112 



ASPA 



AMERICAN SOD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION 



An International Organization Dedicated to Advancement of the Turfgrass Sod Industry 





OFFICERS 1993-94 



PRESIDENT Richard Schiedel 

 Greenhonzon Group, Inc 

 1400 Middleolock Road 

 Cambridge Ontario N3H.4R6 

 Phone (519) 653-7494 

 FAX (519) 653 0833 



V PRESIDENT Lows L BfOOk.ng,Jr 



Brookmeade Sod Farm. Inc 



RR 1. Bo* 547 



Doswell Virginia 23047-9751 



Phone (804|883-6338 



FAX 1804) 883-6377 



SECY TREAS J Douglas Barberry 

 Aldmo Sod Farms Inc 

 PO Bo* 218 



Churcrwille. Maryland 21028 

 Phone (410) 879-8277 

 FAX (410)636-2932 



PAST PRES Mike Holmes 



Warren s Turf Nursery. Inc 



7502 S Mam Slreel 



Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014-8045 



Phone (815) 455-5100 



FAX 1815)455-7894 



BOARD OF TRUSTEES 



Ben I Copeland 

 Patten Seed. Co 'Super Sod 

 PO Bo* 217 

 Lakeland. Georgia 31635 

 Phone (912) 482-3131 



David Doguel 



Crenshaw & Doguel Turfgrass, Inc 



609 Castle Ridge 



Austin. Te*as 78746 



Phone (5121 328-0884 



Wayne Thorson 

 Todd Valley Farms, Inc 

 E Highway 92 

 Mead Nebraska 68041 

 Phone (402) 624-6385 



Linda Tucker 

 Sodco Inc 

 PO Bo* 2 



Slocum. Rhode Island 02877 

 Phone (40U 294-3100 



Frank H Wilmot 

 Summil Hall Turf Farm 

 21300 River Road 

 Poolesviiie, Maryland 20837 

 Phone (301) 948-2900 



Bryan Wood 



Tip Top Turf Lid 



Cow Pasture Farm 



Newion Longville 



Milton Keynes England 



MK17 0BU 



Phone (0908} 270701 



Ed Zuckerman 



Delta Biuegrass Co 



P O Bo* 307 



Stockton, California 95201-0307 



Phone (209) 464-8355 



EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 



Douglas H Fender, CAE 

 1855-A Hicks Road 

 Rolling Meadows Illinois 60O08 

 Phone (708) 705-9898 



LEGAL COUNSEL 



Monte B Lake 



McGuiness 8 Williams 

 1015 15th Slreel. NW , Surte 1200 

 Washington DC 20005 

 Phone (202) 789-8600 



STATEMENT OF AMERICAN SOD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION 

 TO THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPECIALTY CROPS 



AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF DISASTER RELIEF 



FOR SPECIALTY CROPS 



Presented by Douglas H. Fender 



Executive Director 



American Sod Producers Association 



November 16, 1993 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, my name is Douglas 

 H. Fender and I am the Executive Director of the American Sod Producers 

 Association. We appreciate the opportunity to submit a statement regarding 

 the availability of disaster assistance for specialty crops like turfgrass sod. 



The American Sod Producers Association (ASP A) is a 26-year-old, not- 

 for-profit association with members in 49 states in the United States, Canada 

 and 25 other countries. ASPA consists of over 600 turfgrass sod farm 

 operations that produce approximately 80 percent of the acreage sold each year 

 in the U.S. ASPA represents its members on federal issues of importance. 

 Disaster relief assistance is of significant concern to ASPA's membership. 



Turfgrass sod farmers, like those producing nursery and other specialty 

 crops, often face challenges that other, more traditional, types of agricultural 

 commodities do not. Although turfgrass sod is considered an agricultural 

 commodity under many federal and state laws, ' it is sometimes 

 inappropriately exclude from federal benefits afforded other agricultural 

 commodities. This is often a result of oversight or lack of knowledge about 

 turfgrass sod's production and harvest characteristics. 2 



1 The Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Treasury and Commerce as 

 well as the Environmental Protection Agency, all have laws and regulations 

 that define and treat turfgrass sod farming as a traditional agricultural activity. 



2 As discussed in this statement, disaster assistance is a prime example of 

 the different treatment turfgrass can encounter in a regulatory context. 

 Another example involves the wetlands issue. Under the Swampbuster 

 program, producers of annual program crops lose payments from USD A if 



1855-A Hicks Road 



Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 



708/705-9898 (Fax 708/705-8347) 



