Pennsylvania Turfgrass – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com
The sports field management industry continues to evolve and offer many excellent career opportunities — but more and more often there are not enough qualified personnel to fill open positions. KAFMO leaders have committed to a partnership with the Sports Turf Managers Association and Future Farmers of America to address this gap and attract the next generation of turfgrass students in Pennsylvania. It was a natural next step. As KAFMO President Dan Douglas points out, “FFA members are already aware of the impact the Green Industry has on everyone’s lives. Introducing a niche segment of the industry such as turfgrass science exposes students to a major that they can easily relate to.”
 
Awareness and Opportunities
STMA Education Manager Kristen Althouse, who is spearheading the FFA Turfgrass Science program nationwide, estimates that 90% of graduates who earn a degree in turfgrass science will land a job right out of college. However, current enrollment in turfgrass science at colleges and universities does not reflect this high rate of success. In a survey conducted by Golf Course Management magazine, when 40 schools were asked about turfgrass program enrollment, 70% of them reported lower enrollment compared to 10 years ago. One of the challenges contributing to the labor shortage, according to Althouse, is that high school students are simply unaware of turfgrass science as a career path. “STMA is therefore working with FFA to create awareness and opportunities for young people to enter the industry and to make a turfgrass science curriculum available nationally for secondary agriculture programs. Everyone at STMA – the board of directors, the members – is really passionate about this career. They see the long-term benefits of involving these students in the industry and they want to see it prosper,” says Althouse.
PSU Senior Extension Educator Jeff Fowler, who recorded several training sessions for the new FFA program in Pennsylvania, agrees enthusiastically. “Our goal is to provide educational material that can be useful to high school aged students in Pennsylvania, expose them to a potential new field of study, and perhaps a new career opportunity,” he says. Many high school agriculture programs across the nation use the FFA to enhance the leadership and experiential learning portions of their program. Through Career and Leadership Development Events, participating FFA members in grades 7 to 12 are challenged to develop critical thinking skills and effective decision-making skills, foster teamwork, and promote communication while recognizing the value of ethical competition and individual achievement.
STMA’s ultimate goal is to create a turfgrass science Career Development Event at the National FFA level. But first a turfgrass science CDE must be implemented at state levels. To date, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, and South Carolina have successfully hosted turfgrass science CDEs in their states and now the Pennsylvania FFA has approved a Turfgrass Science CDE for 2021, to take place in May. This inaugural event was originally planned for 2020, but the pandemic forced its cancellation. The 2021 event will take place virtually. Individuals or teams of 3–4 students may compete. The event will consist of a general knowledge exam of 100 comprehensive questions on turfgrass science and management, an identification segment on weeds, turfgrass varieties, insects, and biotic and abiotic damage, and an oral presentation of solutions to a sports field management scenario.
 
A Team Effort
Launching the Turfgrass Science FFA program in Pennsylvania has been above all a team effort. STMA provides support with the turfgrass science curriculum and the CDE, Penn State University faculty have created tutorials for PA teachers on how to effectively teach the ...