Students are encouraged to participate in additional extra-curricular activities and clubs and many students are active in leadership opportunities. Horticulture students practice leadership skills in Horticulture Club, Turf Club, Ag Council and in the many extra-curricular clubs and organizations on campus.

Through the departmental clubs, Horticulture Club and Turf Club, students gain knowledge about internships, job skills, the professional network of colleagues, and socially get connected. Both clubs provide community-service learning opportunities. The students attend state and national commodity group conferences and participate in seminars and trade shows at each of the events. Both clubs have representation on the Agriculture Student Council of the College of Agriculture and are valid organizations within the Government of the Student Body of Iowa State University.

Department of Horticulture Turf Club Team Wins Ninth Turf Bowl Title in 10 Years

The Department of Horticulture Turf Club student team won first place at the 2011 Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition at the annual Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Education Conference on Feb. 10 in Orlando.

This is the ninth time an ISU team has won the competition over the past 10 years. Iowa State competed against 87 teams from 32 colleges and universities. The winning team members, who are all horticulture majors, include Zach Simons, a senior from Quincy, Ill.; Quincy Law, a senior from Clear Lake; Jason Van Engen, a senior from Primghar; and Nick Dunlap, a senior from North Liberty. The team is coached by Marcus Jones, Department of Horticulture.

"This is a very difficult competition to win, and to do it repeatedly is an amazing achievement," said Jeffery Iles, Professor and Chair of the Department of Horticulture. "Our students enjoy their status as being the team to beat, and it's a point of pride for our department and for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. But most importantly, the students who represent us are outstanding people. The entire campus can take pride in their victory and in the way they wear the cardinal and gold."

The team was awarded a traveling trophy and a $4,000 cash prize, which goes to the ISU Turf Club. The competition, sponsored by John Deere Golf, consists of a written exam and a written essay.