John Deere Power Products, Inc. presented a gift of specialized turf management and grounds-keeping equipment Wednesday morning (May 19) to Tusculum College for use on athletic fields, particularly Pioneer Park, the baseball field.

Initially, the equipment will get its heaviest use maintaining the baseball field used by the Tusculum College baseball team and the Greeneville Astros, the Houston Astros rookie-league affiliate team, once it begins play in June. The equipment will also be available for use on other athletic fields at Tusculum.

The Tusculum College baseball field, part of the college's Scott M. Niswonger Sports Complex, is designed to major league standards. Maintaining the field to such standards requires specialized equipment of the sort being provided by John Deere, said Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry at a Wednesday morning press conference at the baseball stadium.

With the infield and newly roofed stands of the stadium as his backdrop, Dr. Henry said, “John Deere has been very generous to donate this equipment to us." He recognized and thanked the John Deere employees in attendance, most wearing their John Deere company shirts.

Mike Taylor, factory manager of John Deere, said, "This community has done so much for our business and for our employees for the past 15 years. This is just a small, small token of our appreciation."

“As a company and a facility, we are anxious to see this equipment being used on the Astros’ field and the football field,” Taylor said, standing in front of the line of green-painted John Deere equipment in the center of the beautifully turfed field.

Taylor recounted how the gift from John Deere grew out of an inquiry by Greeneville businessman and philanthropist Scott Niswonger about the possibility of John Deere donating some equipment for field maintenance. Niswonger is personally funding development of the sports complex and is actively involved in its development.

At the press conference, Niswonger thanked the company for its generosity. “To have corporate citizens like John Deere is a wonderful thing for our community,” he said. Niswonger, an alumnus of the College, is one of its trustees and the most generous benefactor in its history.

With the impressive line of green equipment stretching out behind him, Niswonger joked that the large gift of varied equipment started with a request for "one leaf blower," then grew.

While the press conference took place, construction of the seating area of the baseball stadium continued in the background. Once completed, the stadium will seat about 2,500 people. Though the project will not wrap up until spring or summer of 2005, the stadium will be far enough along for use of the Astros next month.

Among the equipment donated by John Deere is a high-quality fairway mower, a front mower with a 72-inch flex deck, a tractor featuring a loader, field cultivator, tiller, and rear blade, a core aerator, two Progators (John Deere-brand heavy-duty hauling vehicles), a walk-behind greens mower, a backpack blower, a stick edger, and a large power trash collection system.

Most of the items, all painted in gleaming new John Deere green, were on display during the press conference. Taylor and others of the John Deere team described the equipment functions to inquirers. Taylor had high praise for employees of the local John Deere plant, who had worked hard for days to ensure the equipment would be ready for delivery to the College on Wednesday.

Also present at the press conference were Lynsi House and John Doyle of the Greeneville Astros management team. House, Astros office manager, talked to press members about the Astros' own plans for field maintenance during their season and the turf management professionals that the Astros are putting in place to keep the field in top condition for their playing season.

The Greeneville Astros are the Appalachian League affiliate of the Houston Astros. The Astros begin their season on June 21 at Elizabethton, and start their 34-game home season at Pioneer Park on June 25. For Astros information, call 423-638-0411, or visit greenevilleastros.com.

Initially working out of office space in the General Morgan Inn in downtown Greeneville, the Greeneville Astros now are headquartered in the press box building at Tusculum College, overlooking Pioneer Field, the college's football field. Eventually they will have offices in a new facility nearer the baseball stadium.

John Deere Power Products, Inc., of Greeneville is a member of the Greene County Partnership, which in its membership directory lists the local industry as an employer of about 1,000 people. The company is located at 1 630 Hal Henard Road. It has been part of the Greene County Partnership since 1988, and manufactures mowing equipment.