166: Cultivating a love for the land
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Wallace Wood has been an active member of the McCormick County, SC community for over 38 years. He served as the Executive Director of the Upper Savannah Land Trust for six years and has been on the board of directors several times since the organization began in 2000. In 2011, he was named South Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year
info_outline
165: You’re looking at a Tree Farmer’s dream
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Walt McPhail, Brother Bill, and Dr. George Kessler (from a previous episode!) join Tom and Emily to discuss Walt’s farm. Walt and his ancestors have managed to keep the property within the family tree for a long, long time. He shares how he always knew he wanted to be a forester, why he’s been “retired” for nearly his entire career, and so much more, in this week’s episode!
info_outline
164: I couldn't have done anything more rewarding
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Dr. George Kessler is a Certified Tree Farmer and a Registered Forester. Dr. George is a recognized treasure in South Carolina for his extensive work in the tree farm community. He has dedicated his most of his career to extension forestry and has created millions of acres of healthy forests. Find out about Dr. George and his journey into forestry, his impact on the South Carolina community, and so much more!
info_outline
163: We Don't Take Away without Rebuilding
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Skeet and Gayle Burris are proud owners of Cypress Bay Plantation, a 2500+ acre farm and is nationally recognized for exceptional forestry, wildlife management and conservation. Skeet and Gayle share what it was like working on the farm in the very early days when it was an undeveloped 95-acre property. Lean in as Skeet and Gayle talk about how their vision back in 1986 has come true, and how they plan to keep the family legacy alive.
info_outline
162: The Call of the Bobwhite Is Now a Normal Thing
The Leadership Nature Podcast
John Spearman is a retired Colonel for the US Army and the President of Deer Hill, an award winning tree farming operation. John has been part of this farm since 1977 and shares a little bit about its rich history, the family legacy he is building with his farm, and just his love for being outdoors. John and his family have been able to create alternative income sources on his property that go beyond timber and trees!
info_outline
161: Land is More than Finances; It’s Your Culture and Heritage
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Annie Ruth Jones is a three-generation landowner and has successfully used her land to plant and sell trees. Her grandparents bought the land she is currently standing on in 1935 and she is very proud that she has kept the family legacy alive all these years later. She also credits the Center of Heirs Property for helping guide her to find the right resources to make a living out of her land. Find out more about Annie and her property in this week’s episode!
info_outline
160: Tree Farming Is a Way of Life for Me
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Randell Ewing is a tree farmer with deep roots in Darlington County, South Carolina. He got into tree farming by accident when he purchased a small piece of land in his early 20s for hunting purposes. Since then, he’s grown his property by thousands of acres and it’s now turned into a family business with him and his son. Listen in as you hear Randell’s stories about his tree farm and the amount of pride he has for growing trees.
info_outline
159: 990 Acres That I Am Very Proud To Own
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Eddie and Linda Drayton are the owners of Cat Tail Tree Farm. Eddie is a retired forester and spends his retirement days as a tree farmer. As a man in his 80s, Eddie wakes up everyday excited for a new adventure on his farm and shares a little bit about his love for forestry as well as provides a bit of a background on how the surrounding area was discovered. Join Tom and Emily on this adventure as they talk with Eddie and Linda about the work they put into their beautiful property.
info_outline
158: Trees Are a 50-Plus-Year-Long Term Investment that Pays Off
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Tom and Emily meet with legacy tree farmer Pat Dorn, based in South Carolina, to learn more about his beautiful property and how he got into the business of planting trees! You’ll hear some background noise as Tom and Emily march through the wilderness with Pat as they uncover what makes Pat’s property so special.
info_outline
157: Heritage Property: Working on the Land in South Carolina
The Leadership Nature Podcast
Tom is on the road and interviewing Mike Meetze from South Carolina! Mike shares his heritage property with Tom and explains how the property has evolved over the years. Everything from growing Soybeans to cattle to now timber. Mike has been on the tractor since he was eight years old, but he is actually an engineer by trade. Take a journey with Mike as he walks you through his property on this week’s episode!
info_outlineEddie and Linda Drayton are the owners of Cat Tail Tree Farm. Eddie is a retired forester and spends his retirement days as a tree farmer. As a man in his 80s, Eddie wakes up everyday excited for a new adventure on his farm and shares a little bit about his love for forestry as well as provides a bit of a background on how the surrounding area was discovered. Join Tom and Emily on this adventure as they talk with Eddie and Linda about the work they put into their beautiful property.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] Tom shares a little bit about Eddie and Linda’s farm.
[2:15] As a professional forester, how did Eddie get into forestry?
[4:00] Eddie was originally going to be a dentist.
[6:35] Eddie shares how he got into tree farming and how he went about purchasing his first property.
[8:45] Linda is a 50% owner and Edide is a 100% worker.
[9:00] Linda shares her first impressions of the land when they finally bought it. It was definitely runned down.
[11:05] Eddie shares a little bit about the history of forestry in Society Hill.
[18:30] The United States saw a huge boom in cotton production in 1917 to provide uniforms to WW1 soldiers.
[20:45] How has timber farming evolved over the decades?
[26:55] Eddie bought this tree farm in the late 90s/early 2000s. He had a lot of work ahead of him.
[29:45] Eddie breaks down in detail some of the beautiful trees and foliage he has on his property.
[37:35] This property is now in its 6th generation of growing trees. Eddie’s spent a lot of time to get the tree more in harmony with nature and to make it appealing to wildlife.
[40:35] Eddie shares where he sees the future of his farm headed.
[44:05] Eddie has an easement on his property. What does that mean and what lessons can he share to other land owners?
[46:45] What you leave behind is really important.
Mentioned in This Episode: