As such, I have just returned from two trade shows that impact the Landscape Contractor marketplace. The first was the golf course show, which is only loosely connected to you all, but still relevant to those of you who perform maintenance duties.

While many of you only care about tees and greens when you are finding your way from one to the other, some of you are active in the building of these game sites and many of you can use the maintenance techniques taught throughout the show.

For instance, I was given a lesson in the molecular manufacturing of nitrogen strings that end up as either quick release or slow release fertilizers. Heavy science . . . But knowledge worth having as you choose which fertilizers to apply to your projects. Not all fertilizers are made the same, nor do they release nitrogen the same way over time. Unfortunately I would need more than my allotted word count to fill you in, so trade show attendance is recommended to learn these differences.

I also learned how to tell where grass seed was grown and how different sources have different standards for purity. The Oregon Fine Fescue commission would have you buy Oregon grown instead of Canadian grown. It was also suggested that one keep away from fast growing rye grass as while it may sprout faster, it keeps growing faster, needs more mowing and may make for an uneven lawn . . .

So the golf course show was a great source of knowledge as was the CLCA Show held in L.A.

At that show I was taught the mechanics of fiber optic lighting systems by IlluminFX. Did you know that the brightness of each light depends as much on the number of fibers holding the light as it does on the light source itself? Pin-point lights held 6-8 strands while bright spots held up to 40 strands. You also need to keep the source within 50?EUR??,,????'??? of the farthest light. I always thought you could run a fiber optic light for a thousand miles . . .

And don?EUR??,,????'???t forget to look at adding a mini-loader to your stable of equipment. DitchWitch has a great mini that is designed to fit through the small gaps of gates and things and to which you can add 70 different attachments. The unit goes for about $16K, with the first attachment and then you can expect to pay from $2k-4K for additional pieces. Then you stick?EUR??,,????'???em all on a custom trailer (about $7K) which is designed to store and assist you in attaching the attachments . . . Looks good and works good . . .

And speaking of attachments, I had a great talk with Mr. Walker of Walker Manufacturing (Riding Mowers) who gave me the history of his family owned business (Father, brother and Bob) and showed me some of the benefits of front deck mowers. For instance, you can switch the deck from a small width to a wide width in about a minute and a half. You can also switch it with about a dozen other attachments like a turf aerator, a wood chipper and even a snow thrower. A few others (like Grasshopper) also offer those features. Walker, though was particularly proud of their counter rotating blades which create increased suction to pull up the clippings . . .

While on the subject of history, I spent a few minutes with the folks from Storm (Buckner, Superior Controls, etc) who informed me that Storm was about 75 years old. I knew of Toro?EUR??,,????'???s and RainBird?EUR??,,????'???s roots and the stories of (Ed) Hunter, but didn?EUR??,,????'???t realize the Storm story as they have focused on branding their products rather than their parent company. Still, 75 years is a long time in the irrigation industry and the innovations from that company span the industry . . .

I guess the point is that trade shows are a great place to learn more about what you do and how to do it better. With most of the trade shows behind us for the season, you should look to the fall, search out the shows that fit your profile and make plans to get there. It will definitely open your eyes and might just fill your pocketbook as well . . .

God Bless