Bella Bluegrass Comes to Graff's Turf Farm

From the Denver Broncos to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Graff's Turf Farms has compiled one impressive client list. The Fort Morgan, Colorado based operation prides itself on supplying pristine quality sod to its customers. Next year, Graff's Farms will provide those clients with a new, unique variety...Bella BluegrassTM. Bella breaks the mold, so to speak, with bluegrass varieties because it doesn't produce seeds and is propagated vegetatively. A seedless variety was what perked the interest of Graff's Farms Co-owner James Graff.


"The seed industry is faced with many challenges right now and this keeps our options open and also keeps us progressive," said James Graff, co-owner and operations manager for Graff's Turf Farms. "It's getting harder to produce clean seed and that problem trickles down to the sod grower. Production cost rise so seed costs keep rising. With a vegetative turf, we will know what to expect. We will have our own stock and have confidence in the purity and a constant grasp on the cost to expand or replace acreage."


Because Bella is a seedless variety, it must be initially planted out using a sprigging machine, something foreign to many northern producers who have only dealt with seeded varieties. Graff's Turf Farms took time to make sure all the pieces were in place before finally sprigging the grass in late September of this year with the help of the Sod Solutions team of Joel Lane and Roberto Gurgel.


"It was a big step for us because it is vegetative," said Graff. "This was not a quick decision. We had several conversations with the Sod Solutions team for nearly two years. The whole process was attractive, professional and easy. I was able to ask questions to which I got straight answers and I got to preview sample contracts before we ever got close to licensing for it.
In the end, we are excited to be part of the Sod Solutions family and have the opportunity to grow another quality turfgrass we truly believe in."


Aside from its dark, alpine green color, Bella's other big selling point is its dwarf nature. Bella will only grow 3 to 4 inches in height. But what really "sold" the grass for James Graff was the marketing support that comes with licensing any of Sod Solutions turfgrasses.


Expect Bella to be ready for sale at Graff's Turf Farms sometime in 2009 or early 2010.