In 1960 Dutch Immigrant John Staal purchased a repossessed hand sod cutter and began Sunshine Landscaping & Sod. He would search for area pastures that were grassy enough to be suitable for lawns. This was called field sod. One of the first fields harvested was the Smith Farm, which is now the site of Arthur Street Marketplace and Canadian Tire. The sod from this area was cut and delivered to the then new Green Acres subdivision. This pasture type harvesting continued till 1978 when John purchased a parcel of land on East Candy Mountain Drive in Slate River Valley and began growing Kentucky Blue Grass for harvest. An improved product indeed.
In partnership with two of his sons, Gary and Henry, they and their families eventually grew 600 acres of land. Today Sunshine Sod Farms has irrigation on most of its land and up to date, state of the art equipment for both growing and harvesting their ever improving product. Henry and Gary Staal continue to expand and always look to improve their successful family business.
