Tree Farm NLC 2019

Had many very informative meetings at the Tree Farm National Leadership Conference last week in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Chief of the Us Forest Service. Vicki Christiansen, Spoke to us about partnerships with the Forest Service.

Tom Martin, Director and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, talked about the direction the foundation is heading and what it means to Tree Farm

One of our friends from Alabama, Chris Erwin, Director of ATFS & Southern Woodland Conservation gave us an update on what is going on with the American Tree Farm System.

We stayed at the Historic Brown Hotel and was able to visit many of the historic sights near the hotel like the Louisville Slugger Museum  and Factory.  

New Longleaf Forest

40 more acres in the hills of Alabama has been converted back to the native longleaf pines.  The elevation these longleaf are being planted on is about 1370 feet, much different than the Coastal Plains longleaf.  This tract had one of the native trees growing on it and was not harvested.  The tree has a 12" diameter and was left as a testament to the trees native range. 

These men are the best at what they do.  I enjoy trying to communicate with them while we are planting.  Two men in this crew planted trees for me two years ago.  They were excited to see how the trees had grown that they had planted and it gave them motivation to do a good job planting.  Most of the time they never get to see the results of their hard work because they move on to a different location and never see what a site looks like later.   

In the back ground you can see the highest point in Alabama. 

These, over 20,000 seedlings, are off to a good start with all of the rain we have been having.  They will on day make a beautiful forest where their needles will make a special music that no other pine makes when blowing in the breeze. With fire going through these every two or three years it will become a place frequented by wildlife because of the great habitat these trees provide with good management.  

A Few Dry Days

We were able to get this burn in under these 12 year old longleaf pines between all the rain we have been having this December. We burned about 55 acres .

President 2018 Alabama Treasure Forest Association

I recently completed my term as President of the Alabama Treasure Forest Association.  I conducted the business at our final state business meeting for 2018 in Pratville at the Alabama Landowners Conference.  This was such an honor for me to be in a line of great presidents that have guided our organization down through the years.  Our next president, Gary Cole, will be a great president for our organization.  

People usually serve two annual terms in this position but I agreed to serve only one because in November I became the State Chairman for the Alabama Tree Farm Committee.  I had already made this commitment to Tree Farm early and had been serving as vice-chair for the past four years.

These are two great organizations for forest landowners having different objectives but both do great work for those they represent!

Classroom in the Forest 2018

2018 Classroom in the Forest is in the books!  We host all the fifth graders in the county to our property each year learn the truth about the forest.  They get to see a real working, sustainable, multiple use forest and get to interact with nature where this would be impossible in the classroom. 

For more information about this program go to the Alabama Treasure Forest Association.

Farm Bill 2018

We met with Congressman Rogers yesterday to discuss the Farm Bill and its impact on Rural America here in Clay County.  It is so important to all rural people in ways we have not thought of.
We looked and talked about how the bill helps keep our water safe and pure; how it effects jobs in our community; and how wildlife habitat is protected.

Transmission Line

We have a large transmission line across part of our property where we hunt.  We try to use it to our advantage. We are planting fall crops under these openings and bush-hog only part of the area allowing small animals and birds cover where they can cross the opening of the power line.

Small grains and clover are planted where we till the soil.