In episode #303 of the EarthWorks Podcast, John Reilly, director of agronomy at The Resort at Longboat Key Club in Florida, shares how he blends data and intuition to manage firm, true greens. From GS3 insights to sand injection and soil-first thinking, this one is packed with real-world takeaways.

Life as an EarthWorks Agronomist means living on the road. The early season is packed with trade shows and Soil First Academies across the country, connecting with turf managers from golf, sports turf, lawn care, and hydro-seeding.

So far, we've delivered over 30 Soil First Academies this season alone.

In this episode, Jack Higgins and Joel Simmons hit the road to Buffalo for a talk with our distributor partner, Weaver Turf. The podcast unfolds in real time, starting in the car on the way to Newark Airport, continuing through the terminal, and wrapping up late at night after a well-earned stop for Buffalo wings and a couple of Guinness.

Along the way, it's pure EarthWorks: conversations on turf, weather, microbiology, construction, and getting ready for spring. There's plenty of industry insight, a lot of laughs, and the kind of honest, unscripted energy that only comes from a long day on the road.

If you're gearing up for the season, this one's worth the ride.

The Lehigh Country Club grounds crew is a vibe. 

We always say great turf starts with the soil, but great teams start with the right attitude. A positive, friendly, and welcoming culture goes a long way, and that’s something the new golf course superintendent at Lehigh, Jim Lanza, clearly understands.

In this episode, two Lehigh guys talk shop, covering the club’s new irrigation system, aerification strategies, and early spring course setup. The setting is stunning, and if you watch on YouTube you might even catch a few flyovers from some iconic birds, including a bald eagle.

Episode 300 is here. 

Joined by John Reilly, Tom Walker, and John Chassard, our three hosts celebrate this milestone with stories that span the game, from the legacy of Old Tom Morris, to the renovation of Coeur d’Alene’s floating green, to a preview of the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic. 

This special episode honors the past, highlights innovation, and looks ahead to what’s next.

This week we welcome Dr. Mike Fidanza from Penn State University, a globally recognized authority on fairy ring in turf. Our conversation digs into how this fungus establishes itself in the soil and why the traditional explanations only tell part of the story.

For years, fairy ring was blamed solely on decomposing organic matter. While that plays a role, Dr. Fidanza explains why the issue runs deeper. He challenges the idea that carbon-based fertility causes fairy ring and instead points to the complexity of the soil biome and microbial interactions.

Much of his current research focuses on how soil biology, moisture management, and drought stress influence the development and severity of the disease. He recently explored these themes in Golf Course Industry in his article, The Interactions of Plant Soil Microbes Under Drought Stress.

A key takeaway from our discussion is that fairy ring often thrives where biological processes are not fully supported. When nitrification slows and ammonium lingers, fungi can take advantage of that imbalance. Healthy biological activity helps keep nutrient cycling moving and reduces the conditions that favor disease.

This conversation reinforces what we’ve long discussed: managing turf challenges starts below the surface. Soil biology, carbon availability, and balanced nutrient cycling all play a critical role in creating resilient turf systems.

This time of year never fails to inspire. The sun starts climbing higher, soil temperatures begin to wake up, and the first hints of green remind us why we love this work.

This week we’re joined by our friend Olee Poole, known by many as the Fescue Freak, to walk through the fertilizer program behind his exceptional three-acre fescue lawn outside of Charlotte. Olee relies exclusively on EarthWorks products and keeps his approach refreshingly simple. With just four core products, he feeds everything on his property, from fescue to thuja, tomatoes to blueberries.

In this episode, Olee shares his exact fertilizer schedule, why he trusts carbon-based fertility, and how a soil-first program delivers consistent performance across turf and landscape plants.

EarthWorks has been leading the conversation on Biological Soil Management for nearly 40 years, and this discussion highlights how simple, biology-driven programs can produce outstanding results.

EarthWorks has returned from a fantastic week in Orlando at the GCSAA Trade Show and Conference, and by every measure, it was a tremendous success. On Wednesday afternoon, we welcomed friends from across the industry to our booth for cocktails. The space was packed from start to finish, and venue staff told us the EarthWorks gathering was the largest event on the show floor.

Throughout the week, we spent valuable time with our distributor partners aligning goals for the year ahead while also connecting with countless turfgrass managers to answer questions, exchange ideas, and simply catch up. Those conversations remain the highlight of the show for our team. Reconnecting with longtime colleagues, some relationships spanning decades, and hearing both professional successes and personal updates is always deeply rewarding.

One noticeable trend this year was the number of new companies entering the “organic” space. To us, this signals that EarthWorks’ nearly 40-year commitment to biological soil management continues to influence the industry in meaningful ways. We repeatedly heard from clients that EarthWorks has risen to the forefront of the carbon-based fertility movement, with more companies embracing a soil-first philosophy.

As we shared stories from the week, the team also discussed opportunities to refine our approach for next year. And while there may be one notable exception, most of us are already looking forward to gathering again in New Orleans.

In this episode of the EarthWorks Podcast, Joel Simmons talks with EarthWorks chemist Lawrence Mayhew about how to use amino acids to produce better turf and Lawrence's history racing motorcycles.

Lawrence breaks down the real science behind amino acids, carbon, and microbial fertility. 

Learn how to reduce nitrogen inputs, improve nutrient availability, and build stronger turf through biology.

In this episode, Joel Simmons talks with Florida golf course superintendents Rob Uzar and Ty Robb, founders of the Turf Talk podcast.

Their show is broadcast live, which brings a unique set of challenges, from managing technology to handling unexpected guests or off-the-cuff moments. Rob and Ty embrace those challenges with quick thinking and humor, creating a loose, engaging format that makes the show as entertaining as it is informative.

Both talk about their beginnings in turf maintenance, the growth of their podcast and their efforts to give back to the golf industry.

In this episode, Kevin Hicks sits down with Jared Doerfler, founder of Hanna Golf Company, to explore his path from college golfer to launching a boutique, U.S.-based CNC-milled putter brand in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jared shares how a background in manufacturing and a turning point in his personal life pushed him to leave a corporate VP role and bet on building something of his own within the game of golf.

Jared walks through the hands-on realities of putter manufacturing, from teaching himself CNC machining to producing just six putters a day with a small team and two Haas mills. He explains why sound and feel are central to Hanna Golf’s design philosophy, how customization plays a key role in their process, and why staying focused on putters allows the company to maintain quality and intention over rapid scale.

We’re back at Lancaster Country Club on a sunny winter day with Josh Saunders. In this conversation, we dive deeper into agronomic planning than ever before, covering practical insights and thoughtful strategies drawn from real-world experience. There’s a lot of strong, actionable advice here from Josh.

Every property is different, and that reality becomes clear fast in a new role. In this episode Matthew Wolfe shares stories from his first year as superintendent at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia after more than 15 years working alongside top agronomy teams as an assistant superintendent. From managing a 360-acre pine forest to dealing with sand-based soils and unique site conditions, Matt reflects on what surprised him most and how adaptability played a key role. It is an honest conversation about leadership, learning, and managing a complex property.

We began the EarthWorks Podcast back when Covid brought everything to a halt, and now we’re approaching our 300th episode this coming March. For the past six years, the final week of the year has been our "Best of the Year" tradition. This time around, we’ve chosen one standout episode from each of our hosts—Kevin Hicks, Jack Higgins, and Joel Simmons.

Kevin, who just might have the best podcast voice out there, had a fascinating conversation with Grant McKnight and Eric Blanton from DuraEdge. In that episode, they delved into some innovative ideas about building root mixes for sports fields—definitely one of Kevin’s favorites.

Jack Higgins went live with Zack Holm, the turf manager from Central Park in NYC. It’s an incredible story—Zack handles millions of visitors and keeps the turf thriving in some of the toughest urban conditions, all without pesticides.

We wrap up with this year’s most listened-to episode featuring John Reilly from Long Boat Key Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida. Joel chatted with John, a former Rutgers student, about organic matter management—a hot topic in the turf world.

From all of us at EarthWorks, we wish you a very Happy New Year and thank you for your ongoing support. Here’s to a fantastic 2026 with more great guests and insightful, fun conversations. Our goal remains the same: to leave you with at least one piece of useful turf wisdom each episode!

It is rare these days to see someone stay in a job for more than 26 years, and even rarer to find a person who pours themselves into their work as if it were their own company. This month, we have been celebrating someone who has done all of that and so much more.

More than 26 years ago, Lisa Kiefer walked into our office for an interview as an office support person. At the end of 2025, she will be retiring as the company’s Vice President. Over the years, many people in the EarthWorks extended family have spoken with Lisa on the phone or had the pleasure of working with her through one of her many responsibilities.

As the owner and president of the company, I can honestly and humbly say that if Lisa had not walked into our office that spring afternoon, we may not be here today. She has been instrumental in our growth and direction. She kept the company moving forward while the rest of us were able to get out into the field and help turf managers discover the real value of Biological Soil Management.

Many companies have someone like Lisa, but very few have someone who truly lives and breathes the work and carries such a deep passion for the mission we all embraced. She has been juggling balls and, more recently, elephants for her entire time with us. Unfortunately, elephants are not easy to juggle, so she has decided it is time to focus on her family, her six grandchildren, and life on the farm.

To say we will miss her is an understatement. Expressing how grateful we are for her warm spirit, contagious laugh, and incredible work ethic comes effortlessly. We sat down in the same spot where we first met Lisa to record this podcast, sharing a few laughs, reminiscing often, remembering old friends, and even shedding a few tears.

This is not goodbye by any means, but simply a change in the relationship Lisa has had for so long with the team and with all our friends at EarthWorks.

Bob Wren has been a friend of EarthWorks for more than 35 years, and his career has taken him on a winding and memorable path through the turf industry. A graduate of the University of Maryland’s turf program, he began his career working alongside podcast alumnus Kevin Pryseski at Pine Ridge in Baltimore, Maryland. He then joined another podcast alumnus, Glenn Smickley, for the grow-in at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

From there, Bob took on construction of the Palmer-designed Fawn Lake, navigating a maze of new environmental restrictions that stretched the project into a four-year effort. After one more chapter as a golf course superintendent, he stepped away from the profession for more than a decade. Even while working in turf-related roles, he eventually realized it was time to follow the advice he had always given his sons: go back to the work you truly love.

That decision led him south, trading snow for sunshine, and ultimately landing what he calls his dream job as superintendent at The Old Collier Club in Naples, Florida. His story is full of remarkable moments, including caddying for Arnold Palmer and mastering the challenges of managing Paspalum in high-sodium soils.

Bob is always engaging, entertaining, and generous with his experience. This episode is a wonderful listen for anyone who loves golf, turfgrass, or the winding roads that lead people back to their passion.

The EarthWorks Podcast is approaching its 300th episode, hosted by Kevin Hicks, Jack Higgins, and Joel Simmons—each bringing a uniquely valuable perspective to the industry.

Kevin, with 25 years of experience as a golf course superintendent, can truly “talk shop” with guests. Jack brings youthful energy and a deep passion for biological soil management, while Joel, with more than three decades in the industry, has worked with many of the top turf managers from the early days of their careers.

In this episode, the three hosts revisit some of their favorite conversations from 2025. Their reflections lead into discussions on emerging technologies in turf and agriculture, Eco-Adaptive approaches, regenerative agriculture, the future of lawn care, golf course construction, and much more.

As you’d expect when these three get together, there’s not a wasted moment—just insightful conversation, plenty of laughs, and great camaraderie.

In this special Thanksgiving Week episode, we want to express our gratitude for more than 40 years of support and for helping us advance the principles of Biological Soil Management across the industry. With over 250 episodes behind us, we’re celebrating the holiday by revisiting one of our earliest—and most beloved—conversations.

This week, enjoy a classic episode with our longtime friend John Chassard, superintendent at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania. John has led the care of this William Flynn–designed gem for more than 30 years, making it one of golf’s best-kept secrets.

This week’s EarthWorks Podcast is a real treat as we take you behind the scenes at one of the most famous public parks in the world, New York City’s Central Park.

Our guest, Zack Holm, Turf Care Manager, shares his unique approach to maintaining over 350 acres of beautifully manicured turf, all without the use of pesticides or herbicides.

Zack walks us through his biological and cultural management strategies, the challenges of managing turf in one of the busiest urban environments on earth, and the rewarding results of a soil-first approach.

It is an inspiring conversation for anyone passionate about sustainable turf management.