Turtinen, Ralph Rudolph Matthew Born Jan. 10, 1928 in Chisholm, Minn., died peacefully at home on Jan. 2, 2018. Preceded in death by wife Joan, parents Matt and Lena and brother Rudolph. Survived by sons Scott (Laurie) and Jeff, grandchildren Melissa, Abbey and Alexander. Ralph excelled in school and sports. Ralph attended the University of Wisconsin on a basketball scholarship for a year then joined the Marine Corps. During a warless period, and stationed in San Diego, he was editor of the Marine Corps paper and played basketball for the Marines. Ralph finished his schooling at the University of Minnesota with a journalism degree and found lifelong friends at Sigma Chi. He married Joan Crawford of Hibbing in 1954. Ralph built his life around sports, writing and family and devoted his time to all three. Ralph worked the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 and Cortina Olympics in 1956 as a journalist. Ralph wrote for various newspapers and produced more than a dozen books while raising two sons, Scott and Jeff, to whom he passed on his love of sports. He is recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Wayzata Youth Hockey Association. Scott and Jeff worked with their dad as his public relations business evolved into typesetting and association management. Ralph was a kind, generous, intelligent man who was more interested in others than in himself. Memorial service 11 a.m. Monday, January 8, 2018 at Wayzata Community Church, 125 East Wayzata Boulevard with visitation one hour prior at the church. Interment Fairview Cemetery, Mound. David Lee Funeral Home Wayzata 952-473-5577 davidleefuneralhome.com

Using Upper Midwest ingenuity, Kevin Norby explains how to work around wetlands and creeks, and how to develop a plan for handling floods.

http://www.golfcourseindustry.com/video/kevin-norby-golf-architect/

Bayou Oaks: A symbol for a rebuilt city

Golf, one might reasonably assume, was not high on the priority list of most New Orleanians at the start of September 2005, as the city began to pick itself up after the ravages wrought by Hurricane Katrina. But, according to Bob Becker, chief executive of City Park, the 1,300 acre urban green space located less than two miles from the French Quarter, that wasn’t quite the situation.

When Becker and his team were able to move back into the park, several weeks after Katrina, the devastation was almost total. And, as the park receives no tax support, the impact of the hurricane was potentially fatal; with nothing going on, no revenue was coming in. The team tried to figure out how they could make some cash, fast, and thought of the golf driving range. The equipment had been spread far and wide by the water, so they went out around the park looking for mats and the like, and eventually put together enough gear to open the range. And then, Becker says, something remarkable happened; from the wrecked city, golfers, desperate for normality, began to emerge. The park was earning money again, and the long road to recovery could begin.

It was a long road indeed. Before the storm, City Park had been home to four golf courses. The North course was rebuilt and reopened in 2009, but the new South course has had a much longer gestation. Becker says he and his managers decided fairly early on that restoring four courses was pointless, and eventually a plan coalesced; the footprint of the former East and West courses would be used to build an all-new, championship standard course that could potentially host the Zurich Classic, the longstanding New Orleans PGA Tour stop. Rees Jones and his team were appointed to design the new course, but it took several years to get to a point where construction could start; the course finally opened during summer 2017.

Before we get onto the golf course itself, it’s worth discussing the rather unusual circumstances under which the new Bayou Oaks South course is being operated. A local non-profit organisation called the Bayou District Foundation is managing the operation. It was inspired by the example of East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta (a course also renovated by Jones), where a community redevelopment programme funded by revenues from the golf club has, over two decades, revitalised a very run down area of the city.

So, as well as being the key source of income for the park, the new South course will be the economic engine behind an urban regeneration scheme for one of the most impoverished areas in New Orleans. Already, an education programme and health care facilities at Columbia Parc, a development of 685 homes spread over 13 city blocks, have been backed by the Foundation, and more will follow. In a city that has suffered as New Orleans has, it is an inspiring story.

Now; to the golf course. Given that it covers most of the footprint of two previous eighteen holers, it isn’t hard to figure out that the new South course will be big; it is. The total area of the course is 250 acres, and from the back tees it stretches to a Tour-worthy 7,302 yards. There are, however, seven sets of tees; Jones, along with his associate Greg Muirhead, was determined to make what is, after all, a municipal course, playable for the largest number of golfers. With that in mind, local residents get preferential green fees. Ranging from US$59 to US$99, resident fees are no doubt higher than City Park golfers are used to, but for a course of this level, they are very good value.

The new course is, in some ways, remarkable for what it is not as much as for what it is. Jones and Muirhead, along with contractor Duininck Golf, have built a course that appears natural. On a piece of property that has the feel of New Orleans low country, they have not indulged themselves in unnatural shaping, or indeed done that much visible earthmoving at all (actually quite a lot of dirt was shifted, to install an enormous drainage network and to raise playing areas to minimise the impact of any future flood, but it is hard to spot). I think this minimalist approach was the right thing to do because in this landscape, to create drama by way of earthmoving would inevitably look out of place. Instead, the defining characteristics of the course are the park’s watercourses and trees. Jones and his team were careful to preserve the beauty of the site’s trees and lagoons and the routing of the holes were determined by these natural features. In essence, the site is classic parkland; open grassed areas separated by specimen trees. City Park holds the world’s largest collection of mature live oak trees, with some that are more than six hundred years old; not only does the new golf course respect those trees, it highlights them. 

There is a lot of water, both the natural bayous that are so characteristic of the area, and lagoons constructed as part of the golf course build. Many holes dogleg around ponds or trees – perhaps the outstanding hole on the course is the thirteenth, from the back tees a massive 489-yard par four, and still above 400 yards even from the third shortest set. The hole doglegs hard around a lake; and a bold drive down the right centre of the fairway will be rewarded with the easiest angle of approach into the green. Like the rest of the golf course, the low-profile greens fit the site naturally and allow for the ground game as well as the aerial one. Mostly open at the front, their contours are subtle which allows them to be quite challenging at championship speeds. The course is playable for all calibre of golfers while still having the ability to host a PGA Tour stop or even a major championship.

“We were very fortunate to have worked on both Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in New York and Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego, both US Open sites, bringing these popular courses back to more prominent public venues that golfers are waiting in line to play,” says Jones. “I think the same will hold true for Bayou Oaks, because it will be the premier golf course in the region.”

“This park became a symbol for what rebuilding New Orleans was all about,” says Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “We talked about not building (New Orleans) back the way it was but the way it should be if we had gotten it right the first time. What’s happened at City Park now is the best example of that, and of course this is the crown jewel. This project is the best gift that we could possibly give to New Orleans for our 300th anniversary (in 2018).”

This article first appeared in issue 50 of Golf Course Architecture

Alexandria, MN – Ecological restoration work on Maplewood’s Keller Golf Course earned Project of the Year honors from the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts at the organization’s annual meeting held Dec. 1 in Alexandria. Staff from the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) and Course Superintendent Paul Diegnau accepted the award, recognizing a 15-year partnership that has created substantial urban wildlife habitat while protecting local waters from runoff.

RWMWD first began working with Diegnau in 2003 by providing technical and financial support to install a natural vegetative buffer around a water hazard, an innovative practice at the time. In 2012, the course underwent a $12 million dollar renovation and was closed for two years while fairways and greens were being worked on. This provided an opportunity for a large-scale $250,000 ecological restoration project funded by RWMWD, Ramsey County and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

“Paul took a chance in transforming the course and making it possibly the most environmentally friendly course in Minnesota,” said Bill Bartodziej, RWMWD natural resource specialist.

Today, the course boasts 26 acres of high-quality restored natural areas, the most of any golf course in the Twin Cities. It is a nationally certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and more than 110 bird species have been identified on its grounds. A mix of native prairie, wetland and woodland habitat also provides home to deer, foxes, pollinators and other wildlife.

Water conservation is a top priority at Keller Golf Course. Over 75 percent of the course runoff is directed into a large infiltration basin, which reduces nutrient loading into the nearby Phalen Chain of Lakes. An on-site weather station and in-ground moisture sensors help to formulate dynamic watering plans for each day, which saves millions of gallons of water and reduces runoff.

The community came together to take part in the restoration. The Ramsey County Correctional Facility brought inmate work crews to prepare the site. Next, Master Gardeners helped teach and direct 350 students from four schools in planting the buffer and prairie areas. Interpretive signage explains the conservation benefits to course patrons, and staff give tours each year to university classes, professional organizations and civic groups.

“From my perspective, Keller Golf Course is setting an example for others to follow,” said Diegnau. “By exposing golfers to our natural areas and incredible pollinator habitat, I hope they see how well the game of golf can co-exist with the environment – and that opportunities abound for landscape improvements, both big and small.”

By Josephine Marcotty Star Tribune

The major pollutants that flow from Twin Cities neighborhoods into the Mississippi River can be traced back to three of the characteristics that define cities: lawns, pavements and dogs.

In one of the most the most detailed studies yet of phosphorus and nitrogen in an urban area, researchers at the University of Minnesota tracked where the pollutants come from and where they go in the seven small watersheds that make up the Capitol Region Watershed district in St. Paul.

They found that 76 percent of the phosphorus, the nutrient that turns lakes green and scummy, comes from pet waste — a number they calculated by estimating the number of dogs that live in the area, how much they eat, and how much they leave behind. Leaves, clippings and yard waste provide much of the rest.

Nitrogen, which contaminates drinking water and helps create the so-called “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, comes from the atmosphere, car and truck emissions — and mostly from the relatively few residents who go overboard with fertilizing their lawns. And thanks to pavement, roofs and other hard urban surfaces that rush water as quickly as possible out of town, a good portion of both ends up in groundwater and the Mississippi River.

In short, “Every home in Minnesota is waterfront property, whether the owners know it or not,” said Trevor Russell, program director for the Friends of the Mississippi River. “What we do at home influences water quality all around us.”

Which is another way of saying that virtually all of the contaminant load comes from the way residents live and manage their property, which makes up 70 percent of the land in the watershed. Industry, commercial enterprises, golf courses and local government properties provided very little of the loads.

Stopping the pollution

Identifying the sources of the pollution — the input — is the first step toward identifying how to stop it from getting into the water — the output, said Sarah Hobbie, the University of Minnesota ecology professor who led the study. It is the first time a study has figured out the entire “budget” for urban pollutants, a calculation that can be used by urban watersheds across the country, she said.

Urban areas contribute a small percentage of the total load that goes into the Mississippi along its entire length, Hobbie said. Runoff from farmland, which makes up most of the Mississippi River basin, contributes about 60 percent of the nitrogen that creates the dead zone in the Gulf, according to other analyses. Wastewater treatment plants and other industrial sources produce a large percentage as well.

But household sources do have a major impact on water quality close to home — the lakes and streams that urban residents use the most, Hobbie said.

“The green lakes we see in the city are green because of phosphorus from the city,” Hobbie said.

And, not surprisingly, most of the output comes via storm sewers. In fact, most of the phosphorus produced in the watershed, everything from pet waste — both kinds — lawn clippings, yard waste, and leaves that fall to the pavement from trees, ended up in the water rushing below the streets. That’s the opposite of what happens in more natural environments: Phosphorus tends to stay in the ground, attached to soil or as part of organic matter that slowly degrades where it falls.

“We engineered these [storm sewer] systems to get rid of water because we don’t want flooding, but we created a system that transports phosphorus really easily,” she said.

Nitrogen, however, tends to stick around more, she said, and contaminates groundwater that eventually makes its way to the Mississippi. The primary source is household lawn fertilizer — an amount that exceeded the total used on golf courses, cemeteries, parks and campuses combined.

Hobbie said that her earlier research on Twin Cities neighborhoods found that only a fifth of homeowners were responsible for 70 percent of fertilizer inputs. Over the course of the summer, they distribute far more than their lawns can absorb, and the rest of it washes down the storm sewer or seeps into the ground.

Dog droppings: A puzzle

Solving the problems is, of course, a daunting task. Take pet waste. It’s impossible to know how much gets picked up and how much gets left behind, or how promptly homeowners clean up their own backyards.

It’s not exactly a well-researched issue. One survey around Chesapeake Bay found that 40 percent of the dog waste stayed where it landed in the first place.

But no matter how good people are at picking up after their dogs, there’s still the problem of urine, which generates just under half of the pollution they leave behind. So preventing waste from running off into urban streams might be the next challenge.

“We don’t have a lot more room to reduce inputs into these watersheds,” Hobbie said. “We could maybe make a little headway with pet waste. But now we have to figure out how we manage these impervious surfaces we put in everywhere.”

Now, cities usually sweep the streets of leaves once in the fall. Increasing that to four times would decrease the phosphorus output by 23 percent, Hobbie said. And that would be cheaper than building stormwater retention ponds and other phosphorus removal systems.

Still, that’s a hard task as well. Leaves drop at different times of the fall, rains come unexpectedly, and neighbors can get annoyed at the parking restrictions.

“Street sweeping is a challenge,” said Mark Doneux, executive director of the Capitol City Watershed District.

 

By Brian Boll, Superintendent at North Oaks Golf Club

We are excited to announce this years’ 2017 Mega Seminar line-up to be held at Edina Country Club on December 5th and 6th.  There is a topic for everyone; simplifying your fertility program, drones, woodworking, to lead- ing your team just to name a few. Be certain to reserve your spot early for the 2017 MGCSA Mega Seminar and Woodworking showcase!

Key stoning the event, the MGCSA has been able to secure University of Nebraska Dr. Bill Krueser to speak about a range of topics from his very popular GDD tracker App to the use  of  technology  to  demonstrate  how  some  convention  wisdom  regarding turfgrass management might have limited value.  Bill is one of the most prolific profes- sors in turfgrass engaging superintendents on a variety of platforms including Turfnet webinars and podcasts, twitter, develop of apps for turfgrass  management, as well as speaking at the most well attended seminars at the national convention.  His titles for our seminar are handpicked of the most engaging topics relevant to turfgrass manage- ment in the upper Midwest.

Steve Keating, Senior Manager of Sales and Leadership Development for The Toro Company, locally based national speaker will share on the 5 characteristics of a weak leader (and how to avoid being one.)

In addition, Paul Robertson, superintendent from Victoria Golf Club in British Columba, Canada has exciting topics surrounding technology and the use of metrics to aid in decision making.  It would be remiss to mention that the “technology” is talking about DRONES and ROBOTS!  Chris Tritabaugh will add some insight in Team Building the Hazeltine National way.  Sam Bauer will include some member driven research and Brian Boll will partner with Mike Kettlehut to share about “Woodworking for Golf Courses.”  All are invited to bring with successful woodworking project applicable to Golf Courses to place on tables surrounding the room.  It’ll be a great opportunity to share and exchange ideas to improve some of the golf course fixtures on the course.

Full Schedule Here.

• By Debra Neutkens/Editor   Oct 11, 2017

ST. PAUL — The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wants a new trial. 

The agency filed a memorandum Oct. 5 with District Court asking two things: to amend the judge’s order and grant a new trial in the lake level lawsuit. 

“It’s very common after a court trial and entry of an order with findings of fact and conclusions of law for the losers to come back to the Court and ask the judge to change her mind,” said Robins Kaplan attorney Dick Allyn. He was part of the legal team representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit, the White Bear Lake Restoration Association, which prevailed in the Aug. 30 Court order. 

Signed by Assistant Attorney General Oliver Larson on behalf of the DNR and Commissioner Tom Landwehr, this latest motion noted that a court may grant a new trial for “errors of law” and may amend its findings of fact and judgement. 

Larson’s motion listed a lengthy number of arguments, including one that states the court erred in its findings concerning White Bear Lake’s elevations:

“The court makes several erroneous findings concerning the ‘normal’ or ‘typical’ lake elevations for White Bear Lake. In particular, the court found 1) that White Bear Lake fluctuates with a normal range of 923 to 925 feet; 2) that its long-term average is 923.8 feet; and 3) that it is unusual for the lake to fall below 922 feet. The court provides no citations for these findings, which are both wrong and unsupported by evidence.” 

Other contested points in the DNR motion to amend:

• The judge erred in finding that increased groundwater withdrawals caused declining lake levels. 

The court found that low water levels in White Bear Lake between 2003 and 2010 were caused by a doubling in 

groundwater pumping in the region since 1980. Larson contends evidence at trial does not support the findings. 

• Erred in finding that groundwater withdrawals harmed the aquifers. 

This finding is contradicted by evidence, according to Larson, and is not grounded in any citation. 

The DNR monitors the “available head” of the aquifers through observation wells. The plaintiffs’ own expert, Stu Grubb, testified that the observation wells are the “very best evidence” available concerning the pressure of the aquifers, Larson said. The wells show that the pressures are at normal or above normal levels. 

In fact, he wrote, the well closest to White Bear Lake shows the aquifer in that area is at its highest-ever recorded level. “The court’s order failed to address, let alone explain away, this evidence.”

• Erred in relying on a faulty 2013 USGS report. 

In finding that the DNR violated MERA and the public trust doctrine, the court extensively relied on a 2013 USGS report that is flawed and unreliable, Larson contends. 

The report concluded that groundwater pumping might account for some of the decline in lake level. 

The DNR said USGS premised its analysis on groundwater pumping data from a flawed and arbitrary selection of wells. Of particular note, USGS excluded several high capacity wells used by the St. Paul Regional Water Services’ system that were about five miles from White Bear Lake while including wells from locations such as Forest Lake that were some 21 miles north of White Bear Lake. 

The DNR maintains that the St. Paul wells pumped far more water in the 1980s and 1990s than it did after 2000. The effect of this error was that USGS concluded that groundwater pumping was increasing from 1988 to 2010 when in fact it was flat to declining. 

Larson asked that the court’s findings be amended to delete references to the 2013 USGS report and any finding that the DNR should have relied on the report in making permitting decisions. 

The 35 pages Larson filed in district court to support the motion listed arguments too numerous to include here. A second section also requested amending court conclusions to correct errors of law. One noted that the court lacked jurisdiction to enter relief related to the DNR’s implementation of a protective elevation.

The DNR set a protective elevation of 922 feet last December. The court’s order directs the DNR to implement the elevation at 923.5 feet.

The court also erred in awarding costs to the plaintiffs, according to the attorney general’s office. State sovereign immunity precludes taxing costs against a state agency when it acts in its sovereign capacity, he wrote. 

Lastly, Larson asked the court to order a new trial. The judge’s decision is not justified by the evidence, he concluded.

City files similar motions 

The city of White Bear Lake filed similar arguments Oct. 5 as part of its appeal process through outside counsel Monte Mills, an attorney with Greene Espel. While the DNR requested to amend and grant a new trial, the city’s motion used the word “alternatively” to move for a new trial. 

Both the city and White Bear Township intervened on the side of the defense in the lawsuit. 

Mills wrote that the court incorrectly found that a “dramatic increase” in groundwater use caused White Bear Lake to decline. 

Pumping near the lake did not increase during the period when the lake declined, he said. In fact, groundwater pumping has decreased since 2003 when the lake’s level was near an all-time high above 925 feet. 

“Drought, rising temperatures and evaporation were the proximate cause of White Bear Lake’s declining water levels from 2006 to 2013. If groundwater pumping was actually causing the lake to decline, the lake should not have rebounded,” Mills said. “But it did.”

The court “paid no mind” to the fact the plaintiffs’ expert, Stu Grubb, testified that the groundwater withdrawals at 2002 levels were sustainable, Mills pointed out, “and that groundwater use in 2015 was lower than the use in 2002.” 

The city’s water use is consistent with the general declining trend in the north and east metro area. Water production declined from more than one billion gallons in 2013 to 815 million gallons in 2016, according to Mills’ memorandum. 

The city has not requested an increase to its water appropriation permit in more than 10 years, he said, and has no plans to ask the DNR for an increase. 

Errors were “strewn throughout the 140-page order,” according to the White Bear Lake attorney. 

Mills also said a requirement to provide contingency plans for a conversion to surface water would cost money for municipalities within the five-mile radius. Requiring the expenditure of public funds on plans for alternative water supply infrastructure belongs to the Legislature, not the courts, Mills wrote.

White Bear Township has not officially declared whether it will appeal.

Town attorneys are requesting an amendment to the order, however, to correct an error regarding the gallons of water pumped by the township. 

The judge stated water use at 176 million gallons in 2015 when it should be 402 million, noted Town Clerk/Treasurer Bill Short. 

Though a minor correction, the township felt it should be pointed out. “The judge is using this information in her findings of fact and it’s not accurate,” Short said. 

The Town Board is waiting until their attorneys have had a chance to discuss specifics of the appeal with the DNR. “We wouldn’t want anything in our appeal to compromise the appeal of the defendants,” Short said. The township has spent $80,300 on the trial so far. Unlike the city of White Bear Lake, they did not hire an outside firm. The city has spent about six times that amount on the lawsuit. 

Assistant DNR Commissioner Barb Naramore iterated that the motion to amend is standard procedure with this type of litigation. 

“There are certain kinds of issues we can only raise in our appeal if we first raise them with the deciding district court and give them opportunity to address,” she said. “It includes evidentiary issues we raised as well as some legal matters.”

The decision now goes to District Court Judge David C. Higgs. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 26 at the Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul.

You are encouraged to participated in a brief (10-15 minutes) survey that will have significant importance in the future of how information is consumed and utilized by golf facility managers (golf professionals, general managers, club owners, superintendents, etc). information to improve the operation of golf facilities.

Your time is of great value to the success of this project, which will play a major role in improving the operation of golf facilities by improving the way the golf industry shares critical information to facility managers.

If your job position is within a golf operation (golf professionals, general managers, club owners, superintendents, etc), please start the survey by clicking the link below.

https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bJEkWnT4sBHoufH

For this survey, "content" is defined as any informational or educational material that you use in your job.  Content can be in any format, including physical or electronic.

Your responses will play a critical role in the success of this study. If possible, please complete survey by Friday, November 10, 11:59 PM EST. Thank you for your time and effort as we conduct research dedicated to leading the game toward a prosperous and sustainable future.

Parker T. Anderson

University of Minnesota

256 Alderman Hall

1970 Folwell Ave.

St. Paul, MN 55108

612-626-3085 (office)

805-451-6300 (cell)

parkerta@umn.edu

turf.umn.edu

scienceofthegreen.umn.edu

by Sam Bauer

Educational Opportunity: The 2018 Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science Online Course (For Professionals) is set for January 2nd – March 23th, 2018.

Any investment in quality continuing education opportunities benefits employees and employers alike. The 2018 Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science Online is designed to help meet the continuing education needs of any individual or organization.  This 12-week program will have training sessions accessible live online on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7pm (Central Standard Time) and the option to view the recorded sessions. This 12-week certificate program aims to provide participants with thorough and practical continuing education in turfgrass management.  The course is directed by educators from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with 12 turfgrass scientists and educators from six Land-Grant Universities.

Turfgrasses are a resource in our urban community environments and best management practices are aligned with environmental, economic & societal priorities. The Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science provides participants with the science based principles needed to effectively manage turf for recreation, sport, aesthetics and environmental protection. The Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science is a quality training opportunity for:

• Practitioners that establish and maintain turfgrass for athletic fields, consumer/commercial lawns, golf courses, recreation/parks, and sod production
• Technical representatives from industry (suppliers of equipment, plant protectants, fertilizer, etc.)
• Those new to the industry - wanting to get trained and off to a great start
• Those with experience in the industry - to review/update their knowledge and practices

The registration deadline is December 22nd, 2017. Students will have access to the course and materials at their convenience during the 12-week period via moodle class management system.  The fee for the course is $495, which includes supplemental materials and a certificate after successful completion of the program.  Visit this link to register: http://z.umn.edu/2018glts

Early registration is encouraged and pre-registration is required.

For more information:

Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science Brochure

Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science Instructors

Or contact Sam Bauer, Extension Educator - University of Minnesota. Email: sjbauer@umn.edu Phone: 763-767-3518

Syngenta widens the window for GreenTrust^® Rewards points for golf and sports turf customers in areas affected by recent hurricanes 

·    Extension applies to customers in the Houston area and the state of Florida

·    Affected customers can now receive 3x GreenTrust Rewards points through Nov. 15 

GREENSBORO, N.C., USA, October 12, 2017 – In the wake of recent hurricanes that have impacted several parts of the country, Syngenta is offering customers in affected areas an extension to earn more GreenTrust^® Rewards points as part of the GreenTrust 365 program. This extension aims to give affected customers additional time to deal with any critical issues in the aftermath of the hurricanes.

Golf and sports turf customers in the state of Florida and the greater Houston area can now earn 3x the GreenTrust Rewards points on every dollar spent on qualifying purchases through Nov. 15, 2017.

“Personal health and safety come first for those who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes,” said Dave Ravel, head of sales, turf, ornamental and pest management at Syngenta, North America. “After talking with many of our customers and distributors over the past month, we feel it is important to provide this extension to allow those affected by the hurricanes some more time to get back on their feet.”

For more information about the GreenTrust Rewards points extension, contact your local sales representative or visit GreenTrust365.com.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.