Dick Ruppel of Horizon Turf Nursery in Fort Morgan remembers the feeling as a kid of his parents, Dick Sr. and JoAnn, having him dress up to head into the commercial bank with them to get their operating loan renewed. He can remember that bank telling his parents they wouldn’t renew their loan. That’s when Ruppel’s parents walked into Premier Farm Credit, PCA to get a loan. The Ruppel family have been customers ever since and value working with a lender with knowledge about agriculture and customer service.
Prior to the sod farm, the Ruppel family struggled to make money growing corn and alfalfa and raising heifers. “I remember stacking sod for the sod operation across the road thinking we can do this too,” Dick recalls. The Ruppel family started growing sod on 30 acres. They would deliver their sod on an old International and help their customers install it. Premier Farm Credit, PCA financed Dick’s first sod farm location that they still operate on today. He remembers long days and nights building his operation, “drinking Mountain Dew and stacking sod at midnight.” Dick and his son, Wyatt, and his team now operate on about 7.4 million square feet of sod and sell their sod to landscapers and others for commercial and residential project from the front range and in eastern Colorado.
The use of water for growing sod and its use in lawncare continues to be a concern in Colorado today and in the future. The Ruppel family sees opportunity in the Tahoma 31 product line. Studies have shown that it requires 50-70% less water than Kentucky Bluegrass and only requires watering every 3-4 days. It can survive months without watering and greens up when watered again. “I hope Tahoma 31 provides a sustainable future for Wyatt and his family in the sod business. I’d love to see the family operation provide a living for him as it has for me. He’s the one doing the cutting, mowing, harvesting, and running the pivots now.”
When asked what he likes about working with his cooperative ag-lender, Premier Farm Credit, “It’s a conversation. Not just a paper transaction. Their interest is helping me succeed.” We appreciate the Ruppel family’s loyalty to our association.
