Construction begins on a new building at the Joseph Troll Turf Research Center in South Deerfield.
The campaign to build a research and teaching facility at the Joseph Troll Turf Research Center has successfully met its fundraising target. The last few months have seen a flurry of donations, including over $40,000 raised at a Golf Tournament at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Amherst, an additional $75,000 pledge from the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation (NERTF), as well as a generous gift from R.F. Morse Turf and Ornamental of West Wareham, MA. "We're glad to be able to help. This research center is going to do a lot for the industry and we wanted to support the UMass Amherst turf team in having the facilities they need to do top-notch research," said Dick Canning of R.F. Morse.
With the pledges in hand, and the target met, the university signed a construction contract with Garland Construction Company of Chicopee, MA. A few short weeks later the bulldozer arrived on site, and on January 6th Joe Troll and many of the UMass turf team members gathered to witness Dr. Troll pitch the first shovel into the ground. Gary Sykes, Executive Director of NERTF, joined the festivities, presenting Dean Willis with a check from the organization. "This sends a celebratory message of the great and unified accomplishment that has been made by the turfgrass industry together with the university," said a note from NERTF President Gary Watschke.
The substantial completion date is set for May 21st 2005, and the facility is expected to be one of the main attractions at the annual Turf Field Day, held in June. The building, at 3,000 square feet, will include laboratory space, a meeting room for holding workshops, hosting meetings, and teaching small classes, as well as space for storing and maintaining equipment.
"We cannot overstate the extent to which the turf industry response has been a shot in the arm for the turf program at UMass Amherst, motivating us to take a close look at what it will take to regain our reputation for being among the national leaders in turfgrass research and teaching. Our growing partnership with the turf industry is enabling us to set high goals and expectations," said Steve Goodwin, Associate Dean.
In addition to the new building, the UMass Amherst turf program has initiated a search process for a new turf faculty position, is revamping the internship program to ensure students get matched with the right turf industry experiences, and is considering ways to maximize use of the entire eighteen acre facility.
"It's important to ensure that the potential that this building represents for all of us is realized," said Dean Willis. "That's why a campaign like this doesn't end, it just changes focus. We're not going to just say 'well, that's done' and walk away. There are other pieces to put in place so that the program as a whole is operating at the highest level. We've already begun working to ensure that there's an endowment for operations and maintenance, that there are funds for building new turf plots, new fairways, and new greens. These pieces are just as important to our success. And with the continued support of the turf industry, we're going to get there."
Related Information:
Turf building campaign photos and information
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