Tips from the Batts

Our family was honored with the 2014 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award.  What a surprise for our family and our 375 acre tree farm in eastern North Carolina.  We have the wonderful advantage of living right on the farm where Dwight was born and working the land that four generations of Batts worked before us.  Here are some tips that have really helped us on the farm:

• Understand your property by finding the property lines, the soil types, the types of trees, bushes, vines, and other vegetation, animals, birds, insects, fish and aquatic life that live there, and the types of trees that will do well in your soils and climate.

• Record this information in written and picture form for yourself, your family and those who will help you and for those who will visit.

• Study and document your farmland assets and resources and capture the opportunities and needs that exist in each one.

• Get family and resource personnel involved in your assessment and determine such things as priority, responsibility assignments, timelines and project plans.

• Incorporate these plans into your working management plan.

• Use your available local resources for technical advice, cost share and grant opportunities, and finding reliable contractors when needed.  They are also a great resource for locating other landowners such as you who are doing similar work where you can share and learn from each other.

• Another great way to learn is to plug yourself in to any workshops, seminars (in person and on-line), farm tours, your local forestry association meetings, and the Soil and Water, Farm Service Agency and Cooperative Extension Service office.

• Some of the most important work you can do is not out in the woods but in the offices of local, state and national political leaders and by being in meetings where they will be available for you to educate them on the needs and challenges of forest landowners.

• Make your land available for the public of all descriptions so they can come and see a working forest in action.  Get a book where you can have them register and use your camera or phone to capture some pictures of your many visitors.  What tree farmer does not like to show off their efforts to anyone who will listen!  Enjoy!!