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50 March 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com Staying Current The lawn industry in the United States got its start in 1901 when the U.S. Congress allotted $17,000 to study the "best native and foreign grass species … for turfing lawns and pleasure grounds."* In 1920, the industry gained real momentum when the Greens Section of the United States Golf Association lobbied and won the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a program to research grass species suitable for greens and fairways. Sixty-five years ago, there was a societal shift from city to suburban living, and families began having yards and lawns, place to recreate, right outside their doors. Lawns were low cost, low maintenance, good looking, and resisted wear and tear — all because grass had the unique capability of responding to mowing by growing faster, thicker, and deeper and spreading underground to fill in bare spots without seeds or pollen. Professional lawn care started to become a recognizable industry about 50 years ago. Columbus, Ohio-based ChemLawn was one of the first national companies to help grow the industry. The company greatly accelerated the process when it began establishing branches throughout the Midwest. By the mid-1970s, chemical lawn care had become firmly established as a service that homeowners desired, especially those in America's rapidly expanding suburbs. During hearings by the Senate Environment and Public Works' subcommittee on toxic substances in October 1990 and May 1991, concerns about the use and application of pesticides on lawns and golf courses by manufacturers and commercial applicators were discussed. To educate the public about the benefits of grass and turf, the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (one of PLANET's legacy associations) started promoting the national celebration of lawn care month. The association drew on a number of resources to accomplish this goal — Lawn and Sports Turf Benefits by Eliot Roberts of the Lawn Institute, The Role of Turfgrasses in Environmental Protection and Their Benefits to Humans published by Drs. James B. Beard and Robert L. Green in the Journal of Environmental Quality, and The Benefits of Lawns: A Balanced Look at Published Information published by the Scotts Company, to name a few. There are continued efforts, with national universal building codes, to eliminate turf, so we have to continue to communicate to customers and the public alike the social, environmental, and economic benefits of turfgrass. April is National Lawn Care Month. It has taken on a new life and has ramped up in the last few years with increased media coverage and social media buzz. Last year, we created a toolkit that members and anyone in the industry can use to promote the month to their clients. The toolkit includes infographics, press releases, facts, and resources. This year we are expanding our reach internationally by partnering with Turf Producers International and The Lawn Care Institute. They have great research and facts to share about the science of grass and turf that really add depth to the conversation. Both organizations will be providing online toolkits, and we encourage the entire industry to join us in reminding the public about the important role turfgrass plays in our lives. You can access our toolkit at LandcareNetwork.org/PLANET/National- Lawn-Care-Month.aspx. *Source: A.R. Goldin, Grass: The Everything, Everywhere Plant (New York: Thomas Nelson, 1977) 143. April is National Lawn Care Month: The importance of this observance ILLUSTRATION AbOve ©ISTOckphOTO.cOm/SmARTbOy10 LI We encourage the entire industry to join us in reminding the public about the important role turfgrass plays in our lives.