ETP FARM TOUR 2016 Apulia, Italy
On 28-30th September ETP organized its 2nd ETP Farm Tour in Apulia in Southern Italy. Taking advantage of the very mild end of summer weather, 108 sod farmers and industry delegates from 15 European (and non-European) countries flocked down to Apulia for this event, which was a first of its kind for Italy.
The centre of the event was the Kalidria Thalasso Spa Resort in Castellaneta Marina (TA), the village famous for being the birthplace of 1920’s heartthrob Hollywood actor Rudolph Valentino. As participants gathered and registered for the event, ETP Industry Sponsors Barenbrug and Vanmac offered a welcome drink to the participants in the resort’s garden that lasted from late afternoon well into dinner time. A first opportunity to catch up and network, and generally enjoying a warm September evening among friends and colleagues.
The following morning’s indoor session was dedicated to seminars, Industry Sponsors presentations and the ETP General Assembly. Participants sat down in Kalidria’s conference room and were offered an unprecedented seminar by ETP’s Social Media Manager, Eef Dijkstra (Eef Social Media Management), on how to exploit social media communication to the best advantage of a company and on how ETP’s social media strategy is carried forward to benefit the Association and all its members. This innovative and unconventional seminar was very well received with the floor keeping Eef busy with many questions and enquiries.
The ETP Industry Sponsors were then given a 5-minute mike time slot each to present their company and their activities. Many of these were well known players in the European sod industry, other were lesser known but strong national players who got the opportunity of making their company better known internationally. Industry Sponsors then had the following coffee break time to further work with present and potential customers. This type of industry involvement is one of the backbones of ETP and makes for mutually satisfying participation to the Association.
After the coffee break held in the gardens, Filippo Lulli (Turf Europe, ETP Secretary) led the initial stages of the 2016 ETP General Assembly, during which 2015 balance and 2016 budget were approved, where events/communications strategy and results were outlined and where Tim Fell (ETP President) then led an all-important discussion with the Assembly to take some very important decisions on the future of ETP.
After a nice Italian buffet lunch at the hotel, participants were driven by bus to their first farm tour visit at “I Prati di Marinella”, a 30 ha sod farm in the delta of the Metaponto river, where they were exquisitely welcomed by the owner Gennaro Lazazzera. A drinks marquee kept everybody refreshed during the windy and warm Apulian afternoon, while Gennaro supplied info on his production of tall fescue and warm-season (bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and seashore paspalum) landscaping rolls.
Next, a short 10 km trip by bus took the participants to the final stop of the day: “Plantec” 60 ha sod farm. Pierluigi, owner at Plantec and ETP Board Member, had organized a lovely gelato break served out of a vintage Piaggio Ape, on his new baby: the Village Green kikuyugrass plot, for which he and few other growers have sole European distribution.
After visiting Plantec’s plots, the participants were left to chill out and relax in Pierluigi’s wonderful XVIIth century farmyard, with drinks and coffee while caterers were preparing for the evening’s barbecue dinner.
The dinner itself turned out to be a most memorable event in the warm Apulian evening: lots of local wine, grilled meats, a demonstration of fresh mozzarella making by local cheese makers, and even fireworks ! The informal and joyful atmosphere making for great chatting, networking and relaxing – and fortunately bus service was provided for the short drive back to the hotel…!
The next morning participants were driven to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Matera, one of the most ancient cities in Europe, with its distinctive cave dwellings dating back to the stone age. The participants were broken down in four groups, each with its own English-speaking guide, to make the most of this morning of tourism and culture.
After a most welcome lunch at “Da Mario”, participants were once again on the bus for the somewhat long journey (2 h) to the last leg of the tour: the San Domenico Golf Club on the shore of the Adriatic sea in Fasano. Giovanni Francioso, the local resident greenkeeper, took the participants on the tour of the most scenic holes, explaining his management techniques of bermudagrass-ryegrass alternation.
After a coffee at the San Domenico masseria offered by the Club, a 1h bus ride took the participants back to the Hotel Kalidria and 2016 ETP Farm Tour was over.
ETP wishes to thank everyone who attended the Farm Tour and the local organizers (Prati di Marinella, Plantec and Sand Domenico Golf Club) for making this a most entertaining and informative event. We hope to see you in September 2017 for ETP’s very first Turf Show in the Netherlands. See you then !!