Page 13 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2023

1-800-797-7276 • www.powerscreenmidatl.com • Kernersville, NC
 
HORIZONTAL GRINDER
Q: Tell me about yourself. Our records show you’ve been an
NCFA member since 2021.
A: I’m from Northeastern Franklin County and have lived all my life in
the community of Castalia, NC. This year, I’ve become the co-owner of Hardly Farm along with my daughter, Lauren, and son- in-law, Chris.
Q: What was your original reason for joining the NCFA?
A: I joined the NCFA after I attended a Farm Bureau Forest Advisory
Committee meeting and met [Executive Director] John Hatcher. He made the value in joining clear. I have been involved
in other advocacy organizations in the past, and I know the value they bring
to grassroots folks. The work the NCFA does with education, communication, and advocacy at the state and national level
is similar to the dibble bar in forestry. Farmers use long-handled dibbers of metal or wood to plant crops, called a dibble bar. I oversee 175 acres of land, passed down for generations in my family. I can hear the ding from the dibble bar from rocks and stones while workers are planting trees. The way I see it, the dibble bar digs in the ground to get information out to people, and to plant knowledge with legislators about the forestry industry’s value locally and at the state, national, and even at the international level.
Q: What is the history of your forestland and why do you
own it?
A: My daddy was in World War II. When the war ended, he came home
and farmed the land, predominantly harvesting tobacco, soybean, and wheat. As him and my mom got older, tobacco farming started to have issues, so he
took the tobacco buyout and converted the land to tree farms. With rapidly declining quotas, tobacco producers were increasingly willing to forgo the tobacco program — and increased their efforts
to get a buyout. He made the decision to purchase additional land to plant trees, loblolly and hardwoods, for harvest. He saw the value in the buyout for him in
that he didn’t need equipment and saw the option as a great way to carry on for the next generations of his family. He passed in 2019, and mom died about a year later, at which point the land was distributed
to their four children, with one large tract
ECOTEC PHOENIX 2100 TROMMEL SCREEN
• Produces more than 200 tons an hour
• CAT C27; 1050hp or optional CAT C32 1200hp engines
• Hog box raises for fast and easy screen and tip changes
• 40” diameter by 60” wide forged, high-strength rotor core
• Large capacity feed hopper easily handles full-length trees
• Metal Detection System protects machine from tramp metal
• Unrivaled high volume compost production
• Mulch coloring package across applications • 180° radial fines conveyor controlled by remote
North Carolina • South Carolina Virginia • West Virginia
LandMark Spatial Solutions

For More Information: 866-395-5440 www.landmarkspatialsolutions.com
ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2023 11