As we really get into the college football season, no matter who you cheer for, we need to recognize and appreciate all of the people who make the sport possible. Not just the football players, or the coaches, or the fans, but also the farmers. That’s right; turfgrass farmers make our favorite fall (and winter) sport possible.
It’s harder to make grass grow on a football field (or any sports field for that matter) than it is to grow the grass in your front yard. There is a lot of science, precise measurements, and work that goes into making that field green for our favorite players to run on week after week.
Tim VanLoo, athletics grounds manager at Iowa State University, explains some of the process of managing about 55 acres of athletics, practice, and game fields at his university.