Fairway Renovation Test Underway in Southwest Florida
ARCADIA, Fla. (May 26, 2010) - What to do with golf course turf needing maintenance and repair when funding has been reduced? This is a challenge facing golf clubs nationwide and one club in Southwest Florida is experimenting with a cost-effective fairway renovation process. Bonita Bay East, in Naples, Florida, is a member-owned club recently opened to the public. Two Tom Fazio-designed Audubon International Signature Courses encompass 1,000-plus-acres that include preserved cypress wetlands with no residential development.
"Tough" and "very aggressive" is the way Mike Pope describes the Celebration Bermuda turf used to sprig more than 4 acres on hole #14 of the championship Cypress Course at Bonita Bay East. "Celebration is a favorite of golf courses especially during renovation projects. Celebration is a rapidly growing type of Bermuda grass that establishes very quickly allowing it to overtake and choke out weeds that may try to creep in. Once established, Celebration requires only moderate watering, mowing, de-thatching, and maintenance. Celebration out grows most disease and insect problems. All of these qualities equate to less downtime and more rounds played."
"The traditional method of renovating is to kill the existing turf, cut it out, re-level the ground and install new sod," explained Pope, the national sales and marketing director for Bethel Farms. "There's a huge expense involved before you even lay the new sod," he said.
Crews under the direction of Hal Akins, Bonita Bay Club's director of golf course operations, prepared the area by spraying it out with RoundUp®, scalping, verti-cutting and aerifying it. Bethel Farms then sprigged the area with Celebration, using a sprigging machine that chopped up the turf. This "no til" method does not require a full rip-out, saving approximately 50% of the cost of a traditional renovation, according to Pope.
"This is the first time I have tried a renovation with this turf and on one entire hole," said Akins. "We did everything except the greens."
The sprigging was completed in mid-May and Pope expects Bonita Bay East to have a playable hole in just 5-7 weeks. The experiment is being closely monitored. "This method will provide huge savings to golf courses that need to renovate their turf," said Pope. "We have a lot of eyes on this project!"
February 20, 2010
Sports Turf - Grow it, Supply it, Install it Arcadia, Fl - February 2010
Bethel Farms can now offer its customers installation of sports turf. Some of our
sports turf varieties include Celebration and 419 Bermuda.
Celebration offers sports turf managers, golf course designers, specifiers,
landscapers and homeowner’s exceptional performance across a wide spectrum
of applications. Celebration has tight runners, rhizomes and deep roots that
provide excellent sod strength for use on any type of sports field, equestrian track
or golf course.
Varieties available by the roll, pallet, sprig or plug, call Bethel Farms at 800-226-3057 for information on locations and installation schedules.
January 20, 2010
“Smart Spray System” –Truly smarter than the average sprayer
Our Turf Farm field application’s just got a lot more sustainable. Our new system
utilizes GPS guidance and mapping to prevent overlap while applying pesticides.
This will reduce not only the amount of pesticides released’ but also the amount
needed to apply to the turf’ allowing our turf to remain sustainable and ecofriendly.
The sprayer utilizes a new “Smart Spray System” which, during application records the application paths on a computer console. Each job is recorded and can also be retrieved via Bluetooth. After retrieval the files can be uploaded into Farmworks or Farmtrac record keeping software for future reference of application levels and areas.
The system, designed by Chemical Containers of Lake Wales, Florida will improve our sustainability efforts by reducing overuse of pesticides.
August 10, 2009
A can't miss event for all turf maintainers, suppliers and specifiers on September 25th, 2009!
Are you caught in the rat wheel of doing more and more each day, but getting less and less in return? Would you like to make more money based on your knowledge and expertise versus how many extra hours you work? Then this is the conference for you!
At the Southwest Florida Turf Conference you will learn from industry-leading professionals as they share proven strategies for increasing profits. You'll be able to move you and your company to the front of the pack by leveraging the latest techniques and trends in the marketplace. Why suffer from changes in the economy when you can benefit by providing your customers solutions that work - solutions that command a premium!
In addition to hearing relevant insight and ideas from our keynote speakers, you'll have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with our experts, browse vendor booths, network with other professionals during a complimentary luncheon and earn CEU credits.
Preregistration is just $25 per person for your first three attendees and $10 per person thereafter. After September 18, registration is $50 per person, so click here to register today!
Bethel Organics, Inc. Wins Top Honors at 2009 All Things Organic™
ARCADIA, FL (June 19, 2009) - The first All Things Organic™ New Product Competition announced the best new organic products of 2009 during an awards ceremony held at the All Things Organic™ Conference & Trade Show in Chicago, IL, at the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place.
Bethel Organics Inc. won the Best Overall Organic Non-Food product for its Real Organic Real Easy Seed Starting Kit™. The kit includes the popular DOT Pots™ – 100% biodegradable containers that promote root growth and allow for easy transplanting. Unlike the traditional “peat pot” the DOT Pot is 80% wood fiber based. This 80% wood to 20% peat ratio requires zero glues and binders in the manufacturing process. Since nothing “extra” is added. DOT Pots™ have been listed by OMRI™ as 100% organic, making them the first 100% organic, biodegradable plantable pots in the world.
The kits also include everything an organic home gardener would need to get growing: seeds, soil tablets, fertilizer, wooden plant markers, and a garden almanac. The first kit features two popular plant seeds: tomato and basil. Other kits with different seeds will be seasonally available. Included items are either OMRI listed or USDA organic certified.
In addition to the non-food category prize, Bethel Organics’ Real Organic Real Easy Starter Kit™ also won the New Organic Product Grand Award for highest overall score, with 296 out of a possible 300 points.
The 2009 Panel of Judges included:
* Scott P. Silverman, Category Director (Natural & Organic), Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
* Steve Schoultz, Director - Contract Manufacturing, Sara Lee Corporation
* Vaughan Lazar, President/Founder, Pizza Fusion
“We’re thrilled by this recognition,” states Mike Pope, Bethel’s Director of Sales & Marketing. “We put considerable effort into creating a product that today’s consumer wants – an easy way to experience organic gardening with minimal impact on the environment.”
Bethel Organics is a producer of premium quality organic gardening products designed for convenience, ease of use and enjoyment. Our goal is to foster and encourage better stewardship of our natural resources by researching and developing products to meet the highest organic standards with minimal environmental impact.
April 09, 2009
Bethel Farms Contributes a Field of Dreams for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Arcadia, Florida, (April 9, 2009) -- When ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition needed fresh new sod for the Tallahassee home of the Kadzis family, they turned to Bethel Farms, the southeast's largest supplier of premium grass sod.
"Once we knew this was going to northern Florida in mid-winter, we chose our Empire sod to provide a greener, eco-friendly turf that would be both durable and easy for the new homeowners to maintain," states company vice president Mike Pope.
The three truckloads of sod represent 16,000 square feet of residential lawn, providing a family-friendly green space for the Kadzis' to enjoy.
"We know how important outdoor living is to Floridians, and we wanted to ensure that this deserving family would be able to take full advantage of their outdoor living environment as well as their beautiful new home," Pope continues.
The show airs 8 p.m. EST April 12th on the local ABC affiliate, with a two-hour special highlighting the rebuilding of this Leon County home. A dedicated group of community volunteers helped to lay the sod in a matter of hours.
"We were amazed at the amount of community support and goodwill that this project generated and are proud to be affiliated with such an outstanding cause,' Pope states.
Bethel Farms, a national supplier of environmentally friendly turf grasses, is located in Arcadia, Florida. For more information, contact Mike Pope at 1-800-226-3057.
Bethel Organics' DotPots featured on Martha Stewart
Kelly Dionne of Johnny's Selected Seeds joined Martha Stewart on her show "Martha Stewart Living" on March 3, 2009. It was a great lesson in seed starting. Kelly showed off Johnny's Selected Seeds newest line up of DOT Pots, the 100% Organic, OMRI Listed, biodegradable pot. She offered advice to the audience on the different ways a home gardener could start seeds and be environmentally conscience at the same time. For more information contact Laura Hunt, Bethel Organics, 863-494-0267 or visit www.dotpots.com.
Growing, Thinking, and Saving Green
Bethel Farms Success Story
Bethel Farms, headquartered in Arcadia, Florida, is a leading grower and supplier of premium lawn sod and grass plugs in the Southern United States, currently shipping to over 800 retailers in 14 southern, eastern, and mid-western states. The environmentally conscious company has always taken a solution-oriented approach to their business and that approach led them to Farm Works software. "Our growth explosion as well as our product and environmental advancements, and decreased production costs advanced with the introduction of Farm Works," commented Jonathan Brown, Bethel Farms Vice President of Turf.
The Farm Works software has been used by Bethel Farms for seven-plus years. "We used manual records in conjunction with Farm Works the first two years and then went solely to Farm Works," Brown stated. "Farm Works changed how we gather, track, and receive information about our crops," Brown continued,
"With the console in my truck, I am able to be hands on without actually having to be hands on." This is accomplished by uploading data e-mailed from their operations that include over 2,000 acres in the southeastern states. When on site Brown is able to immediately view who applied what products, when and to what areas. "I can visit a field, notice the sod color may be off and look up the application in Farm Works. Okay, I see atrazine was applied and that is the reason for the off-color. In another instance perhaps changing a nutrient will produce a better result, so I make a note on the crop with that suggestion," explains Brown.
Having that information immediately at hand has also served useful in unexpected situations. Brown old of an instance when a retailer contacted him when one of their customers complained of a child breaking out in a rash. Brown asked for the retailer for the e-mail address of the attending physician and forwarded information on all of the products used on that specific crop of Bermuda grass. The physician determined the products applied were not the cause - the child was simply allergic to Bermuda grass. The solution - oriented approach has led Bethel Farms to produce products that serve customer needs as well as meet the standards of the environmentally conscious company.
One such product is their Empire Zoysia (pronounced Zoi zhuh) grass. Introduced in 2000, the Empire Zoysia grass provides customers a lush, soft carpet of grass that requires only once-a-week watering, is drought, salt and shade tolerant, chinch-bug resistant, requires minimal fertilization, and takes well to new fertilizers with little or no phosphorus and nitrogen. Floridians installing the turf are eligible for green credits (Category Two: Water/ Drought Tolerant Turf - 2 points). Another environmentally friendly product that will soon be seen on garden centers end-caps are 100% organic biodegradable planting pots. Made of 80% wood fibers, 20% peat, with no glues or binders, and available in a variety of sizes, the Bethel Farms Dot Pots provide an alternative to the petroleum-based plastic pots and also save on landscape labor by leaving no plastic to dispose of and degrading faster in the ground. The goal of Bethel Farms is to continually meet the needs of its customers and stay at the forefront of environmentally friendly landscaping. They are continuing their work with the USDA, the NRCS, SouthWest Florida Water Management, and the Southwest Florida Sustainable Landscape Council to further reduce their operations' water consumption. "With the new products and technological innovations, including Farm Works and GPS guidance, we have also decreased our nitrogen and phosphorous use by 50%, and our water quality far exceeds the minimum requirement," said Brown. Farm Works software has been an integral part of the Bethel Farms precision agriculture practices. The company has increased efficiency, conserved water and reduced the use of fertilizers. "Farm Works allows us to efficiently and effectively manage our operations, and provides the basis for making sound decisions," Brown concluded. For more information on Bethel Farms and where to purchase products, visit www.BethelFarms.com or call 863.494.3057.
Farm Works Software offers a full suite of farm management software that is useful for every type of farming operation (including livestock). On the desktop, Trac and Site can be used for general field mapping records. Funds is a farm-oriented accounting software useful for keeping track of important financial information. Create jobs in the field with Trac Mate and log GPS with Site Mate. For more information on the full Farm Works product range, visit www.FarmWorks.com.
December 22, 2008
Bethel Farms Rolls Out the Green Carpet
December 2008
Arcadia, Florida
"Bethel Farms Rolls Out the Green Carpet"
We are pleased to announce that our customers can now also purchase our
sod by the roll.
Sod rolls are a practical choice for many installations needs. From sports
fields, roadsides to large yard projects they are easy to install and may be
delivered on a regular flatbed. At just 100 sq. ft less than a traditional pallet
order, they are also economical.
Visit www.bethelfarms.com for more information or contact a Bethel Farms
Customer Service Rep to place your order for delivery, 800-226-3057.
August 07, 2008
Mediterra experiments with grass
MARK S. KRZOS - mkrzos@news-press.com - August 7, 2008
Scott Whorrall, Mediterra's director of golf operations, is experimenting with grass - Emprie Zoysia, to be exact.
The turf is a hardy variety that requires less than half the water and a third of the fertilizer of the widely used St. Augustine grass.
"We put this in as an experiment," Whorrall said of the 26,000 square feet of turf that surrounds the Sports Club. "We're looking to see if this is an option to replace our existing St. Augustine grass. It's too early to tell how much water we'll save, but it is certainly nicer looking and more pleasant to walk on than St. Augustine grass."
With stringent water-use regulations in force throughout the region and a growing number of communities passing laws limiting the use of fertilizer to protect water quality, it's important for developments such as Mediterra to find turf and landscaping plants that require less of both, Whorrall said.
Empire Zoysia performs well on both fronts.
Riverland Nursery, owned by Mayer Berg, assisted Whorrall in selecting plants and turf that reduce the need for irrigation. Riverland and Bethel Farms in Arcadia, supplied Mediterra's Empire Zoysia, while Paraisso Landscape of Lehigh Acres installed it. All three are working with Whorrall on the trial.
"Scott is a leader in sustainable landscaping," said Berg, who is also a member of the Sustainable Landscape Council. "Mediterra was the first private 36-hole golf course to earn the Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary status, and this project is in keeping with that philosophy."
Discovered in Brazil, this grass possesses a deep root structure that allows it to tolerate drought. Its dark green, densely packed blades provide a lush, soft carpet of grass that requires little fertilizer to maintain. It's also shade tolerant and chinch-bug resistant.
"When there's a drought, it turns brown but comes right back when it gets water," said Mike Pope, Bethel Farms national sales manager and acting president of the Sustainable Landscape Council. "St. Augustine will fight the drought until it eventually dies. Chinch bugs like dry areas. It's a perfect recipe for catastrophe. It's a one-two punch. Drought and chinch bugs. That's where we see Empire survive on a long-term basis much better than other varieties."
Faustino Torres, owner of Paraisso Landscape, says some people are hesitant about buying it because it looks so luxurious and carpet like.
"They think it will cost more because it's a nicer grass, but it's completely the opposite," Torres says. "It saves money all the way around. At Mediterra, little maintenance is necessary and it looks great. If it's handled like golf course turf, it will be spectacular."
Once-a-week watering keeps Empire Zoysia looking green and healthy.
The minimal amount of fertilizer it requires is another big plus.
Communities such as Naples and Sanibel, as well as Lee and Sarasota counties have laws that limit the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen because both nutrients can wash off lawns and into waterways, causing algal blooms that kill fish and marine grasses.
Empire Zoysia needs infrequent fertilization and, during the summer rainy season when fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus are banned, Zoysia continues to thrive.
"It can be greened up with iron," says Pope. "It's a healthier way of growing."
The Sports Club at Mediterra is undergoing an expansion that will increase the building's existing 7,852 square feet to more than 14,000 square feet. Bonita Bay Group, which is developing the 1,697-acre North Naples master-planned community, is adding three spa treatment rooms, including a couple's treatment room, and a multipurpose room with a catering kitchen that will function as a large classroom.
The project is expected to be completed late this year. A growing membership prompted the expansion project.
Empire Zoysia grass, turf that requires less than half the water and a third of the fertilizer of the widely used St. Augustine grass, was recently planted at The Sports Club at Mediterra. Gathered to view the grass are the individuals involved with its installation, (l. to r.) Scott Whorrall, director of golf operations at The Club at Mediterra, Faustino Torres, owner of Paraisso Landscape, National Sales Manager Mike Pope of Bethel Farms and Mayer Berg, owner of Riverland Nursery. (Special to The Bonita News-Press)
about us