TPI PRESIDENT DANIEL HUGGETT— ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD
By Suz Trusty
Daniel Huggett is a keen observer with the analytical mind of a strategist. He prefers not to be a pioneer for new ideas. Instead, he watches new products, procedures, and technologies as they are introduced; watches the people who are early adopters; asks questions and listens to the answers with an open mind; and makes business decisions based on the information he’s gleaned. Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) is the most effective vehicle for gaining industry-related information and for building networking connections across the U.S. and around the world. He encourages all sod producers to join and get involved.
Huggett, Daniel’s Dad, had completed his college studies in pre-med and had been accepted into a medical school when he decided to go back to the farm. Daniel says, “Looking back now, it’s clear he did much better in farming, both financially and in quality of life, than he would have been able to do as a doctor.”
Wallace started Huggett Sod Farm with 249 acres in Mariette, Michigan, which he bought from his Dad, Dow. In 1961, Dow Daniel was born. (Daniel is named after his Grandfather, who was called Dow, so he is known to family and friends as Daniel.) His brother Mark was born in 1962. Like most farm families, the brothers helped, gradually assuming more responsibility with increased age and competence, working their way up from the field crew to production, sales, and truck driving.
Sod farming has its up-and-down cycles. Sod farming was good when the Huggetts started another revenue stream, harvesting grass clippings to turn into chicken food pellets to make the egg yolks dark yellow. Tey were shipping across much of the northeast. When the Middle East oil crisis brought the U.S. gas embargo in 1973, shipping costs escalated. So they switched much of their production to peppermint and spearmint but continued growing sod. Ten the Detroit auto industry slump caused sod sales to drop.
TPI 2025 President Daniel Huggett and his wife Jamie enjoy travel including trips in conjunction with TPI events.
Tis is your 2025 TPI President. Daniel Huggett, a third- generation sod farmer, owns and operates Columbus Turf Nursery in Ashville, Ohio. He’s a longtime TPI member who was elected to the TPI Board of Trustees during the Annual Meeting held in Charlotte, North Carolina, on February 19, 2019, and took office in January of 2020. After three years as a trustee, he served as TPI Secretary/ Treasurer in 2023 and as Vice President in 2024. His term as TPI President began on January 1, 2025. If you have attended a TPI Conference, you have likely interacted with Daniel and his wife, Jamie, as they excel in welcoming new members to the TPI family and helping them make networking connections.
Family History in Sod Production
Te Huggett family farm grew peppermint and spearmint. Around 1955, they heard about sod as a crop from Dr. James B Beard then at Michigan State University. Tey tried growing bluegrass sod on five acres, and it did well, so they increased their production to 10 acres. Wallace
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Wallace Huggett added a second farm, Trinity Turf Nursery, to diversify his sod sales market.
In 1982, Wallace wanted to diversify his market, so he expanded his sod business with a second farm, Trinity Turf Nursery in Pilot Point, Texas. Tat farm originally grew tall fescue. It now grows Tifway 419, Tifway 419 Certified, Tifton 10, and Celebration Bermudagrasses, and three varieties of Zoysiagrass.
Daniel says, “Dad had 1,200 acres in production in Michigan, plus the new Texas farm when Mark and I went to college. I worked in sales for Trinity Turf during one of my college summer breaks.”
TPI Turf News January/February 2025
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