coombs sod farms

What coombs sod farms does

Coombs Sod Farms LLC is a privately held, 9th-generation family farm headquartered in Elmer, New Jersey, operating across more than 2,000 acres in Salem and Cumberland counties. The company runs a diversified agricultural production portfolio centered on four product lines: premium turfgrass sod (bentgrass, fescues, and bluegrass) for golf courses and landscape contractors; GAP-certified potatoes for processing, fresh-market, and chipping channels; grain (corn and soybeans) sold to regional feed mills; and spinach grown under contract for Seabrook Brothers. Nearly all production acreage is irrigated via 18 center pivots and 8 hard hose guns, with on-site grain storage supporting winter delivery flexibility.

The business operates a direct B2B go-to-market motion: sod is delivered along the eastern seaboard and into New England to premium golf courses via a quote-based inquiry system; potatoes are sold to regional packers (Gloucester County Packing) and historically to Campbell Soup; grain flows to Perdue, Hostetter, and Mountaire feed mills; and spinach is processed and frozen by Seabrook Brothers. Crop rotation between sod and potato cycles is a stated operating principle, reducing inputs and improving yields. The farm is co-managed by John Coombs Sr. (8th generation) and his sons John Jr. and Kevin (9th generation), with Donna Coombs handling office operations and Cheryl English managing sod orders — a tightly held family succession model with no external institutional capital. Marketing is largely direct and reputation-driven: a website showcasing installed golf-course customers, a free sod quote form, and active membership in GCSAA, Turfgrass Producers International, NJ Farm Bureau, and the NJ White Potato Council.

Underlying capabilities include GAP food-safety certification held since 2013, on-farm fertilizer distribution via a leased partnership with Helena Chemical Company, custom equipment fabrication by John Jr., and a multi-decade supplier relationship with Campbell Soup dating to 1955. The company generates revenue through one-time sales of physical agricultural goods — there is no SaaS, subscription, licensing, or recurring service component. Customer concentration spans golf courses (Winged Foot, Philadelphia Country Club, Ridgewood, Hollywood, and others), food processors, and feed mills, providing modest cross-segment diversification while remaining anchored in commodity and specialty-crop pricing.

Name

coombs sod farms

Legal name

Coombs Sod Farms LLC

Website

https://coombsfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1790

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Coombs Sod Farms is a 9th-generation family farm in Elmer, New Jersey that grows premium turfgrass sod for golf courses, GAP-certified potatoes, grain sold to feed mills, and spinach for frozen processing across 2,000+ acres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sod and Crop Production

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Oilseed and Grain Combination Farming (111191), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production (AFAGAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fertilizer & Nutrient Application Services (Dry/Fluid, Side-Dress) (AFACAAAC), Post-Harvest Field Operations (Baling Residue, Stalk Shredding, Straw Collection) (AFACAAAL)

Keywords

• Golf course sod
• Turfgrass production
• GAP certified potatoes
• Feed grain farming
• Commercial sod supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sod Sales: Sales of bentgrass, fescues, and bluegrass sod to golf courses and landscape contractors along the eastern seaboard and New England areas
2. Potato Sales: Sales of GAP certified potatoes for processing (Superiors, Rebas), fresh market (Superiors, Rebas, Dark Red Norlands, Norkota Russetts), and chipping (Atlantic, Snowdens)
3. Grain Sales: Sales of corn (600 acres) and soybeans (200 acres) to local feed mills including Perdue, Hostetter, and Mountaire. Harvested and stored at own facility, transported in winter months
4. Spinach Sales: Spinach grown for Seabrook Brothers, processed and frozen

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Coombs Sod Farms grows and supplies specialized turfgrass sod (bentgrass, fescues, and bluegrass) to golf courses and landscape contractors along the Eastern Seaboard and New England. The farm also produces GAP-certified potatoes (300 acres) for processing, fresh market, and chipping; corn and soybeans for regional feed mills; and spinach for frozen processing. Operations span approximately 1,500 acres of irrigated sandy clay loam soil in Salem and Cumberland counties, New Jersey.

Product overview

Coombs Sod Farms is a 9th generation family farming operation in Elmer, New Jersey, offering a diversified agricultural portfolio centered on three core products: premium sod (bentgrass, fescues, and bluegrass) for golf courses and landscape contractors; GAP-certified potatoes for processing, fresh market, and chipping; and grain (corn and soybeans) sold to regional feed mills. The company also grows spinach for frozen processing. The farm operates 1,500 acres of sandy clay loam soil in Salem and Cumberland counties, implementing crop rotation practices to optimize yields across all product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sod (Bentgrass, Fescues, Bluegrass) Quality sod specializing in bentgrass, fescues, and bluegrass varieties for golf course fairways, greens, and rough areas, as well as landscape contractor projects, distributed along the eastern seaboard and New England.
• Potatoes GAP Certified potatoes grown on 300 acres, including processing varieties (Superiors, Rebas), fresh market varieties (Superiors, Rebas, Dark Red Norlands, Norkota Russetts), and chipping varieties (Atlantic, Snowdens). Potatoes can be washed prior to delivery.
• Grain (Corn and Soybeans) Corn (600 acres) and soybeans (200 acres) sold to regional feed mills including Perdue, Hostetter, and Mountaire. Harvested and stored at on-site grain bins; transported to buyers in winter months.
• Spinach Spinach grown and contracted to Seabrook Brothers, which processes and freezes the product for food distribution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced inputs and greater yields through crop rotation between potatoes and sod
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Helena Chemical CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Jr.'s agronomic interests led to the establishment of a fertilizer facility at the farm, leased to Helena Chemical Company for distribution and agricultural chemical supply.
• Campbell Soup CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical relationship dating back to 1955 when George A. Coombs Jr. sold potatoes and tomatoes to Campbell Soup. In 2008, Campbell Soup produced a documentary featuring Coombs Farms. Currently supply carrots and potatoes to Campbell.
• PerdueminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal feed mill purchasing corn from Coombs Farms grain production.
• MountaireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal feed mill purchasing grain products from Coombs Farms.
• HostetterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal feed mill purchasing grain products from Coombs Farms.
• Seabrook BrothersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpinach grown for Seabrook Brothers, which processes and freezes the product.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NG Turf: One of the largest U.S. sod producers, based in Georgia, specializing in turfgrass for golf courses, sports fields, and landscape contractors. Comparable product portfolio and customer use cases (premium golf/sports turf) though operating in a different geography.
• Woerner Turf: Multi-region U.S. sod producer serving golf courses, sports fields, and landscape markets with a comparable bentgrass/fescue/bluegrass product mix to Coombs.
• West Coast Turf: Western U.S. sod producer offering bentgrass and other turf varieties for golf courses, sports, and landscape. Comparable specialty turfgrass focus but a regional player serving California/Arizona rather than the eastern seaboard.
• King Ranch Turfgrass: Texas-based sod producer specializing in golf course and sports turf, including bentgrass and warm-season varieties. Comparable product mix and golf-course focus, though regional in scope.
• Tuckahoe Turf Farms: Mid-Atlantic sod producer (Virginia) supplying bentgrass and fescue to golf courses and landscapers. Most direct geographic and product peer to Coombs' sod business, serving an overlapping eastern U.S. customer base.

Others

• Helena Agri-Enterprises: National agricultural chemical and fertilizer distributor that leases Coombs' on-site fertilizer facility. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling Coombs' crop input supply chain rather than a direct competitor.
• Turfgrass Producers International: Industry association for sod producers, of which John Coombs Sr. is a board member. Ecosystem/peer-network body rather than a commercial competitor.

Emerging players

• Farm Fresh Sod: Regional sod producer serving golf courses and landscape contractors in the U.S. Northeast; a smaller-scale specialty turf producer comparable to Coombs' sod operations.
• Speedy Sod & Landscape Supply: Smaller Mid-Atlantic sod supplier with comparable product portfolio and a regional footprint overlapping parts of Coombs' eastern seaboard service area. Less golf-course specialized than Coombs.
• Sterman Masser Potato Farms: Pennsylvania-based potato grower and packer with comparable Mid-Atlantic fresh-market and chip-stock potato operations, partial overlap with Coombs' GAP-certified potato business.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CoombsSodFarms

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about coombs sod farms