is great, very open to questions and always willing to help,” she says. “His farm is very well organized and well maintained. My peer-to-peer cohort contact is Weston Guetterman, of Grass Roots Sod Farm, also in the Kansas City area. I visited their family farm on that same trip. Weston was a great tour guide. We grow warm-season grasses, St. Augustine, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass. It was interesting to see their cool-season grass production and how they do crop rotations amongst their sod. Weston visited our farm in conjunction with the San Antonio TPI conference. He asked great questions during the tour and asked Willie a lot of questions about building the business, picking up ideas for their farm.”


Haley participated in the Italy tour. She loved networking with the cohort members, all the other U.S. TPI members, and sod producers from other parts of the world. “I got so much good advice from them and have them as future contacts. I learned so much about how other farms operate to work with their culture, environment, and resources. We do a lot differently and a lot the same. Visiting the big sports stadiums was eye-opening to see all that is involved in growing sod for that specialty situation. It motivated me to explore getting into the sports field market.”


Haley made one of the 10 in 5 minute presentations during the TPI San Antonio Conference. She’s passionate about her topic, “Intentionally Growing Your Relationship with Organizations to Help Advocate for Natural Grass.” Horizon works with their local FFA chapters, the Texas FFA State Officers, and the Texas Farm Bureau. She says, “Our involvement with these organizations has opened doors of opportunity to spread the importance of natural grass sod over the use of artificial turf. With the help of these organizations and their individuals, we can increase the awareness and advocacy for the value of our sod industry as a whole.”


Haley appreciates Nathan Whitaker’s ability to draw all the cohort members into group discussions. She says, “He’s encouraging us to become better leaders and to make each member of our teams feel valued to more effectively strive for the same goal—to produce and sell the best sod.”


Haley adds, “Te Future Leaders Fellowship Program has challenged me to expand my knowledge of the industry and sharpen my leadership skills. I’m grateful for the friendships that have flourished within our group and know we will help each other advocate for the natural sod industry for years to come. I am already recommending the program to others.”


Duey Eash is Farm Manager for Sod Shop, Inc. at the company’s Lawrence, Kansas, location. Te Sod Shop is a family-owned business that evolved from the Wilbur family’s long-time farming background, with its first location in Wichita, Kansas. Wade Wilbur, President of Sod Shop, Inc., is the sixth generation involved in agriculture.


Duey says, “As farm manager, I oversee all aspects of turfgrass production as well as the preventative maintenance, repair work on the farm equipment and the truck fleet, and I oversee the H-2A housing. We primarily serve the Lawrence and Kansas City metro area.


Tey are currently growing 600 to 650 acres of tall fescue. Tey also grow about 20 acres of Kentucky bluegrass sod, all under center pivot irrigation. Te Sod Shop sod fields are located right off the Kansas River near Lawrence in a 35-mile loop from their Headquarters. “We incorporate a soybean rotation in our sod fields when we’re able to,” says Duey. “After our sod is harvested in late fall and early spring, we plant short-season soybeans. After the soybean harvest, we plant turfgrass back in the fall. We also have the option to put down field netting, so we have the flexibility to harvest the sod as early as 6 to 8 months, if needed.”


He reports they use FireFly harvesters for sod rolls, Magnum SRA’s for big rolls. Tey have a fleet of seven trucks. Tey use Harlo and Case forklifts in the fields and Donkey forklifts for deliveries. Most of their tractors are


TPI Turf News September/October 2025 13


Duey (Duane) Eash Sod Shop, Inc.


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