Operating Hours
Lavery's is open Monday - Friday, from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.  Always call ahead to order sod.  We typically cut sod first thing in the morning, so walk-ins can be difficult if the crew is not available to cut more sod.
 
About Lavery's Sod Farm
Lavery's Sod Farm was established as a family enterprise in the fall of 1982 when 10 acres of Bluegrass seed was planted on their 35 acre farm in Ironto, Virginia. From the very beginning, the goal of Lavery's Sod Farm has been to provide quality sod (turf grass) to Southwest Virginia. During 25 years of operation, Lavery's has grown in size to approximately 200 acres of total production, and kept its commitment to producing quality sod.

Present Owner: Tom Lavery
Tom grew up in rural Southeastern Ohio where he spent his summers as a hired hand on a large dairy farm. His interest in agriculture stems from this early experience, which led to studying agronomy at the University of Maryland. Tom graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science.

His first work experience as an Agronomist was as a Turf Research Technician for the University of Maryland. This exposure to turf research stimulated his interest in turf grass production. The experience as a research technician led to a promotion as a Sod and Seed Certification Specialist for the State of Maryland. Tom and his family then moved to the Southwest Virginia area in the fall of 1979 after he accepted a similar position at Virginia Tech.

Tom recognized the growing need for turf grass in the Roanoke valley and decided to start a business growing and installing turf grass for both residential and commercial markets.

General Manager: Brad Niekamp

Brad joined the staff of Lavery's Sod Farm in 2003 as the General Manager.  Brad's background in farming included raising hogs and row crops while growing up in western Ohio.  Brad went to school at the University of Dayton where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1993.  While working as an engineer for an international compressor manufacturer, Brad earned an MBA from Auburn University.  After 10 years in engineering and manufacturing management, Brad moved to Virginia to enter the turf industry.

Office Manager: Katie Lavery Niekamp

Katie grew up in the sod business, serving as her dad's first grunt labor/assistant.  She worked on the farm from its inception until 1993 when she graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park.  Katie's Bachelor of Science degree is in Marine Biology, and she later earned a Master of Science in Biology as well.  Katie worked as a science teacher in Alabama, North Carolina, Indiana, and Virginia before returning to the sod business in 2004.