Tomas Turfgrass is a sod farm that aspires to be a part of its community. Te business has donated several athletic fields near the farm. “We donated entire fields and we installed the grass for both private and public schools.
Roberto Gurgel, executive director of research for Sod Solutions (left) and Seth Tomas (right) check out the Texas A&M soccer field.
Future
Tomas Turfgrass planted sprigs on Kyle Field at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
We’ve done a lot of repair work for baseball and athletic fields for little leagues, schools and town leagues that don’t need a full replacement, but infield and portions of the field replaced,” Emory shared.
Tomas Turfgrass also provides partial scholarships to people who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to go to college. “We look for people that we can actually help in the community and that always comes back to help us in the long run,” Emory said.
COVID-19
Over the past year, Tomas Turfgrass has taken precautions during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep everyone healthy. Emory explained they have five bunkhouses for their H-2A visa employees. He said between these houses and their installation crews traveling to and from sites, they are trying to keep everyone safe. “It’s pretty alarming and kind of scary but we just have to keep moving forward and do the best we can,” Emory said. Te business has purchased disinfectants, hand sanitizers and Emory said for the most part the employees have done a good job of keeping things clean. He said that some people have started working from home and will continue to do that until risks are reduced.
Tomas Turfgrass has not had as many athletic field installations during the pandemic. Tis year, they have started to see things steadily pick back up.
Emory said the future of Tomas Turfgrass is dependent on the political climate. “I’ll be a little boastful about our state. We’re very fortunate to live in Texas,” he said. Emory said they plan for Tomas Turfgrass to double in size within the next 10 years. He explains they are happy at the size they are at right now but will continue to grow at a steady pace while improving what they have.
“We always give God the credit for everything that we’ve done. He’s the reason. He’s given us the ability and the wherewithal to do it. God has blessed us with a great team and of course a family operation and I am very happy with that and very thankful,” he concluded.
Cecilia Brown is Media and Content Manager for Sod Solutions. This article was developed for the company’s Producers Update series and is posted on their website,
SodSolutions.com.
Photos provided by Sod Solutions.
In a YouTube video, Emory Tomas reported that Tomas Turfgrass grows eight varieties of bermudagrass, two varieties of St. Augustine, and four varieties of Zoysia, with 1,500 acres in production spread across four different farms. Te majority of their sod is sand-based, which is preferred for the sports fields and golf courses that make up 40 percent of their sales. Te remaining 60 percent of their sales are for commercial and residential properties.
24 TPI Turf News May/June 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
