General Info

Bethel Farms has been "growing" since day one. From its beginnings in 1958 as a small cattle and poultry operation in Central Florida, the company has blossomed to become one of Florida's leading agriculture companies; producing cattle, citrus, sod and grass plugs. Bethel Farms currently employs over 100 people, on over 4, 000 acres of farmland, stretching throughout the Southeastern US. Bethel produces a wide variety of products, from mainstream to niche selections. In planning which product lines to develop, or which ones to drop, Bethel takes a solution-oriented approach. Bethel Farm's has developed the foresight to recognize the potential of newer products that address industry or customer issues. "We're constantly searching for new ways to solve old problems, " states Will Nugent, Bethel Farm's President. "It's part of our overall strategy of servicing customer needs, even when some of those needs have yet to emerge." It's this forward thinking, problem-solving capability that produces loyal, long-term clients. "We focus on doing our job well and anticipating trends and our customers have come to appreciate that." Mike Pope, Bethel's National Sales Manager, agrees. "We really do try to anticipate our customers needs and bring them solutions". "We are no longer just trying to grow what other people are specifying; we are identifying and growing the varieties that solve their problems and help build their businesses." Pope feels that Bethel's response to water issues is a good example of what they are trying to do. "Years ago we recognized that water use issues were growing. They directly affected our customers and that these issues were probably not going to go away. We sought out turfgrass varieties that demonstrated better drought tolerance and water efficiencies. EMPIRE Zoysia is one of these solutions and gave us a tool that we could take to our customers. "Since water restrictions will continue to be a major issue, Bethel is cultivating more drought tolerant turfgrasses. Bethel currently operates farms shipping to 14 southeastern and mid-western states. The addition of new locations will further increase the company's reach into Texas.