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Our North Carolina Turfgrass Industry
Civilized man has developed turfgrasses in order to enhance his environment.
The culture of lawn turfs evolved in England during the thirteenth century.
Today, turfgrasses are extensively enjoyed throughout the world. This desire to
spend time and money managing turfgrass areas in order to provide a more
favorable environment for human activities is evidence that man considers
turfgrasses to be an important aspect in his quality of life. The beneficial
contributions of turfgrasses to all of us can be divided into functional,
recreational, and ornamental categories. The Turfgrass Industry in North
Carolina has been shown to comprise well over 2.1 million acres with an annual
maintenance of production cost approaching one billion dollars.
All of our turf is functional to some degree. It naturally provides erosion
control, dust stabilization, heat dissipation, noise abatement, glare diffusion,
safety in athletics and visual pollution prevention.
The question is now being asked, "What about the future of turfgrasses?"
With increasing populations and associated demands on our resources, there are
sincere individuals who are questioning the value of turf to society. It is
certain that without the benefits of turf our future life would be bleak. Man
has chosen to expend his efforts in the management of turfgrasses for over four
centuries. He will not readily give up this important dimension in providing a
favorable, higher quality environment in which to live. The proper usage of turf
in environmental preservation is more important now than ever before.
RESEARCH
TCNC is a major contributor to the NC Turfgrass Foundation. This is an
endowed fund that supplements State appropriations. North Carolina Golf Day is a
major fund raising effort of TCNC through which all North Carolina golfers are
encouraged to contribute to the North Carolina Turfgrass Foundation.
SCHOLARSHIP
TCNC assists many deserving students of the turfgrass sciences annually. At both
the graduate and undergraduate levels, this financial support is of critical importance
to the future of our industry.
EDUCATION
TCNC sponsors numerous educational opportunities which benefit all segments
of the Turfgrass Industry.
North Carolina Turfgrass
is
the official publication of TCNC. Each issue of this very popular magazine
contains timely turfgrass management articles and other in-depth information
from the NCSU Turf Faculty and other nationally prominent authorities.
Current news and events are also covered, to keep you informed.
Many other educational publications are sponsored by TCNC.
Subjects include Water Quality, Turf Pest Management, and the latest plant
protection recommendations.
The Annual North
Carolina Turf & Landscape Research Field Day is the largest
in the United States. It showcases the nationally recognized research
programs at NCSU.
The North Carolina
Turfgrass Conference & Show provides over 20 hours of
speakers and hands-on workshops for turfgrass managers and administrators.
The rapidly expanding Trade Show is truly spectacular. Among the largest and
most highly regarded events in the country, thousands include our Conference
& Show on their not-to-be-missed lists each winter.
Regional conferences are sponsored
and/or coordinated throughout the year. The Western NC Turfgrass Conference
and the Southeastern NC Turfgrass Conference are both annually held in
March.
NC Turfgrass Short Course is
designed to provide basic information to new professional turfgrass
managers, and review and update experienced turf managers.
Public Relations/Industry Relations
TCNC actively increases awareness and understanding of the positive
contributions of the turf industry to North Carolina's quality of life,
economy and environment.
Government Relations
TCNC represents the industry's best interests to every level of state government
in order to promote the economic strength, environmental responsibility and continued
growth of every segment of North Carolina's turfgrass industry. Learn much more
about our efforts here.
Find Your Representative - by County, by District, by Zip Code, or by Name
Survey
The North Carolina Turfgrass Survey is sponsored by TCNC. This document is invaluable
in establishing the true market value of North Carolina's dynamic turfgrass industry.
The survey clearly describes the true size, scope and economic importance of the
industry. You may download this document for your review by clicking
here. It is a rather large document and may take a significant amount
of time to download, particularly over a dail-up connection.
Publications Available
1999 North Carolina Turfgrass Survey (order by contacting
TCNC) and it is free for the asking.
1999 Impact of the Turfgrass Industry on the North Carolina Economy (order or
download free)
Summary of Turf Industry Values (download
free)
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