even more productive!”

Uttlesford District Council’s grounds maintenance division prides itself on delivering a high level of service to its residents and every machinery choice is made with a great deal of care. Steve says: “We considered a variety of different machines, but the Toro shone through by promising to deliver everything our sites demand. It’s great to see this translate to our working day and the results we are producing.”

If that weren’t enough, “the professional manner of Reesink Turfcare’s representative Danny Lake cemented our decision,” says Steve. “He was very personable and really cared about helping us choose the best investment for our needs. Reesink’s customer service has been absolutely fantastic throughout, with any queries handled quickly and efficiently.”

Uttlesford District Council’s grounds team of nine replaces its machines every seven years and welcomes this as an opportunity to consider new technology to improve the already high level of service it provides to the residents of Uttlesford. In choosing machines like the Toro LT-F3000, which the council has found has the capability to do the work of three machines, it seems fair to say Uttlesford District Council is making all the right choices.

Man Mowed Lawn With Tornado Behind

/in , /by

Man who mowed lawn with tornado behind him says he ‘was keeping an eye on it.’  – Cecilia Wessels snapped the picture of her husband, Theunis, on Friday evening as the twister passed near their home in Three Hills.

She said cutting the grass was on her husband’s to-do list, and as he started the task, she went for a nap. Wessels said she was woken by her nine-year-old daughter who was upset that there was something like a tornado in the sky, but her father wouldn’t come inside.

Theunis Wessels said the tornado was actually much further away than it appears in the photo, and that it was moving away from them. There have been no reports of injuries from the tornado, although some other photos show downed trees and a barn with its roof ripped off.

“I literally took the picture to show my mum and dad in South Africa, ‘Look there’s a tornado,’ and now everyone is like, ‘Why is your husband mowing the lawn?’” Cecilia Wessels said Saturday.

“Our whole street, everyone was on their back patios taking pictures,” she said.

Theunis Wessels said he was keeping watch of his surroundings and saw the twister form as the swirling connected from the sky and the ground to form the funnel.

Both said tornadoes are not common in South Africa, but Theunis said he watched a TV program about storm chasers, so he’s familiar with them.

The tornado moved away to the east, he said.

“It looks much closer if you look in the photo, but it was really far away. Well, not really far, far away, but it was far away from us,” he said.

“I was keeping an eye on it.”

To read the original article from Times Colonist, click here

Malvern Hills Puts Kubota’s Latest RTV To The Test

/in , /by

Malvern Hills puts Kubota’s latest RTV to the test – Kubota UK’s commitment to the environment has stepped up once more this month after the market leading machinery supplier loaned its RTV-X900 utility vehicle to the Malvern Hills Trust, a charity that conserves the iconic, ecological landscape in Worcestershire.

Malvern Hills Puts Kubota’s Latest RTV To The Test

As a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, a home to wildlife, and a workplace for local farmers, the Malvern Hills and Commons make up over 3,000 acres of grassland, woodland and rocky terrain.

The Kubota RTV-X900 has already become a major player for the Trust, helping its 20 volunteers and six field staff tackle the expansive and rugged landscape by carrying people and equipment efficiently across the vast site.

Warden, Richard Vale said: “The Kubota RTV-X900 is great, because it allows us to access certain areas with a vehicle that we couldn’t before. We’re now able to maintain the hills easier and quicker, without disturbing any visitors or wildlife.

“Every time we use the RTV-X900, we become more confident in its capabilities. The cab offers great protection while its compact characteristics make our presence on the hills very constructive as the machine offers high power without damaging the soft terrain. Anything bigger almost begins to reduce the positive effect we try to have on the environment.”

It’s estimated that Malvern Hills receives over one million visits per year and around 7,000 on peak holiday periods such as the recent Easter weekend. The iconic landscape hosts a range of activities including walking, cycling, horse-riding, and more.

While the hills and commons are visited by thousands of tourists, they’re also home to a range of wildlife including bluebells, marsh tits, serotine bats, adders and woodpeckers, to name but a few.

As 90% of the hills and commons are registered under common land, they are protected under law for the benefit of locals, wildlife and visitors. Because of this, the Trust need to have something that successfully aids in their daily maintenance and protection of the landscape, this is why the footprint and efficiency of the RTV-X900 is so important.

Duncan Bridges, Chief Executive Officer of the Malvern Hills Trust commented: “We’re so thankful to have been given the opportunity to put the RTV-X900 through its paces, it cuts time, energy and costs, which helps us make a much bigger impact across the hills and commons. As the number of visitors continues to increase, the work of our volunteers, field staff and wardens is all the more essential to the area and the loaned vehicle helps us to do just that.”

Karen Tipping, marketing manager at Kubota UK, concluded: “Kubota takes its commitment to the environment seriously, so much so, that our corporate mission statement is ‘For Earth, For Life’ – its our promise to protect the environment on a global scale.  By loaning an RTV-X900 to the Malvern Hills Trust, we are living up to this commitment and playing a key role in helping this charity and the valuable work it does.”

For more information on Kubota’s leading groundcare solutions or to find your local dealer, visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

INTURF appoint new Operations Director

/in , /by

INTURF appoint new Operations Director – INTURF has appointed Guy Barrett as Operations Director as part of a strategy to dramatically increase turf production to meet sustained increased demand. He brings with him nearly 40 years of turf production experience in every part of the UK, latterly at board level.

INTURF appoint new Operations Director

“Sales have been increasing exponentially for some time now,” says Alex Edwards, Joint Managing Director of INTURF. “The fact is that, with increased production, we could sell even more so we’re excited by the contribution that Guy can make.”

Guy Barrett was born not far from Pocklington and attended school there, starting turf production ‘on the tools’ and rising through management to board level. “I’ve known and respected INTURF all my working life and now relish the opportunity of using my experience to help them realise their vision for the business,” he says.

Inturf was established in 1985. Since its formation the company has enjoyed a reputation for the excellence of the turf it grows for golf courses, landscapes and gardens as well as for the excellence of its service.

“We are hugely optimistic about the turfgrass industry,” says Stephen Edwards, himself a former chair of the Turfgrass Growers Association. “In particular we know that there are opportunities for INTURF waiting to be exploited and Guy’s appointment will help us to just that.”