Standard roll harvesting is taking place on the left, while big rolls are being loaded to the right, in this photo of a Wagner Sod production field.
Once they were old enough to help, Norb and Paul began working in the field, too. Norb says, “I remember sitting on the top of the walk-behind sod cutter so I could have enough down pressure for harvesting. Paul would drive a truck by standing on the seat and Dad would come and turn it around for him at the end of the row.”
As the sod business grew bigger, Mary Ann ran the office, handled the phone calls and did the office work. Tey bought an engine-powered Ryan sod cutter. Willard says, “It had a little chop off attachment and a little trailer that would roll up the sod, rather than having to roll it by hand. Tat was a big step up. It even had a seat attachment.”
Willard was enrolled in the work-study program throughout high school. Norb says, “By the time Paul and I hit high school, we didn’t need to sign up for the work- study program. Tey automatically scheduled our math, English and other core classes in the morning so we could work on the farm in the afternoon. Tat made it harder for Pete, because he wanted to do other things like play sports. Te rest of us just did it.”
Norb and Paul add, “Some days we stayed home and worked during the school year because Dad needed our help. Tat’s just what you did growing up in the family business back then. Dad would ask if we had any friends that could work during the afternoons, on weekends, and during the summer, and we always did. Everybody helped everybody; your friends helped you and you helped your friends. Te majority of those that came worked well. But those that didn’t work as hard as we all did, didn’t last long. A lot of friends and relatives that have worked with us caught that work ethic. Many of them have told us that
TPI Turf News May/June 2019 it has helped them as they moved on in work and in life.”
Growing the Business Paul says, “Te business really took off about 1979. Dad had been renting land and growing his own sod, so he was able to deliver a consistently good product. Ten he decided to start working more directly with the end users, supplying sod for single-family homeowners and lots of town homes. Te harvesting and installation at that point was all by hand.”
Norbert, Sr. bought his first farm in 1981, around 200 acres, near Northfield, MN. As the business grew, he bought additional farms close by. Tat first farm is the central farm now, hub of all the sod and row crop production that takes place on the 570 acres of company- owned farms, and the host site for TPI’s 2019 Field Day.
Willard says, “Dad gradually upgraded the equipment, too, and each new purchase made the work easier and more efficient. We all remember how excited Dad and Mom were when they bought their first semi. Getting the 3-point hitch tractor was a big step because we could operate lots of different equipment with it. Dad bought our first Bobcat in 1984 or 1985.”
“We implemented a landscaping and irrigation business in 1988 because we’d seen the needs of our builders,” says Norb. “Te majority of our customers’ questions were around watering. We decided that if we did the irrigation and helped our customers get a watering program established, they’d have better lawns when we walked away. Te landscape design and installation and the lawn care made the total package.”
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