I am a Virginia tree farmer. In addition to traditional forest products, I know that my land is helping to protect water quality, cleaning the air, giving wildlife a place to live and just making the world more beautiful. If you are interested in learning more about tree farming, please feel free to contact me for a personal point of view, or contact the tree farm system at the links below.
We all depend on each other in our interconnected environment and nobody can do it alone, so I joined the American Tree Farm System. This hooks me in to people who can help me do a better job and connects me to others who need me to help them. It makes me feel good that the things I do on my land and the plans are make are “forest certified” by an organization with long experience in making forests sustainable. I recommend that anybody who owns even small woodlots consider becoming a certified tree farmer.
A lot has been changing in the woods. We have learned how to grow more wood on the same land. We know better how to protect and restore soils. It has become more crucial to guard water resources and we have a whole new commitment to removing excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Besides markets for timber, we now have markets for ecological services. We have a lot of great partners in Virginia.
The health of my forest and our environment depends on the choices made by other Virginian and other Americans. That is why we all need to be concerned about each other. No individual or group can come up with a comprehensive plan for a sustainable environment. But together we can, as we all make decisions based on our own unique knowledge, intelligence, imaginations and priorities. Information is important in making choices and every tree farmer is on the cutting edge about his/her own farm. I try to share my experience through my blog on forestry. And I told the story of how I came to buy my own forests at this link.