2010 Tree Farmers of the Year
Mike & Vivien Fritz
More than forty people gathered on Saturday, August 14th under glorious skies for a tour of Beaver Brook Farm, the 2010 Tree Farm of the Year owned by Mike and Vivien Fritz. The Fritz’s have owned the 525-acre parcel since 1999 and have been Tree Farmers since 2003.
We met in the barn, an awesome 150-year old, 3-story structure with original interior that has hosted many groups during the last decade. The day began with a presentation by consulting forester Richard “Carbo” Carbonetti who talked about the Fritz’s relationship to the land, their objectives, and stewardship ethic that has steered the forest management plan. Primary objectives include enhancing and maintaining forest health and recreational trail development with multi-purpose uses. Mike followed up with a discussion on how the working forest is also a community asset, offering recreational activities at no charge. There are 25km of groomed trails created from logging operations for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and 3km of VAST trails through the property. After five decades of posting, there was a severe browse problem and the Fritz’s now allow hunting by permission.
Two concurrent tours took everyone outdoors to see the results of large-scale commercial logging and also small-scale owner logging. Mike and Carbo each led two groups so all would have an opportunity to see both operations. With appetites at the ready, we sat down to an absolutely wonderful buffet of pulled pork and barbeque chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, ratatouille, and a table full of mouthwatering desserts – all prepared by Vivien. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, a Tree Farmer himself, joined us for lunch and offered a few words about his and his family’s connection to the land.
We then learned about “orienteering,” a sport that uses a map and compass to navigate through unfamiliar terrain. The Fritz’s have hosted orienteering events on the property and sent us all off in the afternoon, one at a time, for a firsthand experience. As someone who has not spent a lot of time in unfamiliar woods (even with trails), this seemed a little intimidating to me. I recall as a child venturing into the woods in Pennsylvania where my grandparents lived and coming out about five miles from their home… needing to be “rescued” by a nearby landowner and my parents. I’m pleased to say that this adventure was far more successful. After huffing and puffing my way up a few hills, I made it back to the finish line very excited. In fact, everyone found their way back using the tools we had been given… some in record time and others, like me, lollygagging along.
Again, we congratulate Mike and Vivien on being the 2010 Outstanding Tree Farm and extend out thanks to them and Carbo for making this a perfect day for all.
