Owner Says Historic Drought Is 'Painful' For Sod Farm In Business 35 Years

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — The state's historic drought has been good for businesses that sell drought-tolerant landscaping but not for other companies that depend on the water for their bottom-line.

"It's painful. It's painful," said Dan Gibson, who is beginning to feel the pressure. "We've seen a reduction in sales with the drought and the push to remove turf."

Gibson and his wife own Valley Sod Farm, a small business that provides grass for homes around the Los Angeles-area but theirs is a business that thrives on water.

"We work hard and we work to come up with more efficient ideas of how we conduct our business so that we can make it through these difficult times," he said.

"If things keep on going the way it is, if he can't sell his product, he's gonna be hurting," said Art Mayes, a customer of Gibson's, who bought mulch, bark, and manure on Wednesday.

"We're just going to cut back on the water and see how it works and if we have to, we'll have to let it dry up," Mayes said.

Gibson and others around the area say they're going to continue to push through until drought-like conditions come to an end.

"We've been in business 35 years doing what we do. We can adjust but we still believe in our product. I would hate to imagine a Los Angeles without turf," Gibson added.