AT A GLANCE
Growers: Wild Horse Turf, Dean and Amanda Smyth
Property: Glass House Mountains, Queensland
Focus: Paying careful attention to detail and focus on exceeding all their customers’ expectations – from domestic through to major specifiers.
Market: Domestic, commercial, and recreational market of Empire Zoysia, Palmetto Buffalo and Wintergreen Couch. The most recent planting is Prestige which not yet ready for sale.
Dean and Amanda Smyth are testament to a husband-wife team that have created a perfect equilibrium of managing a productive turf farm while still sustaining work, life and family balance.
They own Wild Horse Turf set at the foothills of the picturesque Glass House Mountains in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast with a backdrop of the Beerburrum State Forest.
Katie Fisher learns about the family-operated business and it’s focus on not just producing a quality turf product but the service and skills to assist the end purchaser.
Meet Dean and Amanda Smyth – well catch them if you can! As they are an amazing, busy working couple whose passion for the turf industry sees them work nearly 24/7 as they strive to maintain a top-quality business and raise two beautiful girls.
Amanda stresses that it is thanks to their experienced and reliable team that they are able to grow “top notch” turf and distribute in a fast and reliable fashion to the domestic, commercial and recreational market.
“Dean’s firm integrity and passion has allowed Wild Horse Turf to become a reliable, trusted and committed business on the Sunshine Coast,” Amanda explained.
“Dean and our team pay careful attention to detail and focus on exceeding all of our customers’ expectations – from domestic through to major specifiers.”
Dean and Amanda bought the farm in 2005 and as Dean had previously worked on a turf farm in Townsville when he first left high school, he already had some experience in the industry.
“When we first arrived in Glass House, we were lucky enough to meet Anthony and Sonia Heilig from Go Turf,” Amanda said.
“They were so generous with their knowledge and time. Over the years they’ve become treasured friends.”
Initially Wild Horse Turf was 25 acres but now they grow just over 80 acres at three sites across both Glass House Mountains and Beerburrum.
The sites are irrigated with solid set irrigation, which Dean is gradually progressing to automatic pop-up irrigation system. They source water from onsite dams and bores.
Amanda explained that today the property grew Empire Zoysia, Palmetto Buffalo and Wintergreen Couch with the most recent planting being Prestige Buffalo which is not yet ready for sale.
Amanda and Dean had already been farming together for two years when they married in 2007.
“In 2008, we welcomed our first child Lillian and then her little sister Harriet in 2011,” Amanda explained.
“Dean has always maintained that turf farm life is an ideal way to raise a family and I totally agree.”
Since the farm’s inception, Dean has kept abreast of industry trends and implemented innovative farming practices that have enabled the property to grow a turf product that stands the test of time.
Over the years Dean has also streamlined the production processes in order to ensure turf is in mint condition at the point-of-sale.
Amanda said “… we bought our first automatic harvester in 2017 after 12-years of folding and stacking turf by hand – it rates as one of the most exciting days of our farming careers”.
“We now have two Trebro automatic harvesters, which make farm life much easier, when they’re working!” she added.
Passionate about their product, Wild Horse Turf has built-up and maintained an enviable reputation that has seen it provide grass to a variety of well-known venues, including Allan Border Field – the home of Queensland cricket.
“What we are really proud of at Wild Horse Turf is that over the years we have become a household name across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Ipswich because we deliver first-class turf with a smile and invaluable advice,” Amanda said proudly.
“We also always provide an after-sale service whereby Dean, myself and our staff encourage our customers to call with any questions regarding their new lawn. They just love to talk turf – and so do we!”
In terms of a point-of-difference Amanda stressed that Dean and the team made sure they were “… relentlessly helpful”.
Providing a level of service that goes above and beyond, again is what Amanda stressed stands the business apart from others.
“I can’t emphasis enough the need to be helpful to the customer – big or small,” she said.
“If they are not sure which turf best suits their specific needs, Dean and the team will patiently talk them through it.
“We invite customers to make an appointment to visit our Sunshine Coast farm so we can explain the ins and outs of each variety that we grow.”
Wild Horse Turf allows customers to pick-up their turf but also offers a delivery service as well as a comprehensive laying package that includes fertilising, rolling and initial watering.
And with long seasons and continual demand year-round how does Wild Horse Turf maintain supply?
Amanda said that as the year was not particularly ‘seasonal’, they tried to make hay while the sun shines.
“Our hard-working team help us get the job done in busy periods,” she said.
The farm runs a 10-pallet truck with a posi-track bobcat pulled on a trailer behind.
“Our commercial customers love this method because it minimises the disruption to prepared areas,” Amanda explained.
When asked how the last few months have gone in light of the COVID-19 issues, Amanda said how “… we’ve done well during COVID-19, finding that people used the time to undertake projects – including new lawns – while they were at home”.
“That said, we’re steeling ourselves for a downturn in business in the second half of 2020,” she said.
“Australia, particularly Queensland, has done well to limit the spread of the virus but we think the economy will feel the effects in the coming months – a delayed bullet, rather than a dodged one.”