Turf Tank supports Movember

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Turf Tank supports Movember: Industry leading robotic line marking company, Turf Tank, teams up with Scotland-based universities to support this month’s annual moustache-starring campaign for leading men’s health charity, Movember.

Scotland-based universities, Heriot-Watt, and Strathclyde, who are existing Movember Ambassadors, both allowed Turf Tank, an autonomous line marking robot company, to paint its iconic mo across its very own sports fields.

Turf Tank supports Movember

Turf Tank supports Movember

Now in its 19th year, Movember is just days away from encouraging its Mo Bros around the UK to band together to bravely sacrifice their upper lips in support of men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

Movember’s Country Director for UK and Europe, Anne-Cecile Berthier, said: “It’s a real pleasure to have received support from Turf Tank, Herriot-Watt, and Strathclyde University this year as we’ve been able to continue to raise awareness for men’s health in a way we’ve never once done before.

“Being able to replicate our moustache on such a large scale really does help to amplify our message – men are dying too young. Support like this we admire as it helps us to spread the message far and wide, so together, we can change the face of men’s health.”

According to a recent report released by the men’s health charity, in the UK, 3 out of 4 suicides are by men. 1 in 8 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and testicular cancer continues to be the most diagnosed cancer in young men.

Movember wants to encourage men to speak up when things get tough, and the work that Turf Tank, Herriot-Watt, and Strathclyde University has allowed the charity to create will hopefully spark conversations which could ultimately save lives.

To date, Movember has welcomed six million supporters and helped fund 1,250 innovative health projects across twenty countries. But we are not done yet. To donate or learn more, please visit uk.movember.com.

TIPS TO GROW YOUR MO 

  • Be prepared:  Choose the moustache that will grace your face by browsing the inspirational Movember Mo Style Guide. But embrace the moustache that nature gives you because whatever you grow will save a bro.
  • Be brave: The first few days, even weeks, can be uncomfortable as your Mo takes shape. Ride it out to encourage donations.
  • Ignore the itching: Remind yourself that men have endured worse in the past. You can stand a little face tickle.
  • Shape your moustache: Get across all the proper grooming techniques. A great Mo comes down to great grooming.
  • Nurture it and keep it clean: Look after your Mo, and your Mo will look after you.

OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

  • Move for Movember- Commit to running or walking 60kms over the month. That’s 60kms for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour across the world. You can join a team or run solo.
  • Host a Mo-ment- Rally a crew and do something fun. Hosting is all about having a good time for a good cause. And you can always put a virtual spin on your plans. The best part? Virtual events are easy to organise, cheap to run and you can go in your slippers. Think an online gaming tournament, Mo Bingo, or a virtual trivia night.
  • Mo Your Own Way- A choose-your-own-adventure challenge, epic in scope and scale. You make the rules. You set the limits and chase them down. Take a hike, run a relay, ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Get creative, push your limits, and inspire donations with sheer grit.

Why do we do it again?

  • Globally, we lose one man every minute to suicide
  • Three out of four suicides in the UK are men
  • One in 8 men in the UK & Ireland will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer in their lifetime
  • Over 333,500 men are living with or beyond prostate cancer in the UK
  • Testicular cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in young men

To date, Movember has welcomed six million supporters and helped fund 1,250 innovative health projects across twenty countries. But we are not done yet.

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Burford’s Toro lease deal

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Burford’s Toro lease deal: Burford Golf Club gets its hands on 16 new Toro machines in its first ever Toro lease deal. This renewal deal with distributor Reesink Turfcare proves to be a cost-effective solution to replacing old machines while carefully managing expenses in the current climate.

Coming up on his 19th year next month with the parkland course at the heart of the Cotswolds, known for its treelined fairways, head greenkeeper Richard explains how when it came time to update equipment, a Toro lease deal was a great option for the club. He says: “We had six bits of equipment that were part of an aging fleet, some machines were up to 25 years old, and needed repairs. Eventually it ended up that we started thinking how can we buy new ones? When we went to Reesink Turfcare we were able to look at a lease deal. Instead of just replacing the six machines, with the lease we could get 16 new bits of kit.”

Burford's Toro lease deal

Burford’s Toro lease deal

Richard has followed in his predecessors’ footsteps in continuing to use Toro machines at the club with the addition of this new Toro fleet. He says: “We’ve always gone with Toro as a club. The person before me used Toro, and the person before him used Toro too. We were actually the first club in the country to use the GM3 back in the 1980s. We’ve just always kept using them. Every machine is designed for a job, and it does that job superbly. Toro machines are specialised in what they do, which is why they’re so good.”

As part of the renewal deal, Burford Golf Club has picked up two Greensmaster 3150-Q, two Greensmaster 3250-D, two Reelmaster 5610 fairway mowers with cabs, two Reelmaster 3100 cylinder mowers, two Greensmaster 3300 rotary mowers, two Sand Pro 2040Z rakes, two workman HDXD utility vehicles, a Pro Core 1298 Aerator and a Pro Pass 200 top dresser.

The ability to have so many new machines as part of the lease deal means a greater level of flexibility for the club. Richard says: “Having two of everything gives us a bit more flexibility. We can be working in different areas and not have to hinder the golfers and that’s always the most important thing.”

As part of the renewal, the club has also gained access to machines they have never used before. Richard claims that the Pro Core 1298 is his favourite, he says: “it is superb. We’ve been able to aerate all the fairways in three days. We use it on the tees, but you could also put it on the greens if you wanted to. We’ve never had that before.” The machine has articulating coring heads that ‘flex’ three degrees in each direction to maximise ground-following capability on undulations and ensure a consistent coring depth.

The deal was facilitated by The Big Mower Company and with so many new machines to get up and running, having the company’s support has been a huge help. Richard says: “The help from the Big Mower company and in particular Peter Bullock, Henry and Simon have been excellent. When we call them up, the person on the phone is great at helping us get the best out of the machines.”

Richard plans on using Toro to get the best finish on the course, but first the club is undergoing an exciting round of construction, says Richard: “We’re in the middle of installing PC drainage. We’ve done seven greens so far and are hoping to do about two more every year until they’re all done. We’re also levelling a lot of the tees, making some bigger while making others shorter as needed, and all that’s adapting to the handicap system. We’re also hoping to redo the bunkers. When we’re presenting the course, we’ll use the Toro machines­– they produce the best finish.”

To talk to someone about how the Toro range could suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Cranfield study results

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Cranfield study results: A year-long scientific study into the amount of soil microbiology in TOPSOIL products has resulted in data that will assist product development and help customers to understand more about the health of the soils they specify or use.

The study, which was overseen by Senior Research Fellow of Soil Biology at Cranfield University Dr Mark Pawlett, commenced in November 2021 and statistically analysed four samples each of TOPSOIL’s Sports&Turf topdressing, Landscape20 general purpose topsoil, and HortLoam planting soil, taken at three-monthly intervals.

Cranfield study results

Cranfield study results

At each sampling, the total microbial biomass of each product was measured to assess whether the processes critical for nutrient cycling and resilience are supported by active soil microorganisms. In other words, is the topsoil component in TOPSOIL products a healthy, living organism making an entirely positive contribution to plant and turf establishment and growth?

Commenting on the data and final report, National TOPSOIL Manager Andy Spetch said:

“This Cranfield study, together with our ongoing carbon monitoring work and trials with the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), helps us provide our customers with as full a picture of each of our products as possible. This, in turn, allows landscape, grounds management, and sports turf professionals to make informed buying decisions based on objective, independent, scientific data and analysis. This data will also help us to develop and refine our products.”

The Cranfield study concluded that HortLoam planting soil has the greatest microbial biomass overall, reflecting the PAS 100 greenwaste compost component of the product. The microbial biomass of Landscape20 general purpose topsoil is slightly reduced compared to Hortloam, and both have significantly higher microbial biomass than Sports&Turf, a sand-based topdressing with only 10 percent soil component.

The study data and report can be freely accessed on the TOPSOIL website. www.bstopsoil.co.uk

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Happy 80th Poggy

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Happy 80th Poggy: Not only did Campey Turf Care Systems enjoy a successful Saltex show at the NEC last week, but it also provided the opportunity to celebrate Ian Pogson’ (affectionately known within the industry as Poggy), 80th birthday!

Ian has been a valued member of the Campey team for over 15 years, first as product specialist for the Southern UK and Ireland regions, then taking on an ambassadorial role in 2017. He has proved an invaluable asset, attending seminars, open days, exhibitions, and training days, using his extensive knowledge of product and the sports turf industry to greatest effect.

Happy 80th Poggy

Happy 80th Poggy

So, now Ian has reached 80, is he intending to hang up his tines, and reach for the gardening fork? Not a bit of it. “First I intend to travel with my wife Christine for a holiday and then I will continue to be available to Campeys as long as they see fit to require my services” declared Ian. “Any spare time I can find will be spent enjoying the great outdoors walking with my daughter’s beautiful golden Labrador, having fun with the grandchildren, although the eldest is already 19 and an apprentice PGA Professional golfer, and of- course gardening under instruction from Christine.”

Richard Campey, Chairman of Campey Turf Care was delighted to present Ian with a celebratory gift at Saltex. “Congratulations to Poggy on his 80th birthday. We are pleased to mark this occasion at an industry event, which is completely appropriate as he is part of the fabric of our company. Long may it continue!”

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Origin create a buzz at SALTEX 2022

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Origin create a buzz at SALTEX 2022: The Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) team has declared SALTEX a successful show. It ended on a high with their stand being announced as the Stand Award Winner by the GMA. They were voted the best in the large spaces category due to the excellence in stand design and customer experience.

Speaking about their experience OAS Marketing Director Kate Humes commented, “This was our first major show under the new marketing stewardship, and we were delighted with how it went. There was an impressive turn out with high profile visitors and exhibitors old and new.  The Origin Amenity Solutions stand was buzzing from the minute the doors opened. It was well organised and provided an ideal platform to catch up with customers, suppliers, and industry friends. Winning the Best Stand was the icing on the cake.  A lot of work goes into designing and building a stand of this scale and it was nice to be recognised for the team’s efforts.”

Origin create a buzz at SALTEX 2022

Origin create a buzz at SALTEX 2022

Origin Amenity Solutions combines four major industry brands – Headland Amenity, Rigby Taylor, Symbio and Turfkeeper. The group was established just over a year ago and their impressive presence at SALTEX demonstrates their commitment to the industry and positions them as a leading force in amenity and grounds management.

The stand was a hive of activity with live demonstrations of the Beacon application, the newest feature of the digital Turfkeeper platform offering push-notifications direct to mobile devices.  One visitor commented, “This is a fantastic new feature. Just what I needed.  It means I can keep my eyes on the jobs and my teams workload while I’m away from my desk. Simple but brilliant.”

The new Tiny Pro X robotic line marker made its debut appearance at the show and was incredibly well received.  Kate continues, “there was so much interest in the GPS Tiny Mobile Robots range and particularly the most recently launched robot, the Tiny Pro X.  We actually sold three machines on the stand which was cause for celebration.”

Elsewhere on the stand Dr Deidre Charleston profiled Symbio’s compost tea packages that are specially formulated using Symbio’s composting microbial technology. Many visitors to the OAS stand viewed the microbes in HD highlighting the types of microbes present after different brewing lengths.

Not just restricted to their stand, Research & Development Director Geoff Fenn and Angus Finlayson, OAS Turf Trials Research Manager took to the seminar area to explain about the Origin’s £1m Turf Science & Technology Centre and the importance of research in the amenity industry. It was well received, and the audience learnt about the variables to consider when conducting trials, the trial process itself, and how the team ensure all trials are completely unbiased.

The OAS team came out in force to support the GMA Awards. They sponsored the Young Grounds Person Of The Year category and  Origin Amenity Solutions Commercial Director Andy Russell presented to the worthy winner Dylan Thompson of Doncaster Rovers FC.

Andy Russell adds, “We were delighted to support the industry and the GMA.  Saltex is always a good event for networking, catching up with customers and launching new products. We had a lot of visitors to the stand, some great meetings, and some interesting leads. Overall it was a valued and worthwhile event for us.”

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