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‘Boost your game’ at SALTEX

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‘Boost your game’ at SALTEX: With the climate and economy throwing more challenges than ever before at today’s groundscare professionals, SALTEX is responding with an unmissable mix of learning and networking opportunities, education, and exhibition, all in one place over two days.

SALTEX is carefully curated to deliver all the tools needed to meet the changing face of groundscare and help create, support, and ensure a thriving industry – and this year’s theme of ‘Boost your Game’ covers the key tools of the trade for today’s grounds staff including knowledge, career, skills, sales, surface, and network.

'Boost your game' at SALTEX

‘Boost your game’ at SALTEX

Visitors will be able to boost their knowledge of all things turf with the industry’s leading experts and experienced groundscare professionals covering the burning topics of the industry in the Learning LIVE seminar programme.

They can boost their career with unrivalled opportunities to network, earn CPD points and speak to experts offering career advice, as well as boosting their skills by getting hands-on with machinery.

Boosting sales is easier when over 60 percent of visitors have a role in the purchasing decision-making as is boosting their network with attendees coming from all backgrounds and levels of groundscare including elite sports, estates and landscaping, parks, playgrounds, and educational settings.

Pitch Advisory Service advisors and representatives from the National-Governing Bodies will be on hand to offer free technical advice on maintaining all playing surfaces, as well guidance on accessing funding and ways to upskill through the Grounds Management Framework. SALTEX provides access to everything visitors need to boost their surfaces.

Jen Carter, head of communications, says: “The theme of this year’s show highlights the many opportunities visitors will have to come away better connected and with more expertise than they arrived with. Such an approach ensures visitors and exhibitors continue to be at the forefront of groundscare around the world.

“Registration in the first few weeks since opening is the highest it’s ever been, and we recommend registering now, if you haven’t already to ensure a spot at our 77th show.”

SALTEX takes place at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023. To guarantee a ticket to Europe’s largest and leading sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, register now at https://www.saltex.org.uk/

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Don’t miss your chance to be at SAGE

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Don’t miss your chance to be at SAGE: SAGE will be held at Three Counties Showground, Malvern on the 19th and 20th of July 2023. Filled with live outdoor demos of the latest machinery, leading industry exhibitors, expert-led summits, live music, entertainment, food vendors, and a bar, SAGE should be top of your list of expos to visit this summer!

Not only that but the UK Loggers National Championship will be taking place over the two days of the expo – a fierce test of precision and skill determining an overall precision chainsaw champion.

Don’t miss your chance to be at SAGE

Don’t miss your chance to be at SAGE

Those wanting to attend can now pick up a ticket, which can be reserved at sportsandgrounds.events.

Here’s what you can expect:

Try before you buy

Visiting SAGE is more than just another exhibition; it’s a hands-on, interactive experience with zero limitations. Known for having the largest outdoor demonstration space, SAGE offers industry-leading brands unlimited space to demo their equipment, no matter the size! Now you can test-drive the newest ride-on lawn mower or put that woodchipper you’ve had your eye on to the test!

With brands such as Toro, EGO, Trimax, and many more, all confirming their place at SAGE 2023, the latest equipment in the sports and grounds industry will all be in one place, as well as our official sponsors Weibang UK.

Sustainability

This year, SAGE 2023 is bringing sustainability to the forefront and leading the way in making exhibitions greener. In line with green practices outlined by official green partner GRASS, SAGE is making several sustainable changes to the expo. Throughout the event, you’ll notice a huge emphasis on how the event is trying to run sustainably. All packaging used by on-site caterers will be fully compostable. At the sponsored bar, beer barrels will be replacing beer bottles, and hired glasses will be used at the networking event to reduce single-use plastic.

In partnership with its partners Bio-Circle & GRASS, SAGE has built a jam-packed agenda to challenge how sustainable solutions are accessed in the industry. GRASS members will be on hand to advise on tailor-made sustainable practices for businesses alongside leading experts for Green business across other industries as well, collaborating to help the united mission to hit net zero by 2050.

Learning hub

Join SAGE as they re-design the layout of learning at trade shows, providing visitors with immersive workshops and hands-on experiences led by experts.

New to SAGE 2023 is the education hub, where you can attend informative conferences, make new contacts at networking events, and exchange expertise on future-proofing your business.

Something for everyone

Whether you work for the council, within education institutions, in landscaping, construction, or anywhere with a passion for sports or grounds maintenance, SAGE will have something for you.

Come along to discover, demo, and network at SAGE 2023.

For more information on attending SAGE 2023, visit https://sportsandgrounds.events/

You can also stay up to date with the latest news on Instagram @exposage2023

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FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

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FairWays Foundation could fund your next project: The FairWays Foundation is not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting conservation, stewardship and education within the turf industry and beyond.

The foundation supports environmental projects; both big and small by granting funds to successful applicants globally. The projects funded help to preserve the environment we live and work in whilst also encouraging education and stewardship; not only within our own industry but also within wider communities. The FairWays Foundation believes that environmental stewardship is not an initiative; it is a long-term investment into our future and the future of our industry.

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

Since being founded in 2019, The FairWays Foundation has granted over $440,000 to 29 projects across the USA, Canada and UK. Now in its 4th grant cycle, The FairWays Foundation is currently accepting applications until April 30, 2023.

Projects that have been funded to date include a Great Salt Lake Field Trip program, the expansion of the Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network, an on-course vegetable garden to serve the golf club restaurant, the installation of bat boxes, restoring an agricultural field to prairie, invasive specied removal, canal bank restoration and more. It does not have to be a golf-related project to be considered.

On average, golf courses range in size between 100 to 190 acres. With nearly 7,000 golf courses in Europe alone, that is a lot of nature to have a potential impact on. Golf courses have the opportunity to make a positive impact within their communities by providing shelter to wildlife, supporting native wildlife and plants, promoting positive stewardship to the public, and more. However, The FairWays Foundation understands that a lot of those things require additional time and resources that are not always feasible within a course’s budget. That’s exactly why The FairWays Foundation was created. The foundation funds projects and activities that impact communities within the turf industry for the better. Some examples of this are conservation-based projects, community education, and the enhancement of environmental stewardship practices.

Conservation-based Projects

These projects can be described as work that would conserve or safeguard the environment and natural resources on course or within the community. Please note that course-based projects that would be considered capital improvements to the course are excluded from funding.

Examples of Conservation-based-Projects:

  • Pollinator Gardens
  • Wildlife and Habitat Management
  • Bird Boxes
  • Duck Houses
  • Bug Houses
  • Composting Vegetative Waste

Community Education

An important part of safeguarding the environment is educating others on how and why they should do so. Golf courses are full of learning opportunities for this and the foundation wants to help provide the resources needed in order to spread environmental knowledge around the course and community.

Examples of Community Education:

  • Monitoring Nest Boxes with a Local Scouting Group
  • Environmental Workshops at Your Local School or Library
  • Engaging Members in an Ongoing Wildlife Species Inventory

Environmental Stewardship Practices

The large footprint of a golf course helps to maintain green spaces for native flora and fauna, and offers incredible potential for positive environmental impact. While regular maintenance practices may be implemented in an environmentally conscious manner, other beneficial projects may fall beyond the scope of what the annual budget would allow.  The FairWays Foundation can help provide funds to implement projects and practices that promote greater environmental stewardship.

Examples of Environmental Stewardship Projects:

  • Installing Natural Buffer Strips Near Waterways
  • Management of Native Negation
  • Heather Management
  • Creating Rain Garden Wash Pad Area
  • Creating/Maintaining Wildlife Corridors

The above are just a few examples of what The FairWays Foundation can fund. All are welcome to submit grant applications for projects that fall within these over-arching categories during the grant submission period which opens annually between February 1 and April 30. Questions or concerns regarding the foundation or how to apply for grants can be directed to the foundation team at info@thefairwaysfoundation.com.

Matt Foster, CEO & President of Aquatrols and President of The FairWays Foundation said, “We understand making a difference locally takes tremendous grit from a local champion.  It might be a green keeper or parks manager or a program volunteer.  Regardless, without their will, these projects would never move forward.  Our message to those individuals out there with a wish for a healthier environment is The Fairways Foundation can help with the way to get there.”

For news and to learn more, follow The FairWays Foundation on Twitter: @TheFairWaysFdn

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Ready for your next mission

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Ready for your next mission: For 2023, Polaris has announced a new Military Tan edition for its bestselling Sportsman 570 ATV lineup, ready for whatever your next mission may be.

Taking inspiration from Polaris’ tactical military vehicles that have redefined ultra-light mobility for military organisations around the world, the Sportsman 570 Military Tan edition features the same classic-yet-subtle Military Tan body paint finish – a colour exclusively available for Polaris customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Coupled with the accent colour springs in matte Titanium Metallic and 14-inch matte black aluminium wheels with 26-inch CST tyres,  the Sportsman 570 EPS Military Tan edition has an agile, daring look with unquestionable style.

Ready for your next mission

Ready for your next mission

Arriving in dealers this Spring, the Military Tan edition boasts MacPherson Strut front suspension and Dual A-Arm independent rear suspension, providing 24.1cm front and 20.8cm rear suspension travel, along with 34cm of ground clearance to conquer demanding trails and harsh terrain.

To help get the job done faster, or stay prepared for unexpected situations, the Military Tan edition comes standard with a 1,134kg (2,500lb) winch with cut steel gears, a sealed drivetrain and premium synthetic rope for superior flexibility and strength. The 680kg towing capacity, in addition to the 41kg front and 82kg rear rack capacities, allows riders to take whatever they need with them for the ride.

Electric power steering (EPS) and an engine braking system (EBS) come as standard on the 2023 Sportsman 570 EPS Military Tan Edition. For the current Sportsman 570 platform, the EBS has been developed to allow a more controlled riding experience regardless of the terrain type, alongside a new clutch for smooth engagement at lower speeds. The Sportsman 570 also features the industry’s fastest engaging on-demand all-wheel drive when extra traction is required.

The Sportsman 570 platform was updated in 2021 with a bold design from front to back, including the new handlebar-mounted pod with an powerful, integrated LED work light and built-in battery charging port. There are LED headlights with integrated turn signals, and a sharp, sleek body shape. The powerful 18AH battery sits underneath the front rack for easy access, whilst the sealed suspension bushings, improved brake lines, fully-sealed ignition switch and durable A-arms enhance durability and resilience.

For more information, please contact the Polaris ORV Media Office at press@polaris-orv.media

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Keep your knapsack for longer

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Keep your knapsack for longer: Land-based Awarding Organisation Lantra has launched a short course to help heighten awareness of the key role that due care of knapsack sprayers plays in maximising lifetime and safety of the equipment.

Lantra added the Knapsack & Handheld Sprayer Maintenance course to its portfolio in October, before announcing it at Saltex in early November.

Keep your knapsack for longer

Keep your knapsack for longer

Adopting material supplied by professional knapsack sprayer manufacturer Hozelock-Exel, Lantra-accredited training providers Outlook Training, Greenscope Training and Harper Adams University collaborated to design the course, intended “to prolong equipment lifetime, ensure correct application of liquids and save time and money”.

“The course is designed to develop the knowledge to maintain and service handheld pesticide, feeds and control products applicators,” says David Fisher, Lantra Head of Industry Partnerships, “and is available for learners aged 16-plus who hold Safe Use of Pesticides and Handheld Application of Pesticides qualifications.

“For pesticides and general users, it is vital to ensure equipment is safe, fully calibrated and in good working order,” he adds. “The outcome from taking the course is that operators can prolong the life of their sprayers, while also helping the environment by using trusted equipment.”

The new course, embracing theory and practice, will equip learners with the knowledge and understanding to:

Strip down the knapsack;

Identify damaged or broken parts that need replacing;

Pursue safe working practices and personal safety;

Reduce risk of incorrect/off-target application;

Enable companies to ensure compliance with the Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Operators can recertify after five years, confirms Lantra, which says that after completing the course, operators will keep their knapsacks in good working condition for longer by identifying damaged or broken parts, then replacing them, rather than disposing of the whole unit, so boosting their cost-effectiveness.

Allan Wainwright, Hozelock-Exel Sales Manager (Commercial Spraying) adds: “Raising awareness of the importance of knapsack maintenance has been a cornerstone of our strategy for some time.

“I’m delighted that the knowledge operators need to extend sprayer lifetime has been assembled into a certification of training by Lantra. This is a major advance for the sprayer sector.”

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Support your employees with their mental health

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Support your employees with their mental health: Perennial, the charity helping people in horticulture, is calling for organisations to become ambassadors and participate in its Mental Health First Aider training programme. As part of the charity’s health and wellbeing focus the programme aims to put more Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace.

One in four people experience mental health problems which is the biggest contributor to ill health and is consistent with the people who come to us for support.

Support your employees with their mental health

Support your employees with their mental health

Perennial’s Health & Wellbeing Survey (2021) found that mental wellbeing was among the biggest perceived challenges for people working in horticulture. 85% of people’s mental wellbeing was poor or below average and 26% of people listed depression, anxiety, and stress as critical issues. A further 22% said they did not recognise when they were unable to cope or how to deal with these circumstances.

A significant culture change around mental health is needed across the horticultural community. Organisations need to be committed to raising awareness about mental wellbeing and supporting their employees with their mental health. We want people to have an in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing, the practical skills to spot the signs and symptoms and to have the confidence to step in, reassure and support their colleagues.

We are looking for employers with over 20 employees who proactively want to increase their team’s mental health and wellbeing to join our pilot training programme. Perennial’s training is delivered in partnership with Mental Health First Aid England:

An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing.

Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues.

Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress.

Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening.

Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support.

An understanding of how to keep themselves safe while performing their duties.

Resources include – A reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan and the Line Managers’ Resource, an invaluable source of advice on how to support an employee experiencing mental ill health.

Places are still available for our next training course on the 30th November to 1st December and we are running courses throughout 2023, to find out more about, please contact Helen Waddington, Email hwaddington@perennial.org.uk.

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Improve your Pitch with Mansfield Sand

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Improve your Pitch with Mansfield Sand: Visitors to the Mansfield Sand stand (C110) at SALTEX can expect to see a wide range of sand-based products that are vital to the overall health and performance of a sports pitch.

Mansfield Sand has pioneered the development and production of premium silica sand-based products for over 170 years. The company provides a wide range of innovative products for sports, landscaping, and equestrian uses. These include stadium and training ground facilities; championship golf courses and world class show jumping arenas.

Improve your Pitch with Mansfield Sand

Improve your Pitch with Mansfield Sand

The company’s leading experts will be on hand at SALTEX to explain how some of the following products could make a difference to your sports turf projects.

Reinforced Rootzone

A range of Reinforced Rootzones developed to obtain greater use from natural turf surfaces whilst maintaining the high standards demanded by today’s sports industry and meeting the expectations of ground staff at all levels. Mansfield Sand’s reinforcement technology provides stability and durability to all sand dominated Rootzones allowing the pitch to remain free draining and consistent over the whole surface.

Products include Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres; Fibrelastic Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres and flexible Elastane fibres and Fibresand – particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Mansfield Sand understands exactly what is needed to achieve the surface that turf managers require week-in-week-out and that is why their rootzones contain only the best quality materials to meet that demand. For renovation or construction, the company’s superior rootzone blend Mansil 40 Silica Sand with a quality screened topsoil, guarantees the perfect start.

Sand Compost Rootzones

A range of premium quality sand organic material blends which are perfect for creating a rootzone where an organic rich material is required within the profile, aiding in the retention of nutrients whilst providing increased drought resistance.

Top Dressing

Produced for the fine turf market, Mansfield Sand’s Soil Top Dressing is a manufactured homogenous product made from their own premium silica sands combined with top quality soils. All passed through a sterilising unit, over a 3mm screen to produce an easy to spread, stone and pebble free dressing. Mansfield Sand can also produce bespoke dressing blends and combine soil amendments into any product.

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Sourced from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the Mansil range of Silica Sands is produced. These products are predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces – from winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Essential information in your hand

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Essential information in your hand: The new Syngenta Turf App now includes a host of added features to help with everyday turf management decisions and enhance long-term planning.

Features for the new Syngenta Turf App include:

  • Disease & Pest ID Guide
  • Treatment recommendations
  • Product information
  • Tank-mix calculator
  • Application records
  • Support contacts
Essential information in your hand

Essential information in your hand

Launching the new Syngenta Turf App at the Turf Science Live event (8 July), the company’s Commercial Head for UK and Europe North West, Daniel Lightfoot, said: “It’s incredibly valuable to have all the information required to help make key management decisions readily to hand wherever you are.

“From a practical course managers perspective, the Turf App is a hugely beneficial tool for all spray applications and turf management decisions.”

A new Disease & Pest ID Guide provide a clear pictorial view of what to look out for, along with management notes of where and when problems are most likely to occur. It includes an in-depth strategy for the optimum Integrated Turf Management approach to each pest and disease.

Coupled to the ID Guide, users can simply select the target disease or pest for a full list of approved Syngenta control products.

Within each of the product listings, there are full details of statutory labels, safety data sheets and technical guides, to ensure operators are always fully compliant with the latest regulatory information on product use.

“It ensures operators always have access to the most up-to-date information instantly in their hand, wherever they are working,” reported Daniel. “The labels displayed on your phone are always clean and uncontaminated, compared to potentially handling old labels on part-used bottles in the store.”

Application records created in the Turf App enable full spray records to be quickly and simply created. Users can now add any company’s products into the system, including fertilisers and biocontrols, for example. Once any product details have been added, they remain available for future addition or reference.

“Course managers or agronomists can create spray recommendations using the Turf App that can be emailed to sprayer operators or contractors. That eliminates the chance of error from misreading hand-written sheets or instructions,” he advised.

Operators can also access information and update details of any application direct, if they are logged into the course account.

One-time registration enables users to input all their facility details, spray areas, equipment and operators – which can be instantly imported into spray records – making them quick and accurate to complete.

The app’s innovative Tank-mix Calculator will help operators complete the applications efficiently and accurately, by providing the amount of any products required to spray a given area and the appropriate water volume, along with advice on nozzle selection and sprayer set up.

“The fact that the spray records retained in the Turf App are allied to the label and product information within the system, alleviates the need to keep paper copies of labels in the office and ensures they are legally compliant.

“Digital tools have made a huge advance in supporting the skills and experience of turf managers,” highlighted Daniel. “Once you start to couple together the Turf App, with tools such as WeatherPro forecasting and the Primo Maxx II Growing Degree Day Calculator, for example, it creates a really powerful and practical integrated decision support package,” he added.

The new Syngenta Turf App is available free to download from the iStore or GooglePlay for Apple or android phone and tablet devices.

For more information visit www.syngentaturf.co.uk

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Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

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Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel: It is perhaps no surprise that recent research into the environmental and health impacts of petrol-powered hand tools has highlighted some worrying statistics around emissions and the knock-on negative effects on public health.

However, making additional capital investment or disposing of serviceable equipment can be avoided with the simple switch to Aspen Alkylate Petrol – significantly reducing the impact on the environment and eliminating exposure to hazardous hydrocarbons.

Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

Amongst the research recently published in the national media, it stated that a leaf-blower can emit up to 11 times more carbon monoxide than a Ford Fiesta and that two-thirds of those surveyed reported health issues, such as breathing problems, during operation. However, solving the problem may be limited by a number of factors, not least by the resources required for the sometimes lengthy and complex procurement process.

Operators looking for a cleaner alternative could consider fuelling their petrol-powered tools with Aspen – an alkylate petrol which is ethanol-free and virtually free from Sulphur, Benzene and many other harmful substances. In contrast to the pollutants emitted by pump-petrol, with Aspen, you can mow for 100 hours before reaching the same level of toxic benzene emissions emitted in one hour of mowing with regular petrol.

Switching to Aspen is easy, and while it cannot reverse damage caused by regular petrol, it will have a cleaning effect on the internal parts – particularly removing soot build-up in the exhaust port. No modifications are required to covert a machine to run on Aspen, only to avoid diluting the benefits, operators are advised to wait until the fuel tank is as empty as possible before switching. For older equipment, switching after a service where any susceptible parts should be replaced, is ideal.

Director of Weedfree Landscapes Tim Bower switched to Aspen 2 for all of their 2-stroke equipment. “Straight away we noticed the reduction in noxious fumes. For the operator this brings fantastic health benefits, especially during prolonged periods of exposure, but it also makes for a cleaner working environment which is desirable when we’re working in public spaces such as schools for example.”

Aspen is available pre-mixed for 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines and, along with improving reliability and prolonging the performance of engine components, the cleaner burn improves the working conditions for the operator and significantly reduces the harmful impact your machinery makes on the environment. Because of this, and in particular the benefits it can bring to those working in confined spaces, Aspen is a popular choice for tree surgeons, local authorities and green space managers looking for an alternative, greener power source.

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On your side for 50 issues, and counting…

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On your side for 50 issues, and counting…: When we launched Turf Matters back at the beginning of 2014, we had high, but realistic, hopes. We hoped that our readership would appreciate what we had to offer and that, perhaps, we might grow over the years to be a well-respected title.

With this, our 50th issue, we can look back with pride at having achieved that goal. We are definitely a respected title. We have won awards for our writing and our design and we are thrilled that more and more companies within the industry are deciding to share some of their marketing and advertising budgets with us. That is not something we ever take for granted, particularly in these tough times.

On your side for 50 issues, and counting…

On your side for 50 issues, and counting…

We are also pleased that so many have opened their doors to enable us to produce interesting features and over the last eight years these open doors have allowed us to showcase extraordinary work at virtually every major sporting venue in the country – not to mention the odd overseas assignment, which included a preview to the Ryder Cup matches at Golf National, in Paris.

We have also seen our digital presence grow and we now have over 22,000 on-line followers.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make Turf Matters what it is today and the promise that I make to you is that we will continue to work hard to produce the magazine you want to read and the digital platforms you want to visit.

Scott MacCallum, Editor/Publisher

On your side for 50 issues, and counting…

On your side for 50 issues, and counting…