Sod farmer losing business during historic drought

NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dan Gibson had been a sod farmer for more than 30 years, but many people would not be able to tell because his farm is nothing but dirt.

Gibson said he pulled up 20 acres of sod and has not reseeded the area because of the drought. He said if the drought and water restrictions are not taking enough of a toll on his business, the governor's recent statewide call to replace 50 million square feet of natural lawns with drought-tolerant plants is.

"Well we've definitely seen the reductions in sales over the last year, but especially since the announcement from the governor and our local mayor to take out the turf. We've seen it have a big influence on our business, reducing our sales," he said.

Water districts around Southern California are offering rebates to rip out lawns and replace them with drought-tolerant landscaping. Butch and Judy Geoghegan said they did not need a rebate incentive to scrap their lawn.

"The plants are watered once week, so we've cut down on a great deal of water," Judy said.

But Gibson said people can still keep their lawn and cut down on water by sodding self-repairing turf. He said the roots are deeper and the blades of grass are thicker, which prevents most of the water from evaporating during the summer.

"There's a product that requires 30 percent less water than other grasses that are on the market, yet still green year-round," he said.

He added that despite the drought, he wants to stay open and sell grass because he cannot imagine neighborhoods without green lawns.