“Water from the Red River is the life blood for Eagle Lake Turf Farm.”
Hendrix, Oklahoma is but a small dot on the state map 12 miles north of the historically significant Red River, which drains 93,000 square miles of land and serves as a border between Oklahoma and Texas. It flows east out of Texas through Arkansas, eventually pouring into Louisiana’s Atchafalaya River.
Since 2017, the Red River has been a reliable source of irrigation water pumped from a 52-foot well and the life blood for Jamie Manry’s farm land where he produces, a little wheat, corn, soybeans and some of the most quality sod in the flyover states. Jamie, his wife Julie and Jamie’s brother Michael, operate Eagle Lake Turf Farm which can currently produce up to 200 pallets of sod each workday.
“We started this business with 20 acres,” remembers Manry. “Then we bought another 120 acres before partnering with Griffin Farms, which added another 930 acres. We leased another 700 acres this year that we’ll put into production this coming spring. Thankfully, the business has been progressively growing.”
The Production Cycle
Sprigging to establish new sod usually begins around Easter. As soon as the Manry’s and their crew of seven wrap sprigging, they fertilize every acre which kickstarts the fields of Tifway 419 sod. Around 40 days after sprigging, they fire up their fleet of Kubota tractors and begin mowing – a process that is repeated twice each week across the 1,770 acres of ground.
“I manage the crew, but I get my hands dirty as well,” says Manry with a laugh. “When it comes time to start mowing, everyone pulls their share of the load. You can’t let the grass get too tall. If you do, there would be too much fodder, or grass clippings, on top of the field which could stunt growth. That slows us down too the next time we mow.”
After 90 to 120 days, they start harvesting; cutting the new fields of sod into large and small rolls ranging from 66-yards per pallet, to 48-yards of continuous length strips.
On The Equipment Side
Because mowing is a critical part of producing quality sod, and must be performed on a strict schedule, equipment downtime can become a major vulnerability that significantly reduces overall operational efficiency. The fleet of Kubota tractors previously pulled Progressive mowers with blades turned by belts.
“We were replacing belts all the time on the Progressive machines,” recalls Manry. “The reliability we needed just wasn’t there. We eventually spoke with Maverick Machinery, near Tulsa, Oklahoma who told us about the RhinoAg X series of mowers that are 100% gear driven – no belts! That piqued our interest, so a regional representative paid us a visit to tell us more about them.”
After vetting the qualities of the RhinoAg X2411, Manry purchased one. Then he bought another one and then another one. He recently purchased two more. Their partner, Kenneth Griffen also bought five of the RhinoAg X2411 machines that are designed to be pulled by tractors with 50 to 150 PTO HP. It was a perfect match.
The fact that the RhinoAg X Series mowers are built with Strenx® steel, a higher-performance steel, is just one of the mowers features that Manry likes. “They are sturdy, durable and will outperform and outlast other competitive mowers hands down,” says Manry. With a tough underside built from 8-gauge Strenx® 700 MC structural steel, a cutting height adjustment from ½” to 5” for versatile mowing and full-length rollers that allow it to follow the contour of the ground, every aspect and piece of the RhinoAg X2411 is combined to form a premium product.
“They are truly a well-built machine and it’s so much nicer not having to replace belts all the time. Our overall efficiency has increased for sure,” says Manry. “We like the accuracy and consistency of how it cuts. The tempered blades are reliable and it doesn’t scalp and disturb the roots of our sod when it is set correctly.”
Great but Perfect?
Another unique feature of the RhinoAg X series of mowers is their ability to fold its cutting wings for easier transportation from field to field. Manry had a query initially with this feature. He figured the issue was hydraulic in nature, so he reached out to RhinoAg and they quickly delivered another set of hydraulic lines. “RhinoAg has been great to work with,” adds Manry. “Their customer service is as good as the machines they manufacture and sell.”
Manry and his crew can cut three times faster than they could with the Progressive machines if they have to – the RhinoAg X2411 does not bog down at all. “I’d recommend it to anyone that needs a quality mower,” says Manry. “I talked about the RhinoAg series to a farmer neighbor of mine and today he has two. He thinks the world of them.”
Manry’s customers are commercial and residential landscape businesses. They demand quality sod and that is what Eagle Lake Turf Farm delivers. There are no off days in the sod production business. They operate 365 days a year.
“As long as the Red River keeps providing water for my irrigation pivots and RhinoAg keeps producing quality mowers like these RhinoAg X2411s, I’ll be mowing sod with them until I retire,” concludes Manry.
Wondering if the X Series is right mower for you? Click here to take a closer look!
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