Southwest Wisconsin Tree Farmers, John and Sally Ouellette, Host Field Day
The iconic Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin is famous for its rugged landscape of rivers, farms, and hardwood forests. Deep within the heart of this region lies the Dayton Ridge Tree Farm of John and Sally Ouellette, recognized as this year’s Outstanding Tree Farmers in Wisconsin.
To celebrate their well-deserved achievement, John and Sally this past Saturday hosted a field day of education, fun, and community. I joined more than 150 people in the festivities, which were sponsored by the Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee and the University of Wisconsin, Extension, among others. The weather was spectacular; warm and clear – a brilliant southern Wisconsin summer day.
There were so many experts and experienced landowners on hand to answer questions! Before we even headed out to the woods, I had talked with woodland owners and farmers, professional foresters, and people from a host of organizations, such as the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association and the Kickapoo Wood Cooperative.
After coffee and a light breakfast we broke into small groups and headed to the woods where foresters from the Wisconsin Division of Forestry and soil experts from the Natural Resources Conservation Service among others taught us about managing woods for wildlife, and growing walnut trees, and identifying good and poor soils for growing trees.
Every session was lively with lots of questions. In the true spirit of a community of people with a shared love, the landowners helped answer each other’s questions by sharing their hands-on experience. For example, one landowner talked about his experience planting pine trees to help grow an oak stand. Another detailed his use of aluminum foil, peanut butter and a fence to control deer damage. Between the professionals and experienced woodland owners, attendees came away with a ton of practical and useful information.
The day ended with hungry attendees feasting and enjoying their lunch-time together, sharing stories of what they had learned that morning and what they would try back on their own tree farm. It was a day full of providing family forest owners with the tools they need to help them do right by their land – the care and intention that these landowners have for their woods was so evident throughout the day, and a real inspiration. There’s nothing like on-the-ground opportunities like this to learn from each other and to remind us all that the American Tree Farm System is a network of woodland owners who care deeply about their woods and the benefits they provide to all of us!
