Everyone has those really fit crazy friends that are all about how strong and healthy they are. I have noticed that these peole usually work in an office all day. And I think that the sitting and using all there brian power all day would make you physically jumpy, so you would want to go to the gym, run for kilometers, or do those crazy Tough Mudda competitions.

At the moment I have a group of wonderful crazy friends who are going into a similar competition in the Numinbah Valley. It has all the great events like running through the mud, crawling through the mud, lifting heavy wet muddy things, and all those great adventures. And my great friends, who I love very much, and I must admit only really see me after I have showered after a day on the farm, asked if I would like to join them. I’m not sure if my face really conveyed what I was truely feeling.

I think my face said, “oh thats really funny you guys are joking with me.” And my head was thinking- “what are they crazy? This is what I did last Tuesday, and I didnt do it for fun.” I did it beacuse someone needed turf for a bank that was eroding away. We cut turf with the old hand stacker in the rain and the mud. I ran through the muddy wet padocks. I lifted the very heavy turf slabs (in the wet the slabs can reach up to 15 kilos each. In the dry, each slab is roughly 8-12 kilos each. Always remember to use your knees to lift when you are unstacking turf to install it at your house. They are heavy. ) onto the pallet and covered myself in all sorts of muddy goodness. I then, actually quite accidently, went to walk over to my tractor and sliped over in one of the numerous slippery muddy puddles and ended up crawling through the muddy puddle to get the the tractor.

Although this was different than at the Tough Mudda things I guess. I did have my dog licking my face to to encourage me the move faster to the tractor. I then scaled my way up our tractor into the seat and wipped my glasses clean so I could pull in the pallets from the paddock to place them on the truck so that our wonderful driver could get the pallets on site as quickly as possible to save his soil leaving his bank.

On a side note, that day we found a leak in my tractor tyre, that may or may not have been cause by me clawing my way up it in the wet muddy state I was in. So we had to change the type. Which meant taking a tyre from the tractor shed and moving it by hand all the way over to the tractor. About  half a k. As I was moving it, I must admit I did think, well at least I don’t have to join a gym.

When we arrived at the lovely mans house, Tony the Turfman, his boys and I installed 200sqm of green couch on his bank to stop the erosion. As I carired the heavy slabs one at a time, I remebered why I hate laying turf in the rain. Its heavy, you get muddy, and you tend to slip on sloping blocks. But, then I looked back on what we had done.  We went from seeing brown yucky mud everywhere to seeing beautiful green lining the bank. We really had a sense of accomplishment and pride that we could help so quickly, and that had helped a person turn thier dirt pile into a thing of beautiful green. The gentleman was very appricative as well. I think mostly because he didnt have to install the turf himself, and partly becuase we have ensured the entegrity of his bank.

So if you too have wonderful crazy friends who want you to do Fun things like Tough Mudda, ask them to come over to your place this weekend instead. Order a few hundred meters of turf, turn on the sprinkler, and get them to install your new lawn. Tell them they wont even have to pay a registration fee. You might even give them a sausgage at the end.

Chat soon

Sare

This is what my week has been taken up with. Well the last 8 weeks really. Our wonderful super Turf dog Ethel had 8 puppies. And they are a joy, but also another crazy element to my life. It was really helpful during the kids school holidays though. There was never a moment that the kids came to me and said they were bored. They had puppies to play with, puppies to clean up after, and puppies to feed. And now we have a new turf pup to add to our mix. Little Millicent will be joining our Turf Dog crew. These dogs help us road test our turf paddocks to make sure they can handle to wear and tear of puppy and dog feet on the grass when it becomes your new lawn.

Their real job is to keep feral animals off the farm and to stop animals coming and pulling up the grass to make nasty holes in the turf. Well thats their offical title. Really they are great companions on the farm as well as in the trucks.

So when you give us a call and ask us about dogs in your yard, and how they will effect the turf, we have really good practical idea. And I am making sure we train our next generation of farmers, like Marcus, about this important issue as well. Because our lawns to the families like ours who have furry little members as well, are not just the green space around the house that helps to temperature regulate the home, and make the place look aesthetically pleasing. No No. The lawns at our homes are also playgrounds; adventure filled wildernesses that hold smells and excitement; they are race tracks; they are the fun place that the whole family can play together on. (And also a toilet)

Thats why lawns are so important to us all. And why we also know how important it is to keep them looking green, and feeling soft. So after your lawn is installed, if it is by us or by yourselves, never forget you are more than welcome to ring for more tips, or expert advice on site to keep your lawn as smick as it did when it first arrived.

Chat soon, but when we do ignore the puppy noises in the back ground.

Sare.

I have an 8 year old. And we have two 22 year olds working for us. And that means Pokemon has entered my life AGAIN! I remember Pokemon from when I was young, and I was even a little excited when my youngest started collecting the Pokemon cards. Although I had no idea what you did with them. I’m just not that type of exciting Mum.

Part of being a family business is that the people who work for you also become part of your family. And our family business means that the guys that work with us have to understand there will be kids running around the farm in the morning when they arrive for work. And, if they get here early enough, they will get a cooked breakfast with the kids. At one if these breakfast Josh and Toby (the 22 years olds) were talking about their Pokemon app and how many they had caught. And it peaked the interest of my 8 year old. And after many weeks of resisting, I finally allowed Marc to download the app on my phone.

So off a Pokemon hunting we went. It turns out there are a lot on the farm. Which makes sense I guess as its nice and green. I guess thats what Pokemon like. I know its what real live Ducks, little Roos and lots of different types of birds enjoy about the farm. Marc told the “Men” about the Pokemon on the farm this morning and they were devastated as they were out today installing someones new lawn. Not on the farm. But I think tomorrow I will have a lot of the farm work completed all over the farm. Hehe

I now know why my desk at work has been so messy though! I had a Pokemon living on it. A cute little turtle looking thing. Obviously this is why the papers had been spread all over it. Not the fact that it is tax time.

Chat soon everyone, and hopefully we roll up a few Pokemon with your turf and deliver it to you this weekend.

Sare

This weekend finally looks like it s going to be warmish and sunny. Thank goodness because I am at out daughters hockey this Saturday from very early, and there is only so many layers you can wear before someone looks at you funny. Last night while we were sitting watching the girls trainmen in what felt like minus degrees temperatures (really it was only about 11 degrees but I am a really cold frog) I got talking to a lady whose lawn she said was looking sad and almost like it was mulching itself.

She said she had been watering non stop and she cant understand why it was a problem. Well, I said, there is your problem. The watering.

With all the rain that was around, the ground has sucked up all the water it can. And this can mean that all the little tiny air pockets in your soil can be taken up with water. This in effect almost DROWNS your lawn. As well as needing air from the leaves, you lawn also requires air from the soil to be able to get to its roots to ensure your lawn stays healthy. The best way to your lawn back to being healthy and happy after all this rain is to aerate now.

So grab your golf shoes, your football boots, and your garden fork or your weird spike shoes like the gentleman above and put some holes in your lawn. Get some air pockets down into the root area. For the garden fork people every step drive your fork into the earth and wiggle slightly to open up some air pockets in the soil. For spike shoes people BE CAREFUL. Boots with tags can rip up more of your lawn than put many air holes in their. Probably, unfortunately, not a job of the kids. And spike shoes are REALLY tricky to walk in. So don’t do it with a stubby in your hand.

This lovely lady whose weekends like mine are taken up with hockey, thought it might be a better idea to have a high heel party on her lawn. I agreed. So this weekend after hockey I am off on of course surely business related reasons to drink wine and walk around in my high heels across her lawn.

Chat soon after you too have organised a wine drinking High Heel parry on your lawn.

Sare

Do you remember when you were a teenager and your parents would go away for the weekend and you were left “ALONE” at home, to do as you will. And how exciting it all was.

Coastal Turf is a family owned and operated farm. Which means that my father started the business way back, and now he and I are working the farm and the business together along with a few other wonderful people. I really enjoy working with my Father. I get to spend time with him everyday. But sometimes after 10 years of working together every day it is nice to have a break. And I have finally talked Dad and Mum into going for a holiday!!! Their first in 14 years! They are off on a train adventure around Australia.

And I almost feel like the teenager being left at home alone. A little rebellious part of me is thinking of having a party. Which is really silly because I can have parties at my house anytime I want to. So over the next two weeks I am in charge on my own!!! Mick and Barbara will be here still as well to make sure I stay within the lines.

Although it does mean I get to drive the fancy tractor with the warm air-conditioning. I get the ute with the comfy seat. And maybe if I am feeling really really rebellious I might even get the really good chair in the office for two weeks. Not really a party. But a little bit of excitement in the turf family life.

So the feeling at the farm this week will be a little light hearted. And if you and I are really lucky over the next couple of weeks I could be bringing your turf to you. Maybe I’ll even bring cake with me this week.

Chat soon

Sare.

Tony the Turfman is proud to announce their sponsorship of the Pippies under 11’s Kingscliff Hockey Club.

The Turfman loves to sponsor sporting kids clubs. Its so important to support our kids in their involvement in team sports and out door activities. Tony the Turfman supplied the Pippies team with new shirts for the next two years. Each year we look for teams to sponsor with either shirts or game fees to help our kids play the games they love.

Go the Green Team!

360 Panorama

Guys, have a clink on this link and have a look at our Blue Couch paddock in 360 degrees. Is a pretty cool look at this paddock and see how green the beautiful blue couch is and how Blue the sky is.

A bit of fun and excitement for a Thursday!

Chat soon, probably with more funky pictures of our farm

I don’t know about your partner, but my husband snores. And really really loudly. Maybe he is part steam train. After 10 years of marriage and sleeping next to him nearly every night for those 10 years you would have thought I would have been used to it by now. But it still wakes me up, and it still makes me cranky that I am awake and he is fast asleep. I don’t think its the actual snoring that annoys me, its really the fact that he is asleep and I am awake. As all wives of snoring husbands know, I broken nights sleep, with a jealous edge to it can make you less than excited to go to work the next day and preform your best.

But this weekly husband is away, installing a new yard and family play area in Coffs Harbour for a wonderful family. (I’m sure this husband doesn’t snore. His wife I think is the snorer). So I am sleeping soundly. Which I think will mean that I will more rested and a happier person on the farm this week. I will have lots of energy to prepare the turf for harvest, harvest beautiful thick fluffy turf, and help deliver to you a brand new lawn. Ahhh. And my people skills will be fantastic. I will be eager and excited to have adult conversations with EVERYONE who rings this week. We have 3 wonderful children, but the constant chat about who is better Batman or Superman. It has been 2 days and already I am that person who is really interested in what you are saying. Especially about your lawn.

Or I by Thursday I will be so exhausted because I can’t sleep because my husband is not sleeping next to me.

Chat soon

Sare

This week has brought lots and lots of rain, beautiful sun, really large puddles on the farm, a couple of stray eels and fish, mud, and of course turf harvesting to our farm. It has been lots of fun and adventures for all of us.

The start of the week began with the sun coming out and us exciting turf farmers waiting for the water to recede from our lower paddocks and clean up the debris from the other paddocks. And of course absolutely loving our few paddocks that didn’t go under. I don’t think I have ever loved the Buffalo paddocks so much. It is so tough and resilient, and super green that I fell in love with the Palmetto Buffalo all over again. These few dry paddocks like the Palmetto buffalo,  meant that people were still able (if there yards were still able) to receive their turf orders. Be they a little pre-watered.

This week also saw a few paddocks covered with a lot of water. Which the dogs thought was so much fun. The eels and the little fish which usually live in our dams, were swimming free across the flooded paddocks. The dogs were amazed and the little swimmers keep them entertained for hours. It did make them smell less desirable when we had to jump in the ute to come home though. I would like to mention that absolutely no eels nor fish were harmed. Our dogs are not that fast nor clever and were just fascinated.

Harvesting turf after such a big down pour is always muddy and a little bit more fun than normal. I have decided that Mud is really good for your skin. It must be. I mean all those spas charge people for a mud wraps. I get to have mud spread from head to toe over me on super wet days and I’m sure my skin (of course once all the mud is washed off) looks amazing. The smell although is not that much fun. Unless your a dog.

So in the interest of keeping my skin looking really young and also washing off the smell with lots of water, Coastal Turf is still able to provide you with all our turf varieties. Be they heavy and pre-watered for your convenience, we can deliver your turf to your door this weekend.

We are in NSW and NSW has the Queens Birthday long weekend this weekend, (happy birthday Queen!) so we will not be delivering turf on Monday. So get your weekend deliveries in now so you can knock over the dirt dirty part of your weekend over in the beginning and then you can get on to enjoying the rest of your weekend. Be it dirty or not.

Chat soon

Sare

A Good Lawn is a Green lawn. I believe it should be soft and fluffy, an impressive green colour and make you happy when you look at it. It should bring a calmness over you. A sense of joy and pride. But it shouldn’t make you cringe at how much it cost you. The pride should come from knowing you spent your hard earned money on something that is beautiful and an investment into your home.

At this time of year especially when the weather is cooler and you need something outside to make you feel happy and want to venture out, even if it is just to hang out your washing. Especially to hang out your washing. That is one job I hate and try to avoid all the time. But I must say having the soft blue couch under my feet makes it a lot nicer to be out hanging out clothes, especially when I know that in two days time I will be hanging out again. School uniforms! Ahhhh!

Anyway, the Coastal Mix is a combination of the super soft lovely Blue Couch and the strength of the Carpet Grass to make a fantastic Dark Green Lawn, that doesn’t take much love and care to make it look fantastic. And it won’t cost you the earth either, in water management, establishment, nor initial purchase. And it will make you feel better, that although you spent a LOT of money on those lovely school uniforms, (which your kids have spilt paint, yogurt, texta, and goodness knows what that brown stain is) you didn’t on the nice grass comforting your feet as you hang them out AGAIN! And they can spill all that interesting stuff on the lawn, and it won’t get weird stains. Believe me my kids coloured in the leaves of the carpet grass when they were little. And it still grew.

Awesome!

Well, I’m off to wash MORE school uniforms to be worn tomorrow to then be hung out AGAIN the next day.

Have fun, chat soon

Sare