Grass sod growers vote against a national marketing program
What happened
The US Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed rule to create a national research and promotion program for natural grass sod. This means grass sod producers will not be required to pay into a collective fund for marketing and research.
Why it matters
A group of natural grass sod producers wanted to create a national program to promote their product, similar to 'Got Milk?' or 'Beef. It's What's For Dinner.' They needed a majority of growers to agree to fund it through mandatory fees. The growers voted no.
The signal
Watch for any future attempts by the turfgrass industry to organize a similar national program, or if individual states try to create their own regional initiatives.