About the UMass Extension Turf Program
What is the UMass Extension Turf Program?
The UMass Extension Turf Program is a research-based team of faculty and professional, technical, and support staff. As part of the Agriculture & Landscape Program of UMass Extension, we strive to address the highest priority needs of turf-related industries as well as the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Photo by Ben Barnhart
Our mission is to develop, research, gather, and share knowledge on safe, efficient, economically viable and environmentally sound turf management with emphasis on natural resource protection.
We provide education to adult professionals through seminars, conferences, short courses, field days, publications, diagnostics, consultations and this web site. Educational programs include Winter School for Turf Managers, Green School and the Winter Lawn Care Conference. Publications include the Professional Guide for IPM in Turf for Massachusetts, Protocols for an IPM System on Golf Courses, Integrated Pest Management Protocols for Turf on School Properties and Sports Fields and Best Management Practices for Lawn and Landscape Turf.
Our clients include: municipal turf and grounds managers; golf course superintendents and crew members; lawn care operators and personnel; landscapers and grounds managers; public and private facility athletic turf managers; sod producers; regulatory and environmental agency personnel; private consultants and educators; turf industry affiliated distributors and vendors; and community decision makers.
What does UMass Extension do?
The mission of UMass Extension is to improve the health, well-being and security of families and communities, conserve and enhance natural resources, and strengthen agriculture and food systems. We fulfill our mission by utilizing the research and teaching capacity of the University of Massachusetts Amherst to generate and communicate knowledge while creating approaches, methods, and tools for solving problems and making informed decisions. UMass Extension links the Massachusetts Land Grant University with a larger community of people in collaborative partnerships to address issues of fundamental importance to the people of Massachusetts, New England, and the nation.
UMass Extension has the unique capability to bring the university's depth and breadth of knowledge and academic resources to bear in identifying and solving problems. The research and teaching programs of UMass Extension link different departments together and facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations between the university and external organizations, individuals, and businesses. In so doing, UMass Extension makes a vital contribution to the public and to the educational experiences and research opportunities of the University.
