THE ENDURING LEGACY OF BECK'S TURF IN ALABAMA


By Cecilia Johnson


Since 1938, Beck’s Turf, Inc. has been a staple in the turfgrass industry, providing turfgrass for residential and commercial clients, golf courses, and sports fields. In 1994, brothers Jimmy and Wayne Bassett took over the operation, continuing the legacy with a focus on quality.


Brothers Jimmy (left) and Wayne (right) Bassett have been continuing the legacy of Beck’s Turf since 1994.


Background Jimmy and Wayne Bassett grew up in Union Springs, Alabama, close to the sod farm they now own. Jimmy, a 1987 Auburn University (AU) graduate with a degree in business administration, and Wayne, who graduated from Troy University in 1986 with a marketing degree, combined their skills to purchase the farm from the Beck family. Wayne was working in sales for another sod farm at the time while Jimmy was a banker.


“We inherited a bunch of good employees to help us in the transition. We have people that have worked here almost 50 and 40 years,” Wayne said. He highlighted the importance of their long-standing workforce, including Eddie Stinson, their longest-serving employee, and Billy Pattillo, the farm manager, who has been an employee for over 40 years.


Billy Pattillo, (left) has been the farm manager for Beck’s Turf for over 40 years. He and Wayne Bassett (right) are pictured here on the suspended swing that graces the welcoming porch of Beck’s Turf office.


Operations and Innovations Te Bassetts have expanded the farm to include five operations within a ten-mile radius, employing 45 people, with most on the turfgrass side. Tey pride themselves on being the oldest zoysia farm in the United States, strategically located between Auburn and Tuskegee. Beck’s Turf originally had an ornamental tree nursery that the Bassetts shut down after a few years. Tey then opened Te Wildlife Group nursery that grows nut and fruit-bearing trees and other wildlife habitat enhancement plants.


In 2000, they enhanced their turfgrass offerings by planting Celebration®


Bermudagrass, a licensed variety,


and have expanded over time to well over 100 acres of production. Tey’ve also updated their irrigation systems, started grid soil sampling, and variable rate spreading. Most recently, Beck’s Turf has implemented using drones to spray chemicals on their fields.


“When you can’t get out there with ground equipment because of moisture and other elements but you need to apply something, you can do it with the drone. It speeds up some processes like this year we used it for our fire ant bait program,” Wayne said.


Eddie Stinson is the longest-serving employee for Beck’s Turf. 122 TPI Turf News November/December 2024


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