Natural Grass Sod Checkoff Voting Opens in January

The USDA announced on December 10^th that voting on the proposed U.S. Natural Grass Sod Checkoff program is set to open in January 2025. Any U.S. sod producer who produced and sold natural grass sod during the 2024 calendar year is eligible to vote in the upcoming referendum. The voting period is January 13, 2025, through February 11, 2025. To be eligible to vote, current natural grass sod producers must have sold natural grass sod products in the United States during the representative period from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Anyone who believes that they are eligible to vote in the referendum may request a ballot by emailing the contact provided in the ADDRESSES section below. Eligible producers must provide evidence of natural grass sod sales during the representative period. Ballots will be mailed to all known eligible natural grass sod producers on or before January 10, 2025. Ballots must be received by the Referendum Agents no later than the close of business 5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on February 11, 2025.

Referendum Summary

• Voting on the proposed checkoff is open from January 13 until 5:00 pm ET on February 11 2025. 
• Ballots will be mailed to all known U.S. sod producers. Additionally, any U.S. sod producer who wants to vote may request a ballot by emailing Maribel Reyna at the address below.
• Sod producers must provide evidence that they sold sod at least once from 1/1/24 to 12/31/24. Acceptable documentation could include only one copy, not the original, of any of the following documents:
  • Transaction report, sales receipt, CPA statement, tax document, or other appropriate documentation that verifies they are a sod producer.
• Ballots can be returned to USDA in the UPS envelope provided in the ballot package or can be emailed to an electronic inbox that USDA will set up before the voting period opens on January 13, 2025.
• Ballots must be received by 5:00 pm ET on February 11, 2025.
• ADDRESSES Maribel.Reyna@usda.gov

Postcards like the one below were mailed on December 10^th, 2024, to all known eligible natural grass sod producers. If you did not receive one, please contact Maribel Reyna of USDA at the above email address. A ballot package consisting of a producer letter, checklist, ballot, copies of the proposal and a return shipping label/envelop will also be mailed out prior to the beginning of the voting period, which opens on January 13, 2025, so that sod producers have it prior to the voting period opening date.  If you do not receive a ballot package, please contact Maribel Reyna at Maribel.Reyna@usda.gov. All ballots can be returned to USDA in the pre-paid UPS envelope that arrives with the ballot package, or they can be emailed to an electronic inbox that will be set up prior to the voting period opening date of January 13, 2025. All ballots must be received by 5:00 pm ET on February 11, 2025.