The green industry is a $9 billion industry and employs 26,000 in Kentucky with turfgrass and landscape businesses contributing to the local economy of both urban and rural communities across the state. 

In 2022, the Pulaski County Horticulture Agent joined two other agents and UK’s new Turf Extension Associate to form the University of Kentucky State Turf Team.  This team provides turf programming and organizes and executes the Kentucky Turf and Landscape Short Course.

The team meets weekly over Zoom and face-to-face to discuss the UK turf program, to prioritize publications, and to put together the state conference program.  Two new publications were created in 2023-24 (Bermudagrass Control for Kentucky Lawns and Wild Violet Control in Kentucky Lawns). The Pulaski County Horticulture Agent was co-author on both.

Over 520 people attended the three-day Turf and Landscape Short Course in February 2024. Overall, participants were very pleased with the meeting organization, location, topics, etc. The event produced just under $35,000 (a significant increase over 2023) that goes directly into funding the Extension Turfgrass position.

The conference also included a Commercial Pesticide License study day, culminating with the test in the late afternoon. More than 150 people sat for the test with a 80-plus percent pass rate.