With apologies to Tommy James and the Shondells . . .

Come on everyone we gotta get together now
Oh yeah, love's the only thing that matters anyhow
And the beauty of TOCA, is we only can survive
If we love one another
Oh yeah yesterday my friends were traveling out to NAPA now
Oh yeah listen now we had a blast and learned somehow
That we ain't gonna fight, only we’ve got the right
To decide who's to live and sigh
They gave us sweet cherry wine, so very fine
Drink it right down, pass it all around
So stimulating, so inTOCAsating
Sweet cherry wine, to open your mind
And everybody's gonna feel so fine
Drinking sweet cherry wine

Watch the meeting turn to dust and go away
Oh Lord, you know that TOCA really is the only way
And the old masquerade is Larry and Bill in a parade
Singing Dylan through the ruins of time
To save us, TOCA gave us, sweet cherry wine
Sweet cherry wine, so very fine
Drink it right down, pass it all around
So stimulating, so inTOCAsating
Sweet cherry wine
Drink you TOCAites
Trust in one another, yeah, yeah
They gave us sweet cherry wine, sweet cherry wine
Drink it right down, pass it all around
TOCA knows the cup is running over now with
Sweet cherry wine, oh so fine!

Members of the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association found “Sweet Cherry Wine” as the perfect metaphor of choice to describe a trip to the NAPA Valley for the 2006 annual meeting in early May.

More than 90 (including spouses and significant others) attendees found the professional development seminars better than a Pinot Noir and the tours sweeter than Chablis. The Wednesday golf and tour of a winery/olive ranch was as satisfying to the folks as a fine glass of Cabernet.

Golf, Tour Wednesday Morning
Golfers braved the wind and chilly, yet sunny conditions at the Eagle Vines Vineyards & Golf Club. The threesome of Dale Gardner, Bill Klutho and Mark Garvin came in with an excellent 68 (4 under par) to win the tournament by four strokes. Meanwhile, about 40 members toured the Long Meadow Winery and Olive Ranch.

Professional Development Highlights
Highlights of the professional development workshops on Wednesday and Thursday, included:

• Craig Zablocki of Positively Humor discussing humor in our lives and teaching us lessons from children as we face the stresses in the workplace, at home and in all we do. Kudos to Matt Broscious for his assistance in Zablocki’s finale.
• Jamie Shuttleworth and Mathieu Lignel of Foot Cone & Belding in Chicago provided an overview of strategic planning, relating their experiences with such companies as Kentucky Fried Chicken as it worked recently to define its image and reach its target market.
• Wednesday night featured a feast of unparalleled proportions as TOCA members were treated to a wine tasting reception and “Sonoma Banquet Buffet.” The reception and dinner was brought to our members by Syngenta and RISE. The event was a great chance for the more than 20 first-time TOCA conference attendees to get to know the veteran TOCA members and learn more about each other and the ethnology of the organization.
• Thursday morning found members learning about creative non-fiction writing from Lee Gutkind, noted author and professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His three-hour seminar taught attendees how to frame and focus non-fiction writing and how to use intimate detail to tell a true story (or article) in a compelling way. If sales of his books after his remarks were any indicator, Gutkind hit the mark on how to make those Green Industry articles, brochures, videos and other writing sing.

The afternoon program began with remarks from Board President Bill Klutho, who spoke of the many events which occurred in the world since our last meeting:

• The devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the cyclones of Australia
  
• Immigration issues that threaten the fabric of our nation of immigrants and the businesses we are a part of everyday

• A fuel crisis that is making people worldwide ponder their next trip to the grocery store
• Here in California, dealing with clean-air standards
  

“And all of us in this room are helping those in the green industry make some sense of these issues, helping them understand how they may be affected,” Klutho said. “It is part of the reason we have gathered here in Napa – to give us the skills to better communicate.  We all have the same mission: to make the green industry a great industry bonded by the green goodness of the great outdoors. And we all know the importance of understanding ethnological decisions as they affect our audiences and our membership.”

The business meeting followed, where the election of officers was the first piece of business. The TOCA leaders elected for another year include Bill Klutho, president; Margaret McLean, vice president; Debbie Clayton, secretary/treasurer; and the following directors: Felicia Gillham, Ed Hiscock, Cindy Ratcliff, Jason Schmaderer, Bob West, Jerry Roche, Jared Bodnar, Troy Blewett, Ron Hall and Cindy Code. David Cassidy continues one more year in the position of past president. 
Other actions announced at the business meeting included:

• TOCA’s membership is in excess of 210. TOCA continues to grow in prestige throughout the Green Industry.
• TOCA finished with a strong balance sheet for the 17th straight year. The organization continues to be fiscally strong, with a healthy reserve for emergency purposes. The board agreed to move $5,500 over the next two years into its reserve for “rainy day” purposes.
• The TOCA writing, photography and design contests had 451 entries this year, a new record. The board will review the photo contest this year to determine changes to increase opportunities for photographers and photography to play a more prominent role the awards program.
• The Green Industry Expo (GIE) breakfast reception is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m. in Columbus.
• The GCSAA Breakfast reception at the Golf Industry Show (GIS) will be Friday, Feb. 23 in Anaheim.
• TOCA and The Outdoor Power Expo will investigate a breakfast this fall at the Louisville show. More details to follow.
• The 18th annual TOCA meeting will be held May 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Savannah, GA. The board meeting will be Tuesday, May 1. The general meeting will be May 2-3, with the banquet ending the meeting on Thursday night. Members wishing to invite spouses and other family members for the weekend will be able to get preferred rates at the hotel.
• The 19th annual meeting will be in Minneapolis.
• The board agreed to continue its contribution to Project EverGreen, the national alliance of end-user associations, companies and Green Industry suppliers formed to educate and inform consumers about the benefits of well-maintained green spaces. TOCA publications and agencies donated $400,000 of space and pro bono services to Project EverGreen in 2005 and similar efforts are planned for 2006.
• Members Beth Casteel of the Irrigation Association and Ed Hiscock of Golf Course Management magazine will work on a stylebook for TOCA members to be used as a guide regarding punctuation, word usage, etc. The goal is to have this stylebook on-line and ready sometime in the next 12 months.
• For the second time, TOCA will have a printed directory, courtesy of New Holland. The directory should be ready sometime in July for its members. It will be sent to all members. Members will be asked to remove the contents from the 2005-2006 directory and replace it in their three-ring binder with the new contents. It contains the association’s membership, Bylaws and constitution and other important information about the association.

To view all the TOCA photos from Napa, click here.

Kevin Trotta of the North Rockland Central School District in Garnerville, NY, was named the 2006 TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year, the award’s eighth recipient. The annual award recognizes outstanding efforts in communicating the benefits of environmental stewardship to a particular audience within the turf and ornamental industry. The award is sponsored by Advan LLC and was presented by Frank Standfuss, area sales manager. Trotta, a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA), is a leader in integrated pest management, and it is his personal mission to “share his knowledge, experience and research with others through presentations, articles and community outreach,” says Kim Heck executive director of STMA. Heck was also a presenter of the award.  Trotta has been a source for numerous articles on turf management and a keynote speaker at a number of Green Industry events over the years.

Trotta received a $500 stipend. Previous winners of the award include Mark Welterlen, Grounds Maintenance Magazine; Bill Love, W.R. Love Golf Architecture; Tim Doppel, Atwood LawnCare, Inc.; Doug Fender, Turf Producers International; Allen James, RISE; Ron Dodson, Audubon International, and Jeff Gullikson of Spokane Country Club.

TOCA’s Scholarship winner this year was Angelina Toomey of the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. She will receive a $1,500 scholarship after the membership at the business meeting in Napa determined to increase her award from $1,000.

Ceja Tour
Following the close of the annual business meeting, members were treated to a BASF Corporation-sponsored tour of Ceja Winery, voted "best new winery in Napa." The Mexican-American owners of the winery came to Napa Valley as migrant workers in the bracero program in 1967. Sixteen years later, the family pooled their finances and bought acreage in the Carneros region of the valley. Amelia Ceja, one of the owners, hosted the tour and provided a wealth of information about viticulture, wine making and the history of the valley.  Besides pouring some of Ceja’s fine wines for those on the tour, Amelia also shared chips and her own special guacamole.

Guacamole Recipe

Syngenta Awards Banquet
The Syngenta Awards Banquet was another fast and furious raucous affair, with excellent food, wine, a wine primer trivia contest and more.

Thanks to Brandon Haddock and Stephanie Jonas as emcees of the awards presentation. Congrats and thanks to Trone for their technical and creative expertise in producing the Thursday night event and publishing the annual meeting program.