The Posterity food truck makes a stop at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Syngenta
There’s an old saying that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. The folks at Syngenta are putting that theory to the test in a unique effort to both thank golf course superintendents for their hard work and to promote the company’s latest fungicide offering.
Syngenta is in the midst of a cross-country food truck tour tied to the launch of its Posterity fungicide. The excursion is feeding hungry superintendents at almost 40 stops over four weeks. Focused largely in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, Syngenta says the tour has two goals: to help fuel superintendents for the long days they face, and to offer new solutions to help those same professionals do their jobs.
“We know our customers are dedicated to maintaining quality turf, and that requires dedication beyond the average work schedule,” says Stephanie Schwenke, Syngenta’s turf market manager. “In turn, those customers fuel our drive to provide innovative solutions like the new Posterity fungicide, so we are delighted to recognize their commitment and performance.”
One of those stops took place on Sept. 26 at the Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton, Ohio, where the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation was playing host to a scholarship tournament that attracted more than 30 teams and 120 participants.
When Gregg Schaner, the Ohio territory manager for Syngenta, offered to bring the food truck to that event, Brian Laurent, the foundation’s executive director, happily took him up on the offer, which allowed Laurent to redirect resources that had been earmarked for breakfast before the tournament to other areas.
“The reaction was great ... very well received,” Laurent says. “We had the truck in a perfect location, right as people were coming in from the parking lot to load up their carts, so a lot of folks were stopping by, gabbing some food, some coffee before they hit the course. It really was a big hit.”
Schaner adds, “We wanted to have the Posterity food truck there to help fuel superintendents for a fun day of networking, camaraderie and golf, and to thank everyone for their contributions. It was a great day for a good cause at the OTF scholarship outing.”
From Laurent’s perspective, initiatives like the Posterity food truck tour are integral to organizations like his. Without that kind of support from industry, “we would not be able to do what we do,” he says. “Because of that kind of support, we can bring speakers from all over the country to our conference, we’re able to support research and education at the local level. This year, because of some of our partners, we’re giving out grants to help promote careers in the industry. Really, the support from companies such as Syngenta and all our industry partners is just crucial to the day-to-day operations of our organization.”
Posterity fungicide targets dollar spot with what Syngenta says is an innovative active ingredient that can deliver 28 days of control as well as control of spring dead spot and fairy ring. See Syngenta’s Posterity fungicide page for more information.
Scott Hollister is GCM’s editor-in-chief.