SODCO, INC.—CONSERVATION INNOVATORS By Suz Trusty
Editor’s Note: Tis is the seventh in a series of articles showcasing TPI member businesses whose operations are growing through a combination of innovation, utilization of technology, and outreach to upcoming generations, internally and externally. If you have a story to tell or know of someone that you’d like to hear more about, please contact your editors.
Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) is a conglomerate of family businesses; each based on the dream of the founders and built on their vision for the future. Teir commitment to achieving their goals took continual improvement accomplished through a combination of dedication and innovation. Tat laid the groundwork for the next generation and created the opportunity to grow the company by working together.
agriculture career by growing potatoes, and in 1968 was one of the first to experiment with turf, eventually having one of the largest turf farms in Rhode Island. Tucker used his engineering background to design and build farm machinery. He was in the forefront of farming innovations in Rhode Island, including being the first to own a wheel row irrigation system. He is known throughout the East Coast for his production of potatoes and sod, and more recently has protected the bulk of the farm’s productive land by selling development rights to the Town of North Kingstown and State of Rhode Island.” H. Winfield Tucker died at home January 16, 2010, following years of success as a farmer and savvy business man.
Tis drone photo centers on the operational hub of Sodco, Inc.
One Family’s Story Te story of Sodco, Inc. begins with H. Winfield Tucker, a 1943 graduate of Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering, served briefly in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and became an experienced pilot, all before he purchased 250 acres near Slocum, Rhode Island, in 1950.
As noted in his 2007 induction into the Rhode Island Agricultural Hall of Fame, “… he eventually enlarged his land holdings to include 1300 acres. He began his
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Te current 526-acre farm is thought to be the largest contiguous farm in Rhode Island. It had been devoted to vegetable production and dairy cattle by generations of farmers before Winfield’s purchase. In fact, shortly after World War II, the Department of Agriculture put out a postcard that stated it was the highest yielding per acre potato farm in the world.
Potatoes were initially the primary crop for Winfield, too. His move to sod production was prompted by the advice of his good friend, University of Rhode Island agronomy professor, the late Dr. C. Richard Skogley. And the start was small, with five acres of bluegrass planted in 1968. As
TPI Turf News January/February 2019
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