Sod Farm Sales Drying Up

While going green is all the rage, the green grass grown by sod farms is not raking in the sales it once did.

The drought in 2002-2003 caused a 50 percent reduction in sales and the industry has been slow to recover.
 
Brian Ridenour, owner of Turf Master Sod Farm north of Fort Collins and vice president of Rocky Mountain Sod Growers Association, said sales have picked up a bit but nothing like they were five to 10 years ago.

"We are off by 30 percent this year,'' he said. "In a bi-monthly meeting of sod growers, some reported being off this year 50 percent, but most are about 30 percent down.''

The reason for the slump in sod sales goes deeper than the drought. The stale housing market plus increased costs in fuel have hurt the 40 to 45 sod farms between Cheyenne, Wyo., and Pueblo, Ridenour said.

Click here to read more.