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Family turf business continues successBy Jennifer M. Latzke 
If you've played golf, walked in a city park, or just admired a neighbor's new lawn in the Wichita, Kan., area, chances are you're familiar with Cranmer Grass Farm's quality turf. For 55 years the Cranmer family has been the provider of choice turf for golf courses, parks, homes and commercial properties in Wichita and surrounding areas. And, with the next generation coming on board, the reputation of Cranmer Grass Farm, Inc., looks to continue for many years to come. From the first seeds David Cranmer began his turf farm as a hobby in 1953. He had five acres at the corner of 2nd and Anna, near Maize, Kan., that he planted to Bermuda and Zoysia grass. "We had to hand plant it all with plugs," David said. Even though it was hard work, it was also a good diversion from his career of handling insurance claims. "It was just for fun, but he found that people could make money selling turf," said grandson Josh Cranmer. The business eventually grew from a single-blade sod harvester and those five acres, to the mechanical harvesting of 1,200 acres of sod today. David is still active in the business he began so many years ago, and his grandson Josh has joined the family business. "I started working here when I was about 13 years old," Josh said. "I used to help customers, and look up and sell fertilizers in the retail store." The Cranmers grow a Fescue-Blue Turf cool season grass that is popular in south central Kansas. It is a fine fescue, which means it offers shade tolerance, and is resistant to drought. Josh said the sod is popular with homeowners and commercial users because it stays green all year round and is a prettier grass. They also have a selection of warm season Bermuda grasses, one of which was developed by Kansas State University researchers with the help of Cranmer Grass Farms. "We still help in testing grass seeds for K-State and we're always on the lookout for a new mutation," David said. "A great deal of research in grasses is on new mutations that turn out to be beneficial." Growing green grass Before they plant the first grass seed, they have to begin by leveling the field so that water will drain off the delicate grass seedlings. "We use earth movers to scrape the field so that we have drainage and there aren't spots in the field where water is just sitting," Josh said. "You can't just buy a field and think you'll harvest grass on it like you would other crops. Grandpa still eyeballs the field and then we get out the leveling lasers and we'll drive around and spend a week just fixing up the ground for planting." Planting is done in the fall by drilling their seed with a Brillion seeder set to double-plant Fescue and blue grass together for a thicker sod. "You get a better stand in the fall, and then if you have spring showers you won't wash out," Josh said. Of course, the critical input for any grass farm is the application of water--a lot of water. "We run the sprinklers full time in the summer," Josh said. "It's a lot of babying the grass until we get it to harvest." The Cranmers use the ground as it is, without any nutrients added to the soil, Josh said. Instead, the family uses David's time-tested practice of resting the ground every seven years. "We try to never overwork the ground," Josh said. "Once we take the sod off, the next day I try to get out there and chisel the ground to let it breathe a little." As for fertilizer, the family only adds a little nitrogen and phosphorus and some potash through their center pivot irrigation systems. The center pivots are important tools to the grass farm, Josh said. He explained that with 13 different pivots running at any one time on the farm, and with each one having a different percentage of operation, his days are filled with maintenance and monitoring. As for those dryland corners of their many center pivots, the Cranmers looked to traditional farming methods for their area. They plant wheat and alfalfa in their dryland corners as complementary crops to their sod business. Both crops can be grown without affecting the quality of their turf crop and provide additional farm income. Harvesting sod "We harvest sod all year round, as long as the ground isn't frozen," Josh said. The grass is first mown to one-half inch using the old reel mower his grandfather has used for many years. Josh explained that this allows for a more uniform looking product when the customer receives it. Also, since the newly installed turf cannot be mowed for at least 10 days after installation, the grass height is necessary for aesthetics. The turf is then mechanically harvested by a crew of three to four men using special equipment. They try to harvest an irrigation circle of sod into pie-shaped wedges, which allows Josh to set the stops on his irrigation system so that he's not unnecessarily watering bare ground. The sod can be cut into one-half yard square slabs for residential, or into 40-yard rolls for larger commercial applications. "With the larger rolls, we use a tractor and it rolls up like a carpet," Josh said. Unlike other sod farms, the Cranmers don't use netting in planting their grass, Josh explained, because it isn't biodegradable and can affect the long-term health of a lawn. Rather, the netting is applied only if the sod is being cut into large rolls, and only as it is being harvested, in order to better transport the sod. Then, when the roll is installed the crew can pull the netting out. The planting and harvesting of the Cranmer's sod has dramatically changed in the 55 years David has been in the business. "One of the most important changes to the business has been the machinery to handle the sod," David said. "It used to take a day to harvest 1,000 yards of sod, but now we can harvest 35,000 yards in a day with modern machinery." The most important advice the Cranmers offer to clients is to be sure to water the new turf. "It's funny, homeowners will spend money on crab grass control, but they'll forget about watering," Josh said. It's critical that homeowners know when to water, too, he added. If they water too heavily in the spring, then the roots will be shallower, Josh explained. But, if they water sparingly in the spring, then the roots will develop deeper and the yard will be healthier in the more stressful summer months. Planning for the future By taking such an interest in their clients' success, the Cranmer family still has many of the same long-time customers that David started out with in the 1950s. Josh explained that Cranmer Grass Farm has also been a part of remodeling or the building of every major golf course in Wichita, something else that speaks to the farm's reputation as a premier supplier of sod. And, while the sod business is good, David explains that it's still been an uphill challenge for them to find land and to develop their customer base for their product. The farm is at capacity for now, with plans to expand once more land becomes available, David said. Unfortunately, land in the Wichita area is high-priced, and not just any piece of ground is suitable to sod farming. Another issue that affects their farm is the price of fuel. The Cranmers try to limit their delivery to within 250 miles of Wichita, but they have sent sod as far away as Baltimore, Md. Limited acres and increasing input costs are why the Cranmer family works to build its reputation as a premier supplier of quality turf with every load that leaves the farm, and it's why David is working with Josh and the next generation of Cranmers to continue the business. "We're planning so that the grandchildren can take on the farm, but I'm still around here to help," David said. It's his experience in 55 years of business that Josh relies upon as he continues learning the business.
Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. 8/18/08 Date: 8/14/08 Advertisement
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