Marsh Grass

How Marc Marsh’s green thumb has yielded a successful, homegrown turf business

Turns out that the grass is truly always greener at Marc Marsh’s Turf Connections in Chesterfield County. And that has paved the green way to success for many of his clients, from athletic fields and golf fairways to commercial properties and home lawns throughout the Carolinas and into Georgia.

It all sprouted with 30 acres and one turf farm, and has now grown into nearly 400 acres across four partner farm locations in the Carolinas.

“We started in 2003, when we were looking for a way to diversify our farm business, and we learned through our research that there was a need in our region for quality turf certified grass,” says Marsh.

Raised about 35 miles north of Cheraw in Marshville, N.C. (an appropriate hometown, given his surname), Marsh earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State, worked in the poultry industry for 13 years, then bought his first farm – a poultry farm – with his wife, Melanie, in 2001.

When the couple decided to diversify their farm’s specialty, they first began experimenting with harvesting certain species of palisades and Cavalier zoysia grasses.

“We later became partners with Bragg Williams,” says Marsh, “and he introduced me to the source of grasses that had a lot of research behind them and seemed to be superior in research trials. We grew some others along the way and found out they were not as durable and ended up with the quality grasses we grow today.”

Here is the stable of quality grasses available for Turf Connections clients:

–Cavalier Zoysia: This zoysiagrass has a fine texture and long, narrow leaves, with good shade tolerance.

–Palisades: The zoysia japonica species produces high-density turf for home lawns, golf fairways and roughs, sports fields, industrial parks and highway medians.

–Premier Pro Bermuda: This hybrid bermudagrass is a beautiful blend of vibrant green colors, versatility and durability against heavy traffic.

–TiGrand: Turf Connections is one of four producers in South Carolina selected to grow this bermudagrass.

–Tifway 419: This F-1 hybrid was released by the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in the 1960s and is still a viable turf option for fine lawns, fairways and golf tee areas, with a darker green color, greater frost resistance, earlier spring growth, greater sod webworm and mole cricket resistance, better herbicide tolerance and stiffer leaf blades.

–Trinity Zoysia: The dwarf zoysiagrass variety is perfect for golf courses, from tee to green, as well as for lush residential lawns and commercial sites.

–Turf Connections Tall Fescue: This is a sod grown from a blend of three tall fescue varieties, plus Kentucky bluegrass, popular for homeowners, landscapers and homebuilders in areas of partial or full shade.

Marsh and his network of some of the best contractors and installers around have worked with clients to deliver turf to professional sports teams, college sports teams, like the University of Notre Dame golf team, homebuilders, and landscapers. The company also has a sand mining operation in Gaston County, which is a symbiotic relationship with sod.

“A lot of times people need sand for leveling sod for sports turf,” says Marsh. “And we can also sell sand for a concrete mix asphalt as well.”

Marsh assures that during the Coronavirus pandemic, he and his team of professionals are still maintaining business as usual, but adjusting to offer both quality customer service and safe-distance delivery, without any contact with their clients.

When they’re not running Turf Connections, Marsh and his wife of 28 years, who takes care of the company’s administrative duties, like to spend time fishing on the lake.

“We just enjoy the outdoors and being here on the farm,” he says. “I enjoy it every single day.”

For more info on Turf Connections and their products and services, visit them at www.turfconnections.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TurfConnections/ or call 843-862-8873.