NATURAL GRASS ADVISORY GROUP™
ABOUT
Natural Grass Advisory Group™ is an independent education, advisory, management and analytics firm focused on the improvement of natural grass sport surfaces. NGAG™ was founded with a single mission: Establish that grass fields CAN take more!
​Based on positive thinking and creativity, NGAG™ solutions are always budget conscious and environmentally responsible. From staff training and maintenance planning, to renovation and construction oversight, to field testing and data analytics.
Working with clients from parks and schools to professional grounds and stadiums, from field managers and executives to coaches, players and parents, NGAG™ wants EVERYONE to discover that grass fields ARE an economical, safe, and high use option.
MEET OUR LEAD ADVISOR
JERAD MINNICK
Jerad Minnick, a long time natural grass sports field manager, brings his on field experience, innovative spirit and passion for improving natural grass fields to Natural Grass Advisory Group™ as our Founder and Lead Advisor.
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Having grown up on a family farm in the village of Lock Springs, Missouri, plants and soils are in Jerad's bloodline. His transition from growing soybeans to grass on a sports field took place early in life at 13 years old when he and his brothers built a baseball field in the pasture next to their house. That progressed into starting a mowing company and working at the local golf course in high school.
Jerad earned a Bachelor's of Science in Turfgrass Management from University of Missouri while serving as Associate Sports Field Manager of baseball and soccer at Mizzou. He started his management career at Kauffman Stadium with the Kansas City Royals as the Manager of Grounds. Just after his 28th birthday, Minnick was named Director of Field Maintenance for Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City. With Sporting, Jerad established one of the top field management programs in MLS. But Jerad became more widely known during his time as Director of Grounds and Environmental Management for the 24 field, 160 acre Maryland SoccerPlex. At SoccerPlex, Minnick and his management team re-defined what is possible for high traffic natural grass fields and re-wrote the the book on field maintenance techniques. From aggressive aeration to the creation of Universe® Fraze Mowing. And from reduced fertilizer inputs to renovating fields using Kentucky bluegrass seed on bare sand to play in 35 days: All things that traditional thinking "experts" and Universities say can not be done. These POSSIBILITIES opened Jerad's eyes to the need for forward-thinking, creative support and innovation for natural grass field managers faced with high-use on their surfaces.
This realization lead Jerad to launch Growing Green Grass, an independent blog where he shares ideas on the possibilities of natural grass fields. The launch of Growing Green Grass created an entirely new world of possibilities for natural grass fields. Soon after, Natural Grass Advisory Group™ was established to provide the education, advisory, management and analytics that had not previously been available. Now with the establishment of Natural Grass Performance Analytic™, data and numbers simplify the challenge of high-use natural grass fields. That DATA has Jerad EXTREMELY excited about the future for high-use grass fields and for the respect and health of the field management industry.
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In addition to his advisory work, Jerad is a featured motivational speaker and subject matter expert at dozens of events, conferences and workshops throughout the year. Hope hopes to see you out on the field somewhere soon!
