Bobby Watkins from Mississippi

What makes them outstanding?

I feel that Mr. Watkins is an outstanding tree farmer because he manages his timber, wildlife, and the habitat in which they live to better the quality of the environment in which we live. During Mr. Watkins career at BASF he was the first person to introduce and apply Arsenal in the south. He also introduced and patented the QVM (Quality Vegetation Management) practice while working for BASF. He has implemented this practice throughout his pine plantations with great results. Mr. Watkins is very adamant about improving the habitat for a variety of wildlife through spraying, burning, thinning, disking, and planting. The QVM application along with burning also helps him control undesirable species such as sweet gum, privet, etc. He does 100% of the field work himself. As a tree farmer Mr. Watkins also helps other landowners manage their timber and wildlife habitats. He promotes tree farming, timber management and wildlife habitat at high levels.

Tree Farmer Story

Bobby Watkins’ recent designation by the Mississippi Forestry Association as the state’s Tree Farmer of the Year in 2015 was the culmination of a career in forestry and a lifetime commitment to his family tree farm in Aberdeen, MS.The Mississippi State University alumnus and retired forestry technical specialist for BASF now dedicates most of his time and resources overseeing and maintaining Coontail Farm. The 240-acre tract is known in north Mississippi not only for loblolly pine timber production, but for a wildlife-friendly habitat for hunting and fishing as well as an educational model for aspiring landowners. Watkins’ mother, Martha Bourland, inherited the land from her father, Amos Rye, and shared it with Bobby, his brother Richard, and his sister Martha Jane -- both also MSU degree holders.The land has been in the family for four generations since Rye purchased it in the 1950s and grew soybeans and cotton on most of the land.

It was during that same decade that Watkins’ family first consulted with the MSU Extension Service for advice on cotton acres they were managing.Since then, I’ve worked closely with Extension on several projects, Watkins says. All the decisions we’ve made on proper management of Coontail Farm have been based on recommendations and research from the Extension Service, and the quality and value of the property has improved. I think the easiest way to avoid a major long-term mistake when facing a decision that could affect the next 20-30 years in the life of your property is seeking expert or professional advice.The family began converting the land to forestry in 1986 when pine trees were planted and the land was enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. Nearly 20 years later, it became a certified tree farm. Obtaining that status requires a written forest management plan that reflects the landowner’s objectives for the property, knowledge of natural resources and how sustainable forest management can be practiced to meet the objectives.Part of Watkins’ work to achieve his objectives involved working with MSU using a technique known as quality vegetation management (QVM), which involves the use of prescribed fire, herbicide to encourage the growth of natural vegetation, namely deer forage. A team of MSU students collected plant samples to determine the quality and amount of forages produced. Over time, the QVM treatment was proved to provide abundant forages because it removed forest mid-story that served as a haven for low-quality hardwood brush.Watkins has had other studies conducted on land set aside for trials to learn how thinning pines at different levels of growth affect wildlife habitat growing in a pine stand.The study helped provide credibility to the theory that if you take out a lot of trees and open more of the stand up to sunlight, you create more habitats for wildlife. You’ve got to have a wildlife objective in timber management to justify taking out more in thinning to promote a wildlife habitat. They were able to get result that showed this balance is beneficial for both the continued growth and quality of the timber as well as the wildlife habitat.

Numerous workshops have been held on Bobby’s land -- mostly thinning, burning and general management workshops. The students measure trees and use data to determine whether a pine stand is ready for thinning. Both forestry and wildlife field days have been there where people who are learning to manage property of their own looked at management aspects. His farm is the ideal model for the balance you want to see between timber and wildlife management.Watkins’ property has also played host to many garden clubs and is open to groups for tours. He reaches out to the public using social media to provide information about how management affects the air and water quality.Watkins also has a good working relationship with different state agencies including; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fishers, and Parks, MS Extension Services, and Mississippi Forestry Commission. We’ve also consulted with Extension on the general management of our farm, Watkins adds. After moving into the CRP program, that contact and advice became much more important in looking at all the parameters of forest management.Monroe County Extension agriculture and natural resources agent Randall Nevins has worked alongside Watkins as colleagues in the county’s forestry association and has taken timber buyers to Watkins’ land for educational programs.He’s always been good about letting us go out there and teach the public how to take care of property how to manage timber. He’s taken what he’s learned and turned it into a good workshop for anyone else that wants to do something similar, Nevins says.

You can see how well managed it is as soon as you step foot on it. He has been a big asset to the county and we can always count on him to help us.Bobby has used his family’s farm on many occasions to show other landowners how you can take a spot of land, put some time and care into it and manage it the right way will help it produce both a healthy forest and a variety of wildlife, says Monroe County Forester Michael Hughey. He was the one who first begun the QVM practice and has implemented it throughout his pine plantations with great results. He is very adamant about improving the habitat for a variety of wildlife through spraying, burning and thinning.The most important reason for tending to the property so carefully is the family history behind it and the desire to continue making lasting memories on it and pass it along to future generations. The family continues to meet at the farm on many holidays.I’d say it’s our God-given responsibility to manage the garden, Watkins says. That’s why doing something to preserve the quality of the air, water and habitat for wildlife is something that has always been important to me.