800 acres of the highest quality turf...a fleet of
trucks...state of the art technology...
and 80 years of experience.
The Farming operations include twelve hundred
acres, all family owned, eight hundred are cultivated, primarily
in sod. The remaining five hundred acres consist of permanently
preserved watershed, wetlands, and service areas. Tuckahoe
Turf Farms is one of the largest growers of sod in the Northeast
and a leader in new and innovative varieties of sod and growth
technology.
In addition, we do specialty work, such as, golf course
construction and major off-site seeding. Distribution is
throughout New york, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and
New Jersey.
In January of 1931, the farming family of Elmer Betts
moved from Stratford, Connecticut, to Estell Manor in Atlantic
County, adjacent to the Tuckahoe River. During the Spring of
1931 and successive years, Elmer and his son Walter operated
a truck farm to support the family. They also grew cranberries in
a nearby bog in order to pay property taxes.
Walt and his family continued growing truck crops
for canning vegetables into the fifties. Through the
fifties into 1967 lima beans were growing for Seabrook Farms. It
was in 1967 when transition to the production of sod began, and
by 1969 the entire farm was in sod production.
In 1980 the family Farm was purchased by Tom and
George, who continue to operate it today, with their sons,
John, James, Phil, and David.
The first land in Hammonton was purchased in
1980. With the availability of water and excellent soil
conditions, the area made ideal site for growing sod. As a result,
the Hammonton farm has expanded into the main operations
with over 700 acres of sod under cultivation.
Sod production has undergone many improvements
over the years with the most beneficial being the advent of the
automated sod harvester and the development of improved
grass varieties. Pivot and lateral machines irrigate the vast fields
with little manual labor required.
We feel we're setting an industry standard in top
quality sod and passing that standard to the third generation.
We will continue to provide high quality sod and exceptional
service into the next millennium.