ABOUT THE MARYLAND TURFGRASS COUNCIL

The Maryland Turfgrass Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the turfgrass industry in the State of Maryland. Over the years, the Council has grown in membership and steadily increased the scope of its activities. Over 1,500 people are now active members of the Council.

History of MTC

The Maryland Turfgrass Council was organized in 1972 as a way for people who worked in different segments of the turfgrass industry to pool their talents and improve turfgrass research and education in Maryland. It was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1977, and is governed by a Constitution and By-laws through its Officers and Board of Directors.

Goals

MTC strives to promote and unite the interests of individuals, private industry, organizations, and public and private institutions. The aim of MTC is to promote the science, technology, professional practice and improvement of turfgrass production, management, research, and education in the State of Maryland.

Financial Support

Over the years, MTC has provided thousands of dollars of scholarship money, as well as support for vital turfgrass research programs at the University of Maryland.

• In 1980, MTC encouraged the State to establish it's first sole-purpose turf research facility. The U.M. Paint Branch Turf Research Facility now comprises a $1.5M complex, and is both a leader in turfgrass research and ranked among the most modern in the nation.
• In 1988, MTC inaugurated it's 1st Annual Golf Tournament to raise money for turfgrass research at the University of Maryland. The 13th Annual Tournament netted over $7,000 for turfgrass research.
• In 1998, MTC donated $100,000 to the University of Maryland Foundation to establish an endowment fund to support turfgrass research. The Maryland Turfgrass Fund has now grown to over $205,000, and continues to gain support through donations.

Professional Development

The Council has also dedicated itself to improving informal education in our industry, most notably by promotingan annual educational conference, trade shows of turfgrass equipment and products, and other events.

• The 2002 Conference and Trade Show at the Baltimore Convention Center celebrated as its theme '25 Years Together,' and used the device of an umbrella to graphically illustrate its role among the many important facets of the industry. Over 2,300 professional turfgrass managers attended Turfgrass 2002 — a new record!
• The Council plays a lead role in facilitating turfgrass research tours at the U.M. Paint Branch Turfgrass Research Facility.

Newsletter

In order to keep MTC members informed of its activities as well as new developments in turfgrass science and management, the Council began the publication of a quarterly newsletter in 1981. In the course of its 21 year history, MTC News has provided valuable tips, legislative and technical updates, and helped MTC unite our industry.

MTC News expanded to a 12-page format in the year 2002, and reached a record circulation of over 1,500 members in 2002. Because the website had taken over many of its functions by Fall of 2002, MTC News was subsequently changed to a full-color format and reduced to 2-pages. Currently, MTC News is designed for easy reading, with brief overviews of news, articles and updates that are included in greater detail on the website.