Barb Ulschmid Departing G&G After 9+ Years

 By G&G Staff It’s with great excitement for Barb Ulschmid and selfish sadness among G&G staff that we announce Barb’s last day with G&G on Sept. 23. After more than nine years of wonderful service with us, Barb is moving on to a new position that will afford her even more opportunities to enhance her […]

Hundreds in Cash Prizes for You as a TOCA Member!

By Den Gardner, Executive Director Do we have your attention? The Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) is embarking on a brand new, first-ever membership program that will give you hard cash, bread, bucks, currency, dough, legal tender, greenbacks. Call it what you like. But the bottom line is simple: Recruit members to TOCA and you […]

TOCA Intern Talks Ireland

By Nate McKinniss, TOCA 2016 Intern   (Editor’s Note: Nate McKinniss of the Ohio State University was the TOCA intern in 2016. This was a partnership for the TOCA internship on a one-time trial basis with TurfNet. Following are Nate’s impressions of his summer. The TOCA Foundation provides a $3,000 stipend each year in a program […]

Zoysia as a Game Changer Tour

By Jill Odom, Total Landscape Care Stacie Zinn Roberts, of What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations, won a 2016 Gardner Award — Special Projects for her “Zoysia as a Game Changer Tour.” See what influenced her approach. Please briefly describe your winning project. The “Zoysia as a Game Changer Tour” was one of the premier […]

A Place to Breathe

AWARD WINNER Q&As The Professional Development Committee continues its ongoing series featuring TOCA Gardner award winners. A Place to Breathe By Debbie Clayton, Clayton Communications Brian Horn, managing editor at Lawn & Landscape, won a 2016 Gardner Writing Award for his story “A Place to Breathe.”   Please briefly describe your winning project. George Mark […]

TOCA and Bayer Offer New Member Breakfast Reception at GIE + EXPO

The Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) is again providing a breakfast reception at the GIE + EXPO in Louisville, KY. Bayer sponsors the breakfast, with the room provided courtesy of Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). For Whom: TOCA Members and Invited Guests When: Friday, October 21, 2016 Where:  Kentucky Exposition Center, Room C112 Time:  […]

Fall Running Tips

By Dan Gardner, TOCA Special Running Correspondent Summer has passed and we are now in the fall season.  Some would argue this is the greatest time of year to be running.  Beautiful colored leaves, temps better and the World Series is upon us.  Does it get any better than this? It will come as no […]

TOCA Membership Renewal for 2017

By TOCA Staff TOCA will be emailing the 2017 Membership Renewal forms soon.   The value of being a TOCA member and the benefits you receive are many. Professional development and networking are at the top of the list. You are an important part of the organization and TOCA is embarking on a marketing plan for […]

Applications Open for TOCA College Scholarship

By Staff Applications are now available for the TOCA scholarship program to be awarded in early 2017. The scholarship is awarded for the 2017-2018 school year. The 2016 scholarship of $2,500 was awarded to Mara McGurl of the University of Georgia. She also attended the annual meeting in Omaha. TOCA annually awards one, $2,500 scholarship […]

Year Five Finds Changes in Plant Health Writer of the Year Program

By Staff Applications for the fifth year of the Plant Health Writer of the Year program, sponsored by Bayer, are now open. Last year’s winner was Larry Aylward of Grand View Media. “We expanded the focus of the award last year to broaden the types of articles eligible,” Den Gardner, executive director, says. “This was […]

TOCA Seeks New Applications for Hall of Fame

By Staff The TOCA Hall of Fame inducted Ron Hall at the 27th annual meeting in Omaha in May.  Previous year’s recipients include: Jose Milan, Steve Trusty, Cindy Code, Pat Jones and Jerry Roche. The organization at that time also grandfathered four previous inductees from its Distinguished Service Award program – Margaret Bell, Den Gardner, Owen […]

TOCA Reviewing Host Media Company Rules for 2017

By Staff The fourth year internship was a great success during the summer of 2016 as Nate McKinniss of Ohio State University interned with TurfNet in a collaborative program with the company in Ireland. In a departure from how the internship program has previously been selected the past three years, the TOCA Foundation board determined […]

Telling Your Story Through Infographics

By Dawn Rigby, Advanced Turf Solutions What better way to present the information from the panel discussion, “Telling Your Story Through Infographics,” than with an infographic. Here is my attempt at creating an infographic, using the skills I learned at the 2016 TOCA annual meeting. This infographic illustrates the comparisons between the presentations by Jim […]

New Chapter for TOCA Meeting Site as Group Heads for Saddlebrook Resort/Tampa!

By Den Gardner Executive Director There have been 27 TOCA annual meetings in 27 different cities. The 28th annual meeting returns to Florida for only the second time – and first time since 1999 in Orlando. And the location in 2017 is the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, FL, our 28th city. Mark these dates on […]

Where “Members Matter Most”

By Scott Hollister TOCA Board Chair Since its founding some 27 years ago, TOCA has accomplished some pretty special things. From the scholarships it has awarded and the professional development it has provided, to the relationships and connections it has fostered, this organization has contributed to the green industry in ways that should make all […]