Grass not always greener for turf farmers - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Grass not always greener for turf farmers

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By Delivrine Registre - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - The weak housing market is affecting what some South Georgia farmers are growing this year. Turf farmers are planting less grass because fewer new homes and buildings are being built.

Right now, Wright Turf, the only turf farm in Dougherty County, is growing about one thousand acres of grass. While construction has slowed all across the state, metro-Atlanta's slowdown is affecting our area the hardest.

"Most businesses were shipping to the metro-Atlanta area or shipping up North. And that was a big area where sod was going. And at this particular point, all of that has stopped tremendously," said Interim County Extention Coordinator, James Morgan.

The turf crop is part of Georgia's green industry which generates eight-billion dollars each year.

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