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Tree Farmers Vermont Why am I a Tree Farmer?

Mark and Catie Raishart

Mark and Katie Raishart are the owners of Foxglove Farm in Leicester, VT. Foxglove Farm is a small farm and homestead that combines a working forest with agritourism. Featuring a log cabin which serves as an Air B&B, eggs, maple syrup, handcrafted jewelry and knitted apparel, trails for recreation, and more, the farm welcomes visitors of all kinds each year.

The Raisharts’ property covers 68 acres, 64 of which are forested and actively managed, located at the junction of the Green Mountains and the Champlain Valley. From the highest points of the property Moosalamoo, Brandon Gap, and the High Peaks of the Adirondacks in New York can be seen. The property became Tree Farm certified in 2016 and Mark said this was a way to better manage the property. Mark said, “Through my work in teaching (Mark was a natural resources teacher at a local technical center), my personal interest in forest stewardship, and in-depth research of my property, I wanted to expand and solidify my commitment to sound and diverse management goals on our property. Enrolling in the Tree Farm program was a way to demonstrate this commitment to visitors to our property and help my family identify and own that commitment as well.”

The Tree Farm program’s four core values of Wood, Water, Wildlife, and Recreation represent the priorities of the Raisharts’ management on the property. The Raisharts deeply value wildlife habitat, ecosystem vitality and overall forest health as Mark said, “To me, the range of wildlife we see on our property is a direct indicator of the quality of the forest.” The land includes a wetlands complex on which they view as a great asset to wildlife and something to take care of. As an agritourism destination they seek to maintain the land for recreational purposes. Mark also shared, “We deeply value the concept of the working forest – one that provides resources to our family. Harvesting timber, firewood, and maple sap have been important ways for us to maintain a working relationship with our land to help support our lives here. Meeting these goals means active engagement: trail maintenance, habitat enhancement work, removal of poor-quality trees, invasive species control, mast tree release, and work in the sugarbush.”

For the Raisharts, being in the Tree Farm program is about affirming and demonstrating their commitment sound long-term land management. To Mark and Katie, this means demonstrating it to themselves, their children, and the visitors and customers that come to their farm. It is about more than hanging a sign, although they do like to display their Tree Farm sign! It is for these reasons that they encourage other landowners to join the program. “[Enrolling in Tree Farm] symbolizes a commitment to [a landowners] role in land stewardship, and it’s an opportunity to access a community of like-minded partners and professionals who work together to advance that commitment.”

This community of like-minded partners is one of the aspects of Tree Farm that they value most. Being in Tree Farm gives landowners access to a network of citizen landowner that share the common goal of working forest stewardship. The ability to share experiences, ideas, and
knowledge is very valuable to a landowner. “Owning forestland is a privilege and a responsibility, and active engagement in the responsible stewardship of that land is a common value within the Tree Farm program,” said Mark.

For any new Tree Farmers Mark gives the advice to learn as much as possible. “A forest is a dynamic and responsive ‘organism’ that is both resilient and incredibly vulnerable,” says Mark. “There is always something new to learn about the forest ecosystem and what the challenges and opportunities are as we work with it. Try to understand what the options are for management, and be careful about making assumptions before you have learned more.”

Looking ahead to the future is something the Raisharts think about often and sharing their passion for landscape with their children and the next generation is one of their biggest priorities. Mark feels this can be done in several ways. One way is through education and making learning fun. “Turn every adventure into a learning opportunity and be open and honest. Kids take in everything, especially when they’re physically engaged,” said Mark. Welcoming kids into workshops and trainings with aspects tailored to them is another suggestion of his. This will help them feel the like they are a part of the forest community too and that the forest is as much for them as it is for grown-ups. Mark also mentioned, “More than anything else, kids need to have positive and immersive experiences in the forest. SPEND TIME OUTSIDE DOING FUN STUFF. This will inspire a sense of ownership, responsibility and stewardship.”

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ATFS/AFF Tree Farmers

The American Forest Foundation Expands Access to Carbon Markets for Underserved Landowners

The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a national conservation non-profit that specializes in family-owned forestland, today announced that Bank of America has provided a $230,000 grant to help support AFF’s Family Forest Carbon Program. The program is uniquely designed to provide small-acreage and underserved landowners access to carbon markets.

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Tree Farmers

Black Hills Family Named National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year

Today, the American Forest Foundation, a national conservation organization that empowers family forest owners to make a positive impact through their woodlands, announced Bob Burns and Mary LaHood of Piedmont, South Dakota as the American Tree Farm System’s (ATFS) 2021 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. The LaHood-Burns family was selected from among more than 70,000 certified Tree Farmers nationwide, and are being recognized for their decades of dedicated, proactive stewardship of their 320 acres of forestland. 

“I am privileged to know Mary and Bob personally and can attest to their commitment to building community among forest landowners, in addition to caring for their land in a way that would make past and future generations proud,” said Angela Wells, Director of the ATFS. “Their efforts to empower their neighbors to protect themselves and their forests from wildfire, while tirelessly advocating for the rights of South Dakota’s family forest owners, are an embodiment of what makes the ATFS network so special.”

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Tree Farmers

Mary LaHood and Bob Burns: 2021 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year

In the mid 1870’s, there were two ways to enter the Black Hills of South Dakota, on foot or on the back of a horse. By 1887, the effort to construct the first railroad into a piece of Lakota treaty land that settlers called the Piedmont Valley brought John Murray to the area. In July of that year, Murray purchased a large acreage, including the wooded slopes above the red dirt valley floor, for $675.

One hundred and thirty-four years later, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program administered by the American Forest Foundation, has named Murray’s descendants as the 2021 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. Mary LaHood and Bob Burns, who manage the LaHood-Burns Family Forest with their children, were selected by an independent selection committee made up of ATFS partners, landowners, and past Regional and Outstanding Tree Farmer of the year finalists.

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Tree Farmers

Meet the Jacksons of Pennsylvania

Mountain Meadows and its many acres of forests were part of Laura Jackson’s beloved childhood home. As a young adult, she moved away from the family farm in Everett, Pennsylvania and met her husband Mike, who also grew up on a farm. They are both retired schoolteachers. In 1983, when her parents asked, “Why don’t you move back?” the answer was “Yes.” Her parents gifted Laura and Mike 113 mostly forested acres from the farm, and five years later, the Jacksons built a house on the property and started their journey as first-time landowners and forest stewards.

Their property was a wildlife oasis. The Jacksons were thrilled to watch bobcats, deer, bears, and birds that called their property home. They spent time in the woods documenting their sightings, became amateur nature photographers, and Mike became an avid hunter.

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Tree Farmers

Putting Our Best Digital Foot Forward

Friends, I am thrilled to share that we have just launched a newly designed website—the first large-scale representation of a comprehensive strategic branding exercise we began last year.

I am proud of the end result. With the help of our amazing staff and partners, we were able to identify our most powerful assets as an organization, delve into the many strengths of our programs and hone our unique contribution to the conservation space.

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Tree Farmers

Empowering Rural American Forest Owners to Take Climate Action

In the U.S., forests serve as the nation’s largest terrestrial carbon sink, offsetting 15 percent of our nation’s annual emissions. More importantly, studies suggest this could be nearly doubled – through reforestation (planting trees) and improved forest management of our existing woodlands.

To unlock the carbon potential in our forests, lawmakers should look no further than family forest owners. Families and individuals, with properties varying from 20 to 2,000 acres, collectively care for the largest portion of forests in America. Some are generations of families, others are farmers who also own trees, others are wildlife enthusiasts, and some are simply people who own forestland as part of their home. While they may all be different, they all care for land that contributes to clean water, wildlife habitat, wood supplies, and our carbon sink.

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Tree Farmers

Announcing the 2021 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year

Across the U.S, a dedicated group of 70,000 family forest owners are caring for their land –  improving wildlife habitat, lowering risk of catastrophic wildfires, protecting clean water, increasing carbon sequestration, and fostering their own connections to the land. These are the members of the American Tree Farm System, a nearly 80-year old program that  represents the largest, most engaged network of landowners  managing 19 million acres of forestland, meeting a rigorous set of sustainability standards. 

Each year, ATFS, which falls under the American Forest Foundation, celebrates the work being done by ATFS-certified landowners with the Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year (OTFY) award. This award recognizes landowners that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to caring for their forests and leadership in educating communities about the importance of conservation on family-owned forests. 

Like many other organizations, AFF and ATFS had to adapt to the challenges of the global pandemic. The health and safety of our Tree Farmers and OTFY selection committee is the number one concern. After having identified eight regional Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year finalists early in 2020, for everyone’s safety we elected to defer the selection process to 2021. 

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Tree Farmers

Loan Guarantees to Help Scale Carbon Projects for Small Forest Holders

Capitol Hill has been buzzing with conversations, hearings, and round tables on how rural America can help address climate change. One such opportunity is via carbon markets for small forest holders.

Across the U.S., the largest portion of forests are owned by families and individuals in small parcels between 20 and 1,000 acres. For these small forest owners, carbon markets provide a voluntary avenue for action, rather than a regulatory approach. And, like timber markets, signal the value in keeping their forests as forests.

More importantly, carbon markets help landowners overcome cost barriers, allowing them to bring in income from their land that helps them implement improved management practices that they would normally not be able to afford.

The good news is that carbon markets are growing. Mark Carney, chief of the private sector Taskforce for Scaling Carbon Markets, has pointed out that voluntary carbon markets will need to scale 15-fold to meet growing demand fueled by net-zero pledges made by companies. This demand and the dollars associated with carbon credits could be channeled to family and individual forest owners.

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Climate Change Tree Farmers

Launching an Innovative Collaboration Between Landowners and Consumers for Climate Change

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) and IvyCo, a financial technology startup, are launching an innovative collaboration to fight climate change by bringing together family forest owners and individual consumers through the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). This Program was co-created by AFF and The Nature Conservancy to bring together rural family forest owners and companies to address climate change. Together, IvyCo and the FFCP are working to address challenges in scaling the voluntary carbon markets to increase the potential of family forests as a critical natural climate solution.

IvyCo creates products to empower individuals to fight climate change with their everyday purchases. By connecting to an individual’s bank accounts through secure Open Banking technology, IvyCo analyzes spending patterns to help users understand their largest areas of climate impact. More than just educating about carbon intensive spending, IvyCo lets users round up their spare change to fund decarbonization efforts, including the FFCP. These micro-transaction round ups lead to a significant impact over time—every $11 raised for the FFCP leads to improved management of an acre of family-owned forests.

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