TOCA Talk Fall 2025
TOCA Talk is proudly sponsored by EnP and Advanced Turf Solutions.
EnP has been Engineering Optimal Plant Health™ for nearly 30 years, manufacturing specialty fertilizers
under two brands: Foliar-Pak, and Age Old Nutrients.
Advanced Turf Solutions (ATS) is a green industry distributor that provides fertilizer, pesticides, grass seed, ice melt, and
more to professionals in the golf, lawn care, and sports turf markets.
Because EnP and ATS professionals believe that collaboration and the exchange of ideas are essential for innovation, they are proud to support the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA).
Thank you, members of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association, for supporting this industry through your information, education, and outreach.
President’s Message
Home turf
By Scott Covelli, TOCA President
Scott Covelli, TOCA President
Greetings, TOCA team!
I hope you all have been having a wonderful summer. It’s been an eventful one for us as we welcomed our second son, Judah Samuel, on May 31, and it’s been a joyful handful managing a newborn as well as a 3 year old. We’ve spent a lot of time at home this summer – more than other years – and it’s made me think about what home means.
First of all, when I think of TOCA, I think of it as a “home” for people in the professional turf industry. It’s always been welcoming and inclusive, and it’s so refreshing to hear new people say that they feel a sense of belonging right away.
One person who has always been welcoming in the TOCA organization has been Russ Warner. He has always been kind to everyone at TOCA, regardless of their title or tenure, and I’m proud to call him not just a colleague but a friend – one who I text frantically about Cleveland sports news. Russ is a past TOCA president and a longtime board member. Russ recently took on a new opportunity within his own organization at GIE Media that isn’t connected to the turf industry, so he will sadly be stepping away from the TOCA board. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and I encourage us all to take a page from Russ’s book (which many of us do) and continue to show an extraordinary level of kindness and inclusiveness to our TOCA team, new members and the industry as a whole.
Speaking of home, Russ’s home of Cleveland is where we’ll be convening for the 2026 TOCA Annual Meeting. It’ll be a special event because so many of our TOCA members (e.g., GIE Media, North Coast Media and Project Evergreen) are based in Cleveland, so they’ll be teaming up with the TOCA Annual Meeting Planning Committee to make sure it’s a fun time for everyone!
But we’ll be meeting up several times before Cleveland next spring. We’ll have an informal meet-up at the ELEVATE show and Equip Expo, which are amazingly right around the corner. We’ll also have a breakfast event at the GCSAA Show in Orlando in early 2026, so there are always opportunities to meet up with your TOCA friends.
In the meantime, if you’re itching to get involved, reach out to me or a board member and we can get you on a committee, or make sure to join (via a request) the TOCA Members Only Facebook group and the TOCA Trotters Strava group.
And to bring it home, so to speak, as you’re planning for 2026 budgets with your clients, don’t forget to consider a TOCA sponsorship and attendance of your team members to the annual meeting. We’ll do whatever we can to make sure your teams and clients feel right at home supporting TOCA.
And from my home to yours, I hope you all have had a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you all at a show or event soon!
Scott Covelli
TOCA President
Sow what you know
Help TOCA grow by hosting an upcoming Germinate Webinar!
By Alyssa Bowers, Anthologic
At the heart of TOCA’s mission is the exchange of information that helps green industry professionals communicate more effectively. The Germinate Webinar Series is a great opportunity to share your expertise with fellow TOCA members. These quarterly 30-minute sessions nurture the relationships and knowledge gained at our annual meeting, while helping our community grow together between conferences. We are currently seeking hosts for our upcoming sessions in October, November and January.
Based on feedback from our annual member survey, our community is eager to explore topics including, but not limited to:
- AI (artificial intelligence) utilization
- Influencer marketing
- Combating consumer marketing fatigue
- Evolution of social media
- Writing best practices
- How to involve the next generation
- Professional development
- Building a solid contest entry
- Any relevant industry-specific topics and trends
We’re always open to fresh perspectives that can benefit our community of green industry communicators.
Hosting a Germinate Webinar is straightforward. Each host presents for 20-25 minutes and takes questions from the virtual audience afterward. TOCA aims to schedule webinars on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays around noon Central time. The Professional Development team will handle all technical setup and promotion; you just need to bring your expertise and enthusiasm!
If you’d like to sign up to host a webinar or have questions, please contact Alyssa Bowers or Sandra O’Rourke. Include information about your proposed topic, preferred timing and a brief overview of your relevant experience
How to Freshen Up Your Writing
Presented by Jill Odom, Senior Content Manager, National Association of Landscape Professionals
- AP Style: Share what new things AP is allowing and incorporate them into your writing to ensure it doesn’t feel stale or outdated
- Utilizing a story wheel: Taking the tip from Poynter at the annual meeting and providing context, tips for how to utilize it in your work every day to keep finding new and interesting storylines
- AI for brainstorming: Provide a few prompt suggestions and share some ways to use AI to keep your stories and pitches fresh, without relying on AI to do all the work
Get Your Seat Saved!
Come trot with us
Host the 2026 TOCA intern
The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) has a deal for you! Host the 2026 TOCA intern and the TOCA Foundation provides a $4,000 stipend to the intern and $1,000 to go toward attending the 2026 TOCA Annual Meeting, set for April 28-30, in Cleveland, or moving expenses. The TOCA Foundation, via support from Den and Sandy Gardner and Jose Milan, underwrites 100% of the internship’s value.
Depending on the intern host and intern, the TOCA internship typically starts in May and lasts eight to 10 weeks. The TOCA-member organization, a TOCA board member and a sponsoring party representative will select the TOCA intern.
If this sounds like an interesting opportunity, apply to host the intern by Oct. 10. For more details, click here.
Direct your TOCA internship questions to Sandra O’Rourke (sandra@cornerwindowcommunications.com or 952-855-8712).
TOCA seeks Hall of Fame nominations
The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) opened nominations for the 2026 TOCA Hall of Fame. This award is designed to recognize the cumulative accomplishments of deserving communicators who have made outstanding contributions to the turf and ornamental industry.
Designed to promote TOCA’s most outstanding past and present members, amplify and enhance its ideals, and advance the professional standards that TOCA champions, the TOCA Hall of Fame strives to preserve TOCA members’ historic achievements. Posthumous nominations will be considered.
Hall of Fame nomination requirements:
- Minimum of 10 years of communications experience in the green industry
- Nominated by a peer
- Foster TOCA values
- Current or former TOCA member
Click here to learn more about the TOCA Hall of Fame. Nominations are due Jan. 31, 2026. Direct TOCA Hall of Fame questions to Kristy Mach (kristy@cornerwindowcommunications.com or 952-758-6340).
Students: Apply for TOCA’s $2,500 scholarship
Do you know students who could use some extra cash to offset some of their college expenses? If yes, encourage them to apply for the Turf and Ornamental Communications Association Foundation $2,500 scholarship. The TOCA Foundation Scholarship will be awarded next fall to an undergraduate college student pursuing a career in green industry communications, such as, but not limited to, careers working for trade publications, newsletters or companies/marketing agencies that promote the golf course, lawn and landscape, sod and nursery/greenhouse, sports turf or maintenance industries. Applications are due March 15.
To qualify, students must major or minor in communications or a green industry-related field, such as horticulture, plant sciences, botany, agronomy and plant pathology, with the intent of using his/her communication skills as part of a career path. The applicant also must demonstrate an interest in using this course of study in the field of communications on a regular basis.
Additionally, applicants must hold an overall grade point average of 2.5 or greater and a 3.0 in the major area of study (based on a 4.0 scale). Students enrolled in the fall 2025 semester can apply for the scholarship. Eligibility, as determined by the TOCA board of directors, extends to two- and four-year program students attending institutions that offer turf management curriculums and communications.
For more details and to apply, click here.
Many thanks to Golf Course Management, GIE Media and North Coast Media for supporting the TOCA scholarship.
2025 Scholarship Awardee, Juliette Woehrle
2025 Scholarship Awardee, Jake Zajkowski
Profile Golf – Gardner Award
Website
by Lexi Chopp, EPIC Creative
When Profile Products approached us at EPIC Creative to develop a dedicated website for their golf division, we faced an intriguing challenge. How do you showcase a product whose greatest benefits happen where no one can see it – beneath the surface?
A digital home for Profile Golf
Profile Golf had been a small part of the larger Profile Products website, making it difficult for golf course architects and superintendents to find the specialized information they need. Our mission: Create a standalone digital presence that speaks directly to the golf industry while highlighting the science behind Profile’s ceramic soil amendment products.
The result was profilegolf.com – a streamlined and dynamic website that puts the invisible advantages of healthy root systems front and center through innovative visual storytelling.
Science meets story
We centered our strategy on three key goals:
- Make the invisible visible. Profile’s ceramic products create dramatic improvements in turfgrass root systems, but these benefits occur underground. We had to find a compelling way to showcase what happens beneath those pristine fairways.
- Establish Profile Golf as a trusted resource. This meant transforming technical data into accessible content that would resonate with both architects and superintendents.
- Improve discoverability. The previous setup buried valuable content in PDFs that search engines couldn’t index. We needed to liberate this information and make it work harder for the brand.
Depth through design
We knew our audience valued both the science and the outcomes. Simply showing beautiful courses wouldn’t be enough; they needed to understand the “why” behind healthy turf.
This insight led us to develop a custom 3D animation as the site’s centerpiece. As users scroll, a turf plug rotates to reveal the extensive root structure beneath. This simple interaction creates an immediate connection between Profile’s technology and championship-quality playing surfaces.
We also took a “small-but-mighty” approach to content. Rather than overwhelming visitors, we highlighted essential information and made it engaging to explore. We transformed existing PDFs – case studies, specifications, product details – into searchable, SEO-friendly web content.
Why did this project stand out?
We believe several elements contributed to our Gardner Award win:
- Visual Innovation: The 3D turf plug animation is both eye-catching and educational. It transforms complex science into an instantly understandable visual story.
- Audience Understanding: Every design decision, from technical data presentation to case study format, was made with golf course professionals in mind.
- Strategic Simplification: We found ways to communicate complex benefits simply and memorably, with messaging that connects science to real-world results.
- Integrated Storytelling: The website doesn’t just tell you that Profile Golf products work, it shows you how and why. The seamless integration of visuals, messaging and technical content creates a cohesive narrative that builds trust.
Receiving the Gardner Award from TOCA validates our belief that effective communication in the turf industry requires finding creative ways to bridge the gap between science and story. We’re honored to have helped Profile Golf establish a digital presence that truly reflects their expertise and the transformative power of starting with healthy roots.
Toro Golf Catalog – Gardner Award
Printed Collateral – Overall Collateral Design
By Camille Wolfe, Anthologic
Winning the Gardner Award for the 2024 Toro Golf Catalog was an honor — and proof that print isn’t dead when done right! We’re proud to share that recognition with our colleagues at Toro, who trusted us to help bring their evolving brand vision to life.
How it started
To back up, reimagining the Toro Golf Catalog didn’t start with the catalog. It was actually the product of an “aha!” moment from an entirely different project.
In 2022, Toro’s Golf division engaged us to help with their messaging strategy for a brand-new booth design for the 2023 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Conference and Trade Show. They wanted to showcase their golf course maintenance and irrigation products in one modern, tech-forward experience that would take them into the future.
As we brainstormed, we kept coming back to the same core truth. Regardless of the industry, technology leaders and luxury brands have a simple, clean design language that shows rather than tells. So, we proposed a new approach to their photography with dramatic, moody lighting and a sophisticated black backdrop that would let the products be the hero.
We also created the theme, “Always solving. Always evolving.” which pays homage to their long history of listening to customers and continually developing new ways to help them solve their challenges. They’re not about chasing the next shiny object or innovation for innovation’s sake; it’s all about understanding and designing for the real world.
Where it went
If you’re still reading, thank you. All that backstory does have a purpose. Because the updated trade show booth was the catalyst for a brand refresh, including — you guessed it — the Gardner Award-winning glossy full-line catalog.
We led with benefit-focused copy that spoke to how Toro products help superintendents solve everyday challenges. That content was supported with dramatic photography, all presented in a clean, airy design that evoked the beauty of a golf course. The result was an 88-page book that is much more of a showcase than a mere catalog.
Yes, we know 88 pages is a lot. But it doesn’t feel like a lot and that’s what made this a standout piece. By not packing every page with specs and features, we made it easy for readers to browse the lineup and see not just what each product could do… but how it could help them do more. This project reminded us that when strategy, storytelling and design truly align, even a product catalog can become something aspirational — and that’s what resonates, whether you’re holding eight pages or 88.
The catalog debuted at the 2024 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, and it was so popular that a second printing was ordered within weeks of the event. It also established design and photo standards that Toro’s in-house designers are applying to other pieces. We’d call that a win-win-win!