PRESIDENT’S TURF Get Engaged—Get in the Game!
2025 TPI Board of Trustees
Officers Daniel Huggett
As I wrote this message, I was looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2025 TPI International Education Conference & Field Day in San Antonio, which was just two weeks out. Te U.S. Sod Checkoff Referendum voting was still underway. Voting would end on February 11, the second day of the Conference. We are yet to learn the results of that vote.
What we do know now is that the referendum created engagement. It brought out producers with small and large farms, TPI members, non-TPI members, sod farmers from nearly every state north to south and coast to coast all engaging in discussion about the referendum. Everyone has the right as an American to express their opinion and to vote their mind. I respect that and I appreciate it. And whatever the outcome of the referendum, I hope everyone’s engagement will continue.
Sod is an important specialty crop in the U.S. According to the 2019 Census of Agriculture, 1,465 sod farms were operating in the U.S. in 2017, harvesting collectively 340,000 acres, with an annual revenue reported at approximately $1.2 billion in sales (USDA-NASS, 2019). Yet we were not even on the radar and TPI had to fight to get sod recognized as an agricultural product. Why is our voice not heard? To be recognized as a professional industry—not an unknown—we must promote ourselves. If the referendum passes it would provide the resources for research and promotion to make an impact on the level needed to have our say.
Our industry has challenges. Natural grass continues to face reductions, restrictions, and bans. Legislation planned to take effect in Colorado in 2028 prevents sod installations. Once legislation gains enough momentum, it keeps going. We need research to provide current, accurate data to inform our legislators so we can help them counter these attacks.
On the labor front, we need to be making sod production jobs more appealing to bring local workers to our farms. More funding for research reaches more universities across the U.S. which gets more people involved in the natural grass industry. A bigger academic presence gives students greater exposure to natural grass as a career option not only in four-year college programs but also in community colleges. Increased exposure in the ag programs in high schools would open opportunities to develop apprentice programs that pay students as they work and learn and lead to good career matches without the student loan debt.
As we await the referendum results, we’re continuing our outreach. TPI and TLI are again joining other lawn and landscape associations in the April Is… National Lawn Care Month promotion. It helps educate consumers why natural grass is the best choice for them and the environment.
Tis is our living; this is our industry. If we are not engaged and we don’t promote it—no one else will.
Let’s all be engaged in our natural grass industry! Daniel Huggett
2 TPI Turf News March/April 2025
President Daniel Huggett Columbus Turf Nursery – U.S.A. +1-740-983-6580
danielh@columbus-turf.com
Vice President Larry LeMay A-G Sod Farms, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-559-289-2302
llemay@agsod.com
Secretary-Treasurer Wade Wilbur Sod Shop – U.S.A. +1-913-814-0044
wade@sodshops.com
Past President Diane Mischel DeBuck’s Sod Farm, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-810-653-2201
office@debucksodfarm.com
Executive Director Casey Reynolds, PhD Turfgrass Producers International – U.S.A. +1-847-649-5555
CReynolds@TurfgrassSod.org
Trustees Charles Harris Buy Sod – U.S.A. +1-910-992-6080
charris@buysod.com
Eric Hjort Tater Farms – U.S.A. +1-904-692-2246
eric_hjort@taterfarms.com
Sarah Nolte Blue Grass Enterprises, Inc. – U.S.A. +1-391-842-2165
sarah@bgsod.com
Adam Russell MVP Genetics – U.S.A. +1-971-718-4525
arussell@mvpgenetics.com
Justin Thomas Prime Sod – U.S.A. +1-817-565-9960
justin@primesod.com
Kurt Vanclief Willowlee Sod Farms, Limited – Canada +1-613-966-0338
kurt@willowleesod.com
Eric Webb Raft River Sod – U.S.A. +1-208-878-5740
eric@raftriversod.com
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