With the weather finally perking up this week, hopefully the great British public's thoughts are turning en masse, to getting out into their gardens, or local public green space, to enjoy the surroundings. From the point of view of our grass machinery dealer readers, I suspect the hope is that these green spaces are well-maintained by either newly purchased or freshly serviced, quality, outdoor powered machinery.

However, there is of course an annual campaign running at this time of year that actively encourages your customers, both domestic and professional, to not touch their machinery for four weeks. Originated by Plantlife, No Mow May began in 2019 and has undeniably gained traction and increased its profile in the intervening years.

On their website the nature charity describes the ethos behind their endeavour, saying, "A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate."

A quick Google will reveal how their message is successfully amplified across multiple outlets, with press articles, social media posts and videos abounding, all encouraging users to leave their mowers in the shed for month. A story in The Guardian last Friday, No Mow May: councils urge Britons to put away lawnmowers, says that the campaign has this year got 40 local authorities from around the country on board to leave some of their verges and parks to grow. Clearly a significant reach.

Considering all this publicity, I am genuinely curious what our dealer readers think of the campaign? Principally do you notice any discernable difference to your business when it kicks in each May? Is your footfall down? Are there fewer visits to your website? Crucially, are your sales or aftersales adversely hit? Please let us know in the comments below.

I do think it's fair to say though, that there has been a degree of pushback against No Mow May from certain quarters. For example, in our sister title TurfPro on Monday this week, md of Lindum Turf, Stephen Fell, wrote an opinion piece entitled Is it time to say no, to No Mow May. I encourage anyone who's interested to read in full because Stephen certainly has the lawn credentials, having specialised in growing turf for almost 40 years.

Stephen's central argument is that just letting a lawn grow out for a few weeks in spring rarely, if ever, leads to the ‘wildflower’ effect that the campaign seems to suggest. He says most UK lawns will just get stragglier, with "no biodiversity increase at all." He goes on to suggest potential methods that could be employed to begin to reverse "the worsening biodiversity crisis" and transform outdoor spaces into wildlife havens. These are all methods that don't simply require leaving the mower locked up and that certainly require longer than an arbitrary four weeks to take effect.

(As a quick aside, a commercial contractor reader of TurfPro left a pithy comment under Stephen's article, saying, "If anyone expects me to return to cut a lawn in six weeks time that hasn't been trimmed, they'll find themselves cutting their own grass.")

I also heard from Laurence Gale, editor of TurfPro, who told me he agrees with Stephen, especially on the point that very little of benefit can realistically be achieved in the space of one month. Laurence, who is an ex grounds manager and practicing professional gardener, said, "For me, the best lawn areas are ones that have a wide range of cutting heights and management regimes." Having finely cut areas alongside rougher sections, perhaps sown with differing turf varieties, will do so much more for encouraging wildlife and biodiversity, Laurence told me.

I'd be surprised if any of our readers doesn't think that tackling pollution and benefiting wildlife is a good thing. These are clearly noble aims - but is demonising the lawnmower the correct way to achieve them? 

We'd love to hear your thoughts today both about No Mow May in general and specifically whether you notice any impact on your business from it? Please leave your thoughts below or feel free to drop me a line.

Dealers Double A have announced that construction will start on a new purpose-built outlet for their expanding professional turf business in East Kilbride, Glasgow in early May.

Artist's impression of the new facility

The two-acre site will consist of a main building housing offices, training room, sales area, parts department and service workshop alongside a large storage building and yard area.

The new outlet in East Kilbride joins the company’s other outlets in Kintore, Aberdeenshire and Cupar, Fife providing new and used turf equipment along with aftersales service, parts and technology to professional turf customers across Scotland.

Double A founder and chairman, Sandy Armit, said, "We really appreciate how customers in the West of Scotland have put their faith in Double A and this exciting new building will give our staff and our customers confidence in our company and a fantastic workplace experience. We look forward to seeing the building take shape over the coming months and welcoming customers to see exactly what we have created when we open next year."

Established in 1996, Double A has grown steadily to become one of the UK’s largest John Deere turf dealers. They are also Scottish dealers for Campey, Ferris, Greentek, Grillo, Lastec, Reform, Timberwolf, Tru-Turf and Ventrac.

Another company who will be supporting November's Service Dealer Conference & Awards has been unveiled.

AGCO will be returning as a Gold Sponsor.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "This year's event is promising to be bigger and better than ever, with so much fantastic content curated specifically for the needs of our dealer delegates.

"And of course, we couldn't do this without the wonderful support of our sponsors - hence we're so pleased today to welcome back AGCO."

Jason Webb, manager, national aftersales commercial, UK & Ireland said, "At AGCO Parts & Service, we are committed to supporting end users through our extensive franchised and independent dealers in the UK.

"We are delighted to be supporting this very worthwhile Service Dealer annual conference and awards ceremony for the UK dealer network."

The theme for this year's Service Dealer Conference has been announced as Driving Success and it will take place, along with the Dealer Of The Year Awards, once again at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon on Thursday 28th November 2024.

For more information on how you can be a part of the event and to stay updated on conference news visit our website or follow us on social media @servicedealer

Redexim has announced the appointment of Curtis Allen as its new global commercial director.

Curtis Allen, centre, with Herman de Bree and Justine de Bree

In his new role, the company says Curtis will oversee worldwide sales and commercial activities, heading efforts to enhance sales operations, expand partner networks, and drive global revenue growth and customer satisfaction.

With a rich background spanning over two decades in the industry, Curtis brings a track record of success and a profound understanding of the market to his new role. His journey with Redexim began in 2005 at Charterhouse in the UK, where he initially served as a demonstrator on the Verti-Art line before assuming the role of artificial turf machinery specialist. He initially started at Redexim HQ, responsible for sales in several countries, and built strong relationships over the years with our partners worldwide, demonstrating his commitment to excellence.

Herman de Bree, COO at Redexim, said, “Curtis is an immensely driven individual, exceptionally organised, and adept at tailoring his approach to meet the diverse needs of Redexim’s global clients and partners. His extensive tenure at Redexim, combined with his comprehensive knowledge of the organisation and the market, make him an invaluable part of our company.”

Justine de Bree, CEO said, “During all his years with the company, Curtis has proven to be a highly skilled professional in all sorts of ways. His extensive commercial and global market knowledge in combination with his people management skills, make him the right man for this important position."

Curtis added, "I am honoured to have been offered this position and very much look forward to working in the field with our external global team, partners, and customers as well as our valuable internal team at the Dutch HQ  to continue to develop the Redexim business through innovation, customer service and, strong relationships”. 

According to figures released by the AEA the number of agricultural tractors registered in the UK in April 2024 remained fairly close to the seasonal average, although it was lower than in the same month last year.

At 1,158 machines, the monthly count was 10% lower than in April 2023 but was only 3% below the seasonal average over the previous five years.

Agricultural economist at the Association, Stephen Howarth, said, "The comparisons are similar for the year to date, with the 4,049 tractors registered so far this year being 13% fewer than in the opening four months of 2023 but only 4% below the average for the time of year."

Stephen continued, "Taking a longer term perspective, the number of machines logged in the last 12 months was at a three-year low of 11,231 but that is not unusually low by historic standards."

The New Holland tractor plant in Basildon, Essex played host to The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) Annual Awards Ceremony on 24th April. 

Winning undergraduate Aled Beech, right, with Graham Higginson, senior lecturer at Harper Adams

Each year, IAgrE hand out a dozen Awards to their members, and CNH have sponsored the two student awards for over a decade.

David Rapkins, CNH business director UK & ROI, said: “It’s incredibly important for us to support and encourage young talent into our industry; we’ve held this partnership for over a decade as we see the true value in celebrating the innovative ideas from the next generation."

Aled Beech, a 23-year-old from North Wales, won the undergraduate award whilst studying agricultural engineering at Harper Adams University. Born and raised on his family’s upland beef and sheep farm, Aled said his passion for engineering started at a young age. “My dad has always been a competent mechanic and when things went wrong, we had to fix them, so it has always been a part of my life," he said.

Aled’s winning project was the concept development of a control traffic farming bale chute to fit a large square baler. The chute used a hydraulic system to offset bales to the side of tramlines to accommodate a baler chaser pickup system, located on the right-hand side of the machine.

Aled said, “I’d like to extend my greatest thanks to those at CNH and IAgrE for selecting me to win the under-graduate award for my dissertation/thesis demonstrating innovation and practical application in the land-based industry. I am extremely grateful and proud to be selected.”

When asked whether he had any advice for future students applying for the Award, Aled added, “Recognise something you find interesting, and do it – ignore the barriers! Even if you lack some of the skills for the project, grab it by the horns and develop yourself as you go through it. Nothing is impossible, especially in agriculture where adaptability and working under pressure are part of day-to-day life”.

Every year, the student winners are welcomed for a visit to the CNH Plant, rewarded with a cash prize, and provided with an opportunity for an internship within CNH. One of last years’ winners now works within the Precision Technology team in Basildon.

The Student Awards (one undergraduate and one postgraduate) are open for all Universities in the UK and Ireland and are awarded to students whose dissertation/thesis best demonstrates innovation and practical application in the land-based industry. 

STIGA have announced that the first giveaway of their 'We Care, That You Care' campaign has recently taken place.

Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service is the first of the STIGA 90 who has received a whole host of gardening tools. The hospice provides specialist care and support to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, across Berkshire and into surrounding counties.

The hospice team received products including blowers, brushcutters, hedgecutters, a mower and toys.

Debbie Tonkinson, volunteer development manager said, "We are so grateful to STIGA for the wonderful donation of garden machinery. The kindness and generosity shown by STIGA is going to make a world of difference to our Gardening Club volunteers. The equipment will enable them to continue keeping our grounds looking beautiful, whilst also keeping our outside spaces safe and 'play friendly' for our children and families to enjoy.

"We feel very fortunate to have benefitted from STIGA's We Care That You Care campaign, it's a great initiative that will really help a lot of great causes. Thank you so much STIGA!"

STIGA say anyone responsible for any non-profit, community group or charity that looks after a green space and who would like to receive products from their gardening range for free, should register on the wecare.stigauk.com website. The judging panel will assess applications along with social engagement tokens and will notify those who are successful.

The organisers of the Scots Turf show say a donation of football equipment may seem like a simple gesture, but Motherwell Football Club chief executive Dawn Middleton is certain it will change the lives of the local community.

L-R: Richard Heywood, Campey Turf Care (Scots Turf); Andy Thomson, head of community football; Alan Thomson, SIS Pitches (Scots Turf)

In partnership with New World Sport, Scots Turf donated footballs, bibs, markers, coaches' notebooks and more following their second show recently. Organisers Richard Heywood and Alan Thomson say it has always been their aim to give back to sport-focused charities in Scotland, and the Motherwell FC Community Trust is the first.

As the official charity of Motherwell FC, the Trust says they leverage the club's brand and the unifying power of football to drive positive change in the local community. In 2021, a UEFA Social Return and Investment report revealed that the charity's initiatives resulted in £13.64 million worth of health benefits, saving the NHS money on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, mental health and more.

With no core income, the charity relies on fundraising and donations to operate. While you might think money is what's needed, Dawn explains that football equipment is much more important than that.

"Firstly, I'd like to express our gratitude for the donation, which really makes a difference and does change lives," Dawn said. "Sometimes people will say, 'Oh, it would be great if you got money,' but it's not about money. This donation was far more valuable to us than money.

"It’s absolutely fantastic for us because equipment is expensive, and you can never have enough. Andy, our head of Community Football does an excellent job, and coaches always ask him to spend money on equipment. It was great for us to be able to go back and supply it.

“The Trust supports a diverse range of 29 community teams, spanning from children born in 2019 to walking footballers in their 80s, women's recreational football, and disability football. Each of these groups requires their own footballs, bibs, and markers, which often get lost or damaged. The donation from Scots Turf has significantly reduced the financial , burden on the Trust, ensuring the affordability of participation for all.”

The Motherwell FC Community Trust operates in one of Scotland's most deprived areas. Due to increasing mortgage rates, food prices, and fuel costs, the community team experiences a lot of in-work poverty. Through donations, however, they have been able to limit the rise in community team monthly subscription costs to just 5p over seven years, which is invaluable for those participating.

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