Matthew Martin
State ESP Early Career Award

. Professional Achievements:
Enthusiastic and always willing to help others are two ways to describe Matt Martin, Area Specialized Agent, Turfgrass for Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender Counties. Matt began his extension career following graduate school in 1996 as Turfgrass Area Specialized Agent for three counties: Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender Counties. In 2000, Matt requested the additional responsibility of also serving Onslow County due to its rapid turfgrass industry growth. Matt's enthusiasm and willingness to serve any client who requests his help has earned him a loyal following in the North Carolina Turfgrass Industry. Matt is well respected by his University and Industry Turfgrass Peers for his professional knowledge and eagerness to always help.

Matt is also a leader. He has served as a mentor for two NC Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents. In 1999, Matt received the 1999 Turfgrass Council of North Carolina Eagles Award honoring him as a Leading Mentor of the NC Turfgrass Industry. In 2000, Matt served as President of the Southeast District Agricultural Agents Association. He is very active in turfgrass issues including serving on the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina Board of Directors, Cape Fear Golf Course Superintendents Association Board of Directors, Turfgrass Council of North Carolina Annual Meeting Planning Committee, Brunswick Community College Turfgrass Program Advisory Committee and the Cape Fear Community College Horticulture Program Advisory Committee, and the Certified Crop Applicators Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Matt has served on numerous committees for the Southeastern District Agricultural Agents Association and the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina.

Matt provides turfgrass programs for professional turfgrass managers across North Carolina. Matt is a leader in providing research based information for all types of turfgrass managers. He is asked by a variety of different groups to provide turfgrass education. Matt speaks annually at over 90 meetings on different turfgrass subjects. He has developed over 75 power point presentations on turfgrass management issues. Matt's turfgrass programs include information pest (disease, insect, and weed) management, turfgrass establishment and maintenance, local research information, and turfgrass environment stewardship.

Matt provides on-site diagnostic turfgrass knowledge and expertise for Golf Course Superintendents, Landscape Contractors, Sod Producers, Athletic Field Managers, Homeowners, Engineers, and Cooperative Extension Agents throughout the year. He has an excellent reputation among clients for his broad turfgrass knowledge base. Matt makes over 150 on-site turfgrass diagnostic visits annually. Matt has also conducted over 75 on-site turfgrass research studies in conjunction with NCSU Turfgrass Specialist. His information provides turfgrass managers' research-based information to make effective and environmentally sound decisions.

Matt has been a leader in providing educational programs and resources for one of North Carolina's fastest growing and dynamic industries. In 1996, Matt began the Southeastern North Carolina Professional Turfgrass Conference. This annual meeting provides turfgrass mangers from across the Southeastern United States the opportunity to interact with turfgrass extension and research faculty. Participants are provided the opportunity to receive NCDA pesticide recertification credits and Golf Course Superintendent Association of America recertification credits. Speakers at the Southeastern NC Turfgrass Conference are at the forefront in turfgrass industry research throughout the United States. Since 1996, over 1000 professional turfgrass managers have attended this program. Matt also serves as the director of the Cape Fear Golf Course Superintendents Association providing ten monthly educational meetings per year in addition to the Southeastern NC Professional Turfgrass Conference. These meetings offer golf course superintendents and professional turfgrass managers' educational information and pesticide recertification credit opportunities throughout the year.

Since 1997, Matt has received four NCDA Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund Grants totaling $19,482 to establish a Plastic Pesticide Container Program for Golf Courses and turfgrass managers in Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender Counties. Recycling plastic pesticide containers from golf courses and other turfgrass managers has been an enormous success. The goal of the program was to offer golf courses an alternative to throwing pesticide containers into landfills. Since the program began in 1997, over 11,000 plastic pesticide containers have been collected and recycled into usable materials. This program was highlighted in an article published in Golf Course Management magazine. This magazine is published by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America with over 40,000 subscribers. This program also won the 1997 Outstanding County Program Award from the Association of County Commissioners. Matt also received the 1998 North Carolina Association of Agricultural Agents State Winner - Environmental Protection through Responsible Use of Pesticides - Urban Category Award for his work with this program.

In 1996, Matt began a Worker Safety Program for Turfgrass Industry Professionals. This program offers up-to-date information about worker safety laws. Since 1997, over 475 turfgrass industry personnel have completed this program. Participants are provided with an eight hour training class and a notebook that outlines safety policies and procedures. Additionally, training materials provide templates for safety information that can be used by the employer to document worker safety issues in the workplace.

Protecting water quality and environmental education is vital for turfgrass managers. Matt has provided innovative programs for turfgrass managers that have generated national attention. He directed an EPA 319 Water Quality Grant and Turfgrass Council of North Carolina Water Quality Study that monitored golf course water quality for three years. Information gathered in these research studies provided valuable turfgrass nutrient management information for the turfgrass industry. The "Is Golfing Greener? The Impact of Golf Courses on the Coastal Environment" Symposium examined the efforts being made in golf course design and management to make golfing an environmentally sound activity in Southeastern North Carolina and nationwide. This event was attended by over 400 individuals from across the county. Since 1999, Matt has also been the lead instructor for turfgrass education for North Carolina River Basin Nutrient Management Training Meetings.

Significance
Matt Martin, Area Specialized Agent, Turfgrass for Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender Counties provides diverse and valuable research-based turfgrass information programs for NC Cooperative Extension. He has loyal support from his clients due to his tireless efforts to provide high quality programs and information. He teaches and promotes Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for golf course superintendents, landscape contractors, homeowners, and other turfgrass managers. His programs for turfgrass managers provide pesticide recertification conferences and meetings, on-site diagnostic services, on-site IPM research studies, water quality studies and information, plastic pesticide container recycling, and worker's safety training.