Member Spotlight >>> T o m W o l f
By Tricia Roberts, ATA Executive Director
Alabama Turf Times >>> Fa l l 20 10
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nlike many Alabama farmers, Tom Wolf did not grow up here or even in the South. Born at the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Marquette, Michigan, Tom was raised on a farm in Roanoke, Indiana, where he first experienced working on a sod farm. In 1984, he moved with his wife Sandi to Atlanta, where they owned a landscaping business. Wanting to get back into sod farming, they bought a farm in Centre, Alabama, in 1986; after planting bermudagrass in spring 1987, they harvested their first crop later that fall. Twenty-three years later, Tom grows eight turfgrass varieties at Coosa Valley Turf Farms: ‘TifGrand’ bermudagrass, ‘TifSport’ bermudagrass, ‘TifWay’ bermudagrass, ‘TifBlair’ centipedegrass, ‘Zeon’ zoysiagrass, ‘Jamur’ zoysiagrass, bluegrass and fescue. His 700-acre farm includes 400 acres of sod and 300 acres of row crops. Married for 27 years, Tom and Sandi have two sons, Jacob (14) and Eli (12). Tom serves as a deacon at Shiloh Baptist Church and also works with the Carpenter’s for Christ mission. His favorite advice he was ever given is, “God, family, church, then everything else.” If you know Tom, you would know that he lives by this principle. Tom is very dedicated to his profession and the turf industry. He has been a member of ATA since 1988 and has served on the ATA board of directors for three years, now leading into the presidency in October. Tom also served as the chairman of the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation, where he continues to serve on their board of trustees. He is also an active member of the Turfgrass Producers International. Tom is a very humble man; when asked if he had anyone he would like to thank for his success, his response was his family (for all their sacrifices for the time he spends on the farm), his employees (because no one can do it all by themselves) and to his dad (who helped him get started and worked with him for the first 10 years). Tom, we are honored to have you as our incoming president. We know you will have the association’s best interest in every decision, and we know your family and employees will be very proud of you… just like the 489 members of the Alabama Turfgrass Association.
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