After reading an article about why someone felt their occupation was important, I began to think about why we are Tree Farmers and part of the American Tree Farm System.
Those thoughts were compiled into a list of reasons you know you are a Tree Farmer when:
… your heart rate drops 10-15 beats per minute the instant your foot steps on “your” ground.
… you stop and watch wildlife in their native habitat and maybe even talk to them until they run off.
… a stream’s flow and sediment impairment are important observations you make.
… most of your “work” clothes are torn and tattered from pushing through briar patches, climbing over logs, stumbling up stream banks, or climbing through barbed wire fences.
… you give directions not by streets, but by “places” such as the “Jones home place” and other landmarks.
… the fingers on your gloves are colored with paint from marking boundaries or trees to be harvested.
… one of the favorites on your computer’s web browser is a direct link to Timber Mart-South or other timber pricing service.
… knowing which direction is north is always on your mind.
… you get antsy when ice storms, wildfires, pine beetles, etc. are mentioned near your Tree Farms.
… finding a lost boundary or corner marker gives you pleasure.
… understanding good records are important, but appreciating “good” has different meanings to different folks.
… use of a chain saw, banking blade, or machete to cut things is second nature to you.
… you are not tall enough to wade across a creek to get to part of your Tree Farm so your sons carry you across.
… understanding your land ownership is really just a license to practice sustainable management of the land.
… the land will be in better shape when you die than when you acquired it.
… you know where your paper and lumber comes from, after all you, or someone like you, grew it!
… your certified American Tree Farm sign is proudly displayed.
Are there other issues that make you an American Tree Farmer that I did not consider? Email me your suggestions at ginny@landownerlegacy.com or click on the “contact” button above. I will add to my list or make another list of reasons in a future post.
Please share this post with others in your family, company, or email list and ask them to provide suggestions as well.
Every one of your personal reasons are important to you and are the reason you continue to enjoy being an American Tree Farmer. Be sure to share with your family and your community what those reasons are and why they are important!
LandownerLegacy.com 