The RTF Turf Producers Association was formed in 2002 as an agricultural non-profit association. It has evolved into a unique joint venture between Barenbrug USA and the best turf producers in the country. 

 

The very first Rhizomatous Tall Fescue was found by researchers in Europe in 1991. It was another 8 years of cross breeding, collecting seed, research and trials before it was even brought to the United States by Barenbrug USA for basic trials.  RTF was developed using traditional breeding and hybridization techniques, with no genetic engineering.

 

Barenbrug USA knew they had something different and unique with RTF and rather than mass produce it and flood the market with it, they went direct to the sod producers to trial and test the RTF as sod. They set up 25 experimental locations across the U.S., 23 of them were sod production sites. On January 13, 2004, Barenbrug USA was issued a Utility Patent, “U.S Patent no. 6,677,507”, for a Tall Fescue variety having rhizomes.

 

The RTF Association controls the production of RTF sod and maintains the quality standards and is governed by a board of 5 directors, consisting of 4 RTF Sod grower members and one Barenbrug appointed representative. In 2015, with the growth and success of the program, the board of directors voted to hire a full time Executive Director. The vision of the RTF Association is not only to market and produce the RTF Sod, but also to support the continued research and development of new and improved generations of RTF for the future.

 

For more information on RTF Sod visit www.RTFSod.com