production, and agronomic practices. It also asked about technological and management advances, including land stewardship, past and anticipated challenges, business transition plans, efficiency improvements, financial progress, organizational and community involvement, hobbies, and a list of sources of top business and farm input suppliers, and banks.”
In addition to that, before the award recipient announcement, Torres came to the sod farm for a tour with Doug. “He was the person that I dealt with throughout the process. Te site visit was an interesting part of it. His questions and comments were all connected to the details requested in the application.”
A panel of three judges evaluated all the applications received and selected the recipients in late March. After the award recipients were selected, Christian Torres made a second site visit to each of their farms to produce a video highlighting the individual and their operations. Te two other 2025 recipients were from Pennsylvania: Bill and Debra Bryant, owners of Highland Farm, a 100-cow dairy operation, and Ryan Graham, owner of Graham Farm, a 1,000-acre (121.41 hectare) field crop operation. Te videos of all three recipients were featured during the Award presentation.
Doug says, “I joined the other recipients on a panel for a question-and-answer session following the award presentations. One question I was asked was what I saw as an innovation in turfgrass production. My answer was the continuing improvements in technology, such as the autonomous mowing equipment.”
As Torres reported, the Master Farmer Tour is a scholarship fundraising event for the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers Association. Te 2025 tour visited an oyster hatchery, a miscanthus farm, and a winery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Doug adds, “It’s always interesting to learn how other ag businesses operate. Miscanthus is a perennial grass that the farm chops in the late fall and converts to products similar to those made of plastics or paper. It’s a great concept.”
A Green Legacy
As Doug learned, the application is not only evaluated during the recipient decision process, but also becomes the primary information source for an article by Torres in the American Agriculturist featuring the award recipient. American Agriculturist is a Farm Progress magazine, and the article also appeared on the Farm Progress website.
Te article was titled “A green legacy: Doug Lechlider’s sod farm success story.” It opens with “Te grass is always greener at Doug Lechlider’s sod farm in Gaithersburg, MD. But it has to be: Growing sod is his business.” It goes on to discuss his upbringing on a family farm and his path to the sod business. His initial 40 acres (16.19 hectares) of bluegrass has now grown to nearly 300 acres (404.69 hectares) of tall fescue with 10 percent bluegrass. It covers his no-till and crop rotation practices to preserve good soil structure, as well
TPI Turf News September/October 2025
the equipment choices he has made for automation and precision operations.
Te article also details Doug’s ag and community involvement and the many awards he has received for his service. Among the many areas he serves, mentioned in the article were Turfgrass Producers of Maryland; Turfgrass Producers International, Maryland Agriculture Council, fundraising committee for Te Lawn Institute; life member of Laytonsville Volunteer Fire Department; board of directors of Montgomery County Ag Center; and head teller of First Baptist Church of Damascus.
Acknowledgement from the Ag
Community Doug had hoped that Kevin Atticks, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture, would be at the banquet. Atticks was unable to attend, but the Deputy Secretary did. Secretary Atticks did provide these comments about Doug, which were included in the article. “As the owner and operator of Laytonsville Turf Farm in Laytonsville, MD, Doug has built a reputation for producing top-quality turfgrass, despite the unique regulatory and population challenges in our state. His dedication to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship is evident in his proactive implementation of best management practices. Doug's dedication to conservation extends beyond compliance—he actively seeks out opportunities to improve and protect natural resources on his farms.”
Two other comments in response to Doug’s award were published in the article. One was from the individual who had recommended Doug for the honor. David Burrier, a Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Award recipient in 2016, wrote, “Doug Lechilder is a leader in his community, both as a farmer but also an advocate for agriculture in many capacities. His turf farm shows his attention to detail not only because of its neat appearance, but also the quality of his product. He also exemplifies good business skills to be economically sustainable while environmentally responsible.”
John P. Zawitoski, district manager of the Montgomery Soil Conservation District, wrote, “Doug is an excellent example of an agricultural and conservation leader from within our community and is very worthy of recognition for the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Award. While it probably goes without saying, farming in a county where the non-agricultural population exceeds 1 million people creates unique challenges as well as opportunities. While it is easy to sit back and wait for someone else to step up to provide leadership, Doug has demonstrated proven leadership time after time, all the while practicing what he preaches by being a conservation leader on his own farms.”
Te complete article can be found at: https://www.
farmprogress.com/names-in-the-news/05 26t2-3712-slideshow
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