Welcome to the Washington Turfgrass Seed Association
Advocating on behalf of the Turfgrass Seed Industry in Washington State by education, marketing and political outreach with the goal to grow the Turfgrass Seed industry in Washington State and beyond.
Who We Are
Founded in 2023, the Washington Turfgrass Seed Association has demonstrated success in laying the foundation for transformative advancements in turfgrass research, funding procurement and advocacy in our ongoing mission to foster the growth of the Turfgrass Seed Industry in Washington State and beyond.
Who We Are
Our mission is to advocate on behalf of the Turfgrass Seed Industry in Washington State by education, marketing and political outreach with the goal to grow the Turfgrass Seed industry in Washington State and beyond.
One area of growth for the turfgrass industry is a reduction of artificial turf in public sports fields in Washington and beyond. Falsely marketed as the “environmentally friendly” and “superior” choice, the number of artificial fields are growing and we estimate there are currently more than 500 fields within the state. Increased turfgrass research has become our priority this fiscal year because when talking with school districts, we continuously face challenges from those who run multiple uses on their sports fields. The main challenges for real grass in these fields are:
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Durability of real grass for multiple uses/events
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Proper drainage
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Proper management knowledge of maintenance staff
Artificial turf fields are viewed as a better alternative to real grass for these multi-use fields, however, they are full of PFAS contaminants, hotter than concrete in the summer, and are more expensive in the long-run for school districts. But, before any major removal of public artificial turf fields throughout the state can happen, more research on grass mixes, drainage solutions, and regionally-based maintenance toolkits for our underfunded schools must happen.
With this new directive, it was vital that WTSA make quick decisions and progress. We were able to gain roughly $700,000 in new legislative funding for this research over the 2023-2025 biennium. We were able to use money from the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) pool. MTCA is Washington's environmental cleanup law. MTCA funds and directs the investigation, cleanup, and prevention of sites that are contaminated by hazardous substances.
What We Do
Coordinated with WTSC, WSU CAHNRS & School of Design and Construction to develop a plan for increased research for turfgrass resiliency in high traffic areas.
Educated WSDA Director and staff to gain support for the program.
Educated Governor’s office to gain support for funding requests.
Gained sponsorship from Sen. Judy Warnick (Moses Lake) and Rep. Tom Dent (Moses Lake) for a budget proviso of $694,000 over the biennium for the program.
Gained bipartisan support from multiple legislators in both the state House and Senate for proviso.
Educated more than 140 state legislators and their staff about the dangers of artificial turf and benefits of natural, Washington grown turfgrass and seed.
Successfully gained full funding and support from both chambers of state government and the Governor's office for the program.
Coordinated with WTSC, WSU CAHNRS & School of Design and Construction on implementation of new state funding.
2022-2023 Accomplishments to date
Why We Need You as a Member
The mission of the Washington Turfgrass Seed Association is “To advocate on behalf of the Turfgrass Seed Industry in Washington State by education, marketing and political outreach with the goal to grow the Turfgrass Seed industry in Washington State and beyond.” As a member of the Association, you will be supporting research, education, outreach, and lobbying efforts to further benefit the Turfgrass Seed Industry in Washington State.
Annual dues include membership in the WTSA
Grower members have voting rights within the WTSA
$100
Grower
Grower
Growers who are actively involved in producing Turfgrass Seed in Washington.
Entitled to a voting seat on the WTSA Board of Directors
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Platinum Member of the WTSA on all marketing materials
$5,000-$10,000
Platinum
Entitled to a non-voting seat on the WTSA Board of Directors
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Gold Member of the WTSA on all marketing materials
$2,500-$4,999
Gold
Listed as an Associate Member on all marketing materials of the Association
$500
Associate
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Silver Member on all marketing materials of the Association
$1,000-$2,499
Silver
This category includes any business, organization or individuals which have an interest in Turfgrass Seed production, processing, and marketing. There are four levels of membership available:
Industry
Industry
This category includes any business, organization or individuals which have an interest in Turfgrass Seed production, processing, and marketing. There are four levels of membership available:
Entitled to a voting seat on the WTSA Board of Directors
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Platinum Member of the WTSA on all marketing materials
$5,000-$10,000
Platinum
Entitled to a non-voting seat on the WTSA Board of Directors
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Gold Member of the WTSA on all marketing materials
$2,500-$4,999
Gold
Voting rights within the WTSA
Listed as a Silver Member on all marketing materials of the Association
$1,000-$2,499
Silver
Annual dues include membership in the WTSA
Grower members have voting rights within the WTSA
$100
Grower
Grower
Growers who are actively involved in producing Turfgrass Seed in Washington.
Coordinated with WTSC, WSU CAHNRS & School of Design and Construction to develop a plan for increased research for turfgrass resiliency in high traffic areas.
Educated WSDA Director and staff to gain support for the program.
Educated Governor’s office to gain support for funding requests.
Gained sponsorship from Sen. Judy Warnick (Moses Lake) and Rep. Tom Dent (Moses Lake) for a budget proviso of $694,000 over the biennium for the program.
Gained bipartisan support from multiple legislators in both the state House and Senate for proviso.
Educated more than 140 state legislators and their staff about the dangers of artificial turf and benefits of natural, Washington grown turfgrass and seed.
Successfully gained full funding and support from both chambers of state government and the Governor's office for the program.
Coordinated with WTSC, WSU CAHNRS & School of Design and Construction on implementation of new state funding.