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Your first stop for products and services
to help you do the "business of camp" should
be the business pages
of the ACA Web site where you will find
a listing of all Business Affiliates that
support the camp industry. You will also
find links to unique products, new product
releases and special savings. Check the Web
site regularly to find everything you need
for camp!
 Save
Up to 28% on all John Deere Equipment
ACA has developed a special partnership
with John Deere Company to help you
maintain your camps! ACA camps can
now obtain quotes on equipment by visiting
your local John Deere dealer. Identify
yourself as part of the ACA discount
program with John Deere and as an ACA
camp. The ACA discount program is listed
on the dealer's pathways site under
National Accounts. John Deere dealers
will give you a discounted quote on
equipment and demonstrate the equipment
you are interested in.
Discounts range up to 28%
off the retail price. Commercial
mowers, tractors attachments,
gator utility vehicles, and
hand-held power equipment are
included in the program. You
can check out equipment and
prices online at www.johndeere.com or
call John Deere National Accounts
at 800-358-5010 option 2. Place
your order before December
31 and ACA and your ACA
local office will receive a
donation from John Deere!
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"We were in
desperate need of some new equipment
(a tractor and a utility vehicle).
I contacted my local John Deere
dealer, where ACA members receive
substantial discounts. The savings
were significantly in excess of
my annual ACA membership dues.
It’s good to be in the ACA." |
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— Tony Stein,
President of ACA, New York, and Director
of Echo Lake in Warrensburg, New
York |
Products and services
mentioned in Spotlight on Business have
not necessarily been used or reviewed
by the American Camp Association and
mention of them does not constitute an
endorsement from ACA.
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No Time to Let Lawn
Care Hibernate – Tips
from John Deere
Cooler weather is no reason to let lawn care hibernate for the season. A few
easy steps taken now can help prevent damage and delays come spring. To ensure
a healthy lawn next spring, the experts at John
Deere offer a few recommendations:
Store your mower properly.
- Tighten all nuts and bolts.
- Check belts, filters, and safety shields.
- Change the oil.
- Sharpen the blade.
- Add a fuel stabilizer to help protect
against clogs in the carburetor from
old fuel. After adding the stabilizer,
run the engine for five minutes.
Organize, repair, and store.
- Review all pesticide labels and fuel
cans and sit them high on a shelf where
children can't reach them.
- Make sure fertilizer is in a dry place
to prevent any moisture damage.
- Wash and dry all metal tools, and then
spray them with a good household oil
to prevent rust.
- Clean mowing equipment and inspect
it carefully for cracks or loose hardware.
For more information on lawn mower storage
and maintenance, visit www.johndeere.com.
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Planning to Purchase
Lawn and Field Care Equipment?
Has your precious tractor turned into
a dust collector, parked permanently in
the maintenance building? Maybe it's
time to think about purchasing a new mower
to tackle those endless landscaping projects
around your camp. Choosing the right
mower for your camp property may seem like
a daunting task. However, by following
these simple steps, you can take the guesswork
out of this purchase:
Know your landscape. The key to
buying a new mower is knowing the type
of machine your landscape needs. Take a
walk around. How much space do you mow?
Is it flat and smooth, or sloping? Do you
need to mow around trees, cabins, and other
buildings or plow the driveway? If you're
working with areas of less than half an
acre, a walk-behind mower will do the trick.
Do you have inclines? John Deere
offers an array of self-propelled mowers
that will make cutting up and down those
hills quick and effortless. A ride-on mower
or tractor may be a better choice for those
with larger acreage, but make sure to pay
attention to the mower's maneuverability
if you have to tightly turn around many
obstacles. These days, riding mowers
offer different options for traction and
turn radius with the added versatility
of attachments.
All grass isn't alike. Grass comes
in many different shapes and sizes. How
thick and course your grass is will determine
the type of mower required. Lawns with
thicker, tougher grass will require a mower
with higher horsepower and bigger, taller
wheels. If you want your mower to last
for a while, you'll need to make
sure you have enough power to handle the
grass and fields in your camp.
How handy are you? Ask yourself, how often
am I going to use my mower? If you know
you'll be putting your mower to good
use, make sure you purchase a machine you'll
know how to maintain and tune properly.
Choose a brand with a reputable maintenance
record or take advantage of John Deere's
Ready To Mow ™ mobile maintenance
service. A well-kept, clean mower and tractor
can last for many years.
Check your wallet. What's your
budget like? Thanks to advancements in
technology, even the more basic models
offer nice amenities like cruise control
and hydrostatic steering. Talk with your
local dealer or retailer and tell him what
your needs are. They know their equipment
and can help you make the right decisions
for the right amount. AND DON'T FORGET
TO ASK FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE ACA DISCOUNT.
YOU WILL SAVE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS!
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Some Other Lawn & Field
Care Hints
Mower deck adjustment. Adjusting
the height of the mower deck enhances stress
tolerance put on the blades of grass. The
experts at John Deere recommend their one-third
rule for mowing – Only the top one-third
of the blade of grass should be cut. This
will reduce the chances of the grass burning.
Thirsty lawns need
water. Summer
can be tough on a lawn or sports field.
Signs of dehydration include curling grass
blades and a bluish-green color. Another
sign is footprinting – if you can
see your footprints in the grass, your
grass is thirsty. Most lawns and
fields need about an inch of water per
week. If you are unsure of how long
to water, put a mark one inch from the
bottom of several plastic containers and
spread around the watering zone. Clock
the time it takes to reach the one-inch
mark and water for that length of time
in the future.
Dealing with drought. No one likes
the effects of drought on grass. First,
follow any water restrictions in your area.
If grass is still growing into the drought,
mow on the high side to encourage roots
to go deeper. Lengthen the time between
irrigations but water thoroughly but efficiently,
wasting no water on runoff. Do not
water for just a short amount of time a
few times a week. This invites weeds to
grow. During severe water shortages,
let your grass go dormant. Your grass
can actually survive a few months of no
water and will recover quickly once rain
returns.
Fertilizer, yeah
or nay? Fertilizer
can help revitalize a stressed lawn or
field as long as it has enough water. If
you irrigate or it's a rainy summer,
the grass will be encouraged to grow. When
a field is growing steadily, experts at
John Deere recommend keeping it well fed.
If you use fertilizer in a dry summer,
you strengthen the chances of burning your
grass.
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