Groundskeeper Chats

Capitalizing on Culture: Groundskeeper Chat with Dan Farnes

Director of Grounds for Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC, Dan Farnes, joins us to talk about helping our industry step into the spotlight during global events. Farnes does an excellent job of showcasing the job in a relatable, authentic and intriguing via social media. We dive into his thoughts behind social media and media relations and much more in Dan's episode.

Capitalizing on Culture: Groundskeeper Chat with Paula Sliefert

Senior Marketing Manager for The Toro Company, Paula Sliefert's debut #GroundskeeperChat features everything that's great about our industry: passion, innovation and camaraderie.  Paula, Meg, Weston and Chris put their heads together to brainstorm ideas on how commercial partners can support the sports field managers who are bound to see an uptick in projects and stress as major events like the World Cup are brought to our facilities. While capitalizing on the extra attention our industry will receive in order to grow our work force, professionalize our jobs and much more. Listen along for a jam-packed hour of what feels like only the tip of the iceberg. 

Catching Up with Groundskeeper Chat Hosts: Meg Kruger and Weston Appelfeller

Catch up with Groundskeeper Chat Hosts Meg Kruger and Weston Appelfeller as they give you the sneak peek into our next series: Capitalizing on Culture. The pair discuss the highlights from recent episodes, the guests they chatted with and their take on upcoming events happening in our industry. Like, subscribe and share Groundskeeper Chats with friends, co-workers or strangers on the street! Thank you for the support! 

Groundskeeper Chat Rush Hour

Another installment of our Groundskeeper Chat Rush Hour live from our booth at the SFMA conference in Daytona Beach! Tune in for turf origin stories and the most exciting things to emerge from the conference. Thank you to everyone who hopped on the mic with us and made SFMA another special week for the Pioneer and Groundskeeper Chat teams!

Rush Hour with the Women in Turf Team

Closing out our Daytona Episodes the same way we closed out the show, with a jam-packed, speed dating, Rush Hour with The Women in Turf Team. We caught up with some OG favorites and met new friends. Tune in for turf origin stories and the most exciting things to emerge from the conference. Thank you to everyone who hopped on the mic with us and made SFMA another special week for the Pioneer and Groundskeeper Chat teams!

Finding a Community: Groundskeeper Chat with Sun Roesslein and BJ Thomas

BJ Thomas joined the Women in Turf Team at the Little League Softball World Series this past summer after getting connected with SFMA President, Sun Roesslein. The pair joined us to talk about the importance of finding a community within the industry and how The Women in Turf Team has impacted their careers.

Championship Crew: Groundskeeper Chat with Aaron Fink

At the SFMA Conference, Lynn Family Stadium's Field Maintenance Manager, Aaron Fink sat down for an episode with Meg and Chris. Aaron is a proud protégé of the Nielsen Mafia and is creating a championship crew of his own. Fink got his start working for Tom Nielsen at Slugger Field with the Louisville Bats. Then followed in Nielsen's footsteps to soccer at Lynn Family Stadium. Fink oversees field operations for Louisville City FC, Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC Academy.

Creating a Community: Groundskeeper Chat with Abby McNeal

2024 Pioneers in the Field class member Abby McNeal joined us at the booth in Daytona Beach to reflect on the recent honor. Abby shared with us how humbled she was to take the time to look back on her career and all those who helped her along the way. Here's what you'll hear in this week's #GroundskeeperChat: 

• The importance of networking and creating a community
• Why Parks and Rec is so special to Abby 
• The welcoming nature of our industry 
• What Abby looks for when hiring 
• Lastly, what has Abby excited for the future of sports turf

 

The Future of Sports Turf: Groundskeeper Chat with Ryan Bjorn

We invited Ryan Bjorn back to our Groundskeeper Chat series during the SFMA conference in Daytona Beach. Bjorn recapped his SFMA session "The Future of Sports Turf". Meg, Weston and Chris caught up with Bjorn and asked him how manages the changes within his own organization and the industry as a whole.

Building a Brand: Groundskeeper Chat with Andy Ommen

Andy Ommen's, CSFM, origin story starts with a bad hop during a little league game when he was coaching his son's team. Years later, Ommen went from passionate parent to a Certified Sports Field Manger to SFMA's Field of the Year Winner to part-owner of Professional Outdoor Solutions. Andy joined us in Daytona Beach to talk about the building blocks of a brand and business.