About Volunteer Turf

Founded by a UTK Turfgrass Science graduate. Built on science, driven by quality, and committed to healthier lawns.

Brett Hart started Volunteer Turf & Weed Control in 2026 because East Tennessee homeowners deserved better than franchise route-truck service. Every yard here is diagnosed and treated by the same certified turfgrass professional, from the first soil sample to the last fall application.

Brett Hart, owner of Volunteer Turf & Weed Control, standing at the University of Tennessee Knoxville
The Founder

Meet Brett Hart

Brett Hart grew up in East Tennessee and earned a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences with a concentration in Turfgrass Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His education focused on the science of growing and maintaining healthy turf, giving him the knowledge to properly diagnose lawn problems, build effective treatment programs, and deliver lasting results.

Brett’s passion for the lawn care industry began in 2017 when, at just 13 years old, he started working part-time in his father’s landscaping business. Through years of hands-on experience maintaining residential and commercial properties, he developed a strong work ethic and a passion for producing healthy, well-maintained lawns. In 2020, he was promoted to Crew Leader, taking on additional responsibilities while leading crews and ensuring every job met high standards of quality and professionalism. That experience inspired him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences with a concentration in Turfgrass Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Today, Brett combines years of real-world industry experience with a science-based education to deliver professional lawn care programs that produce healthy, long-lasting results.

As a Certified Tennessee Pesticide Applicator who is licensed and insured, Brett personally treats every lawn on the schedule. There are no rotating crews, no call centers, and no franchise upselling. Every customer works directly with the same trained professional on every visit.

Volunteer Turf was founded on a simple belief. Homeowners deserve honest recommendations, science-based lawn care, and reliable service without paying franchise prices. Every treatment follows proven agronomic practices, using professional-grade products applied at the right rate, at the right time of year, with careful attention to detail.

Credentials

Real training. Real license. Real accountability.

Lawn care is more regulated than most homeowners realize. Here’s what stands behind every product we apply.

B.S. Plant Sciences, UTK

Turfgrass Management concentration. The same degree program that produces the state’s turf researchers, sod farm agronomists, golf course superintendents, and university sports turf managers.

Certified Tennessee Pesticide Applicator

Licensed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Every product applied at labeled rates, with correct re-entry intervals disclosed to you.

Locally owned & operated

Not a franchise. Not a national chain. Volunteer Turf is one certified turfgrass professional, based in Loudon, serving East Tennessee homeowners directly.

What the Degree Means

A turfgrass science degree is a professional agronomy credential

Turfgrass management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is not a landscaping certificate. It is a plant sciences degree covering soil chemistry, plant pathology, weed science, entomology, and turfgrass physiology. Graduates of the program go on to careers like these.

Golf Course Superintendent

Managing championship playing surfaces, greens, tees, and fairways to daily tournament standards.

Sports Field & Athletic Turf Manager

Maintaining collegiate and professional stadium fields where turf safety and playability are measured.

Agronomist & Plant Health Specialist

Diagnosing soil, nutrient, and disease problems and writing the treatment plans that correct them.

Turfgrass Research Technician

Running university field trials that test products, rates, and timing before they ever reach a lawn.

Sod Farm Production Manager

Growing, grading, and harvesting turf at scale, where grass quality is the entire product.

Grounds & Landscape Manager

Overseeing university campuses, parks, and corporate properties across hundreds of acres.

Brett brought that same training home to East Tennessee and applies it to residential lawns, which is why every Volunteer Turf program is built on agronomy rather than a franchise spray schedule.

How We Work

Four principles behind every visit.

Every yard is measured

Before your first treatment we walk the property, note square footage, sun exposure, irrigation, grass type, and problem zones. Your plan is built on that, not a template.

Every application is calibrated

Fertilizer rates come out of your soil test, not the label’s back panel. Products are chosen for your specific grass, not the truck’s default.

Every visit is the founder

When Brett shows up, you’re getting the person who owns the company, holds the applicator license, and has the four-year degree. Nobody else.

Every recommendation is honest

If your lawn doesn’t need a service, we’ll tell you. If a competitor is offering something that isn’t worth the money, we’ll tell you that too. Straight answers cost you less.

Our Guarantee

The Volunteer Turf Guarantee

On the Silver and Gold programs, if weeds break through between scheduled visits, we come back and spot-treat them at no additional charge. Every application is documented with products, rates, and timing, so there is never a mystery about what your lawn received.

Complimentary spot-spray follow-ups (Silver and Gold)

Included with the Silver and Gold programs. If weeds break through between visits, call us and we come back to spot-treat at no additional charge. No questions, no upsell.

Documented every visit

You get a written service record for every application, including products used, rates applied, weather conditions, and what to watch for next.

Ready When You Are

Let’s build a plan for your lawn.

Free evaluations. Straight answers. No franchise pressure. Talk to Brett, the same UTK Turfgrass Science graduate who will treat your lawn every visit.

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