AFF Announces 2026 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year
Each year, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program of 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.
Nominees are selected from 4 regions across the United States: West, Northcentral, Northeast, and Southern. A selection committee made up of volunteer stakeholders and partners from AFF’s network reviews nominations and selects 2 finalists from each region, who receive visits from committee members during the summer season. Of these, one is selected as the Regional Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. AFF is proud to recognize the following Tree Farmers from each region who exemplify strong commitment to a diverse set of objectives promoting forest health and family and community well-being.
This year's nominees are:
Jerry & Portia Brown for the North Central Region
For Jerry and Portia Brown, Tree Farming is a family tradition that stretches back seven decades. Grayson Woods, the Brown family’s original Tree Farm, was purchased by Portia’s mother in 1947 and became one of the earliest Tree Farms in Kentucky, enrolling in 1955. When Portia inherited the property in 1993, she and Jerry took on the responsibility of continuing that legacy while developing their own vision for a well-managed forest.
For Jerry and Portia, stewardship means both caring for the forest they inherited and preparing it for those who will come after them. They are carrying forward a Tree Farm tradition that began in 1955, while their work demonstrates how thoughtful management can improve a forest over time. Their legacy is not simply a healthy forest—it is a commitment to keep learning, keep managing, and helping other landowners do the same.
Gerry and Karen Hawkes for the Northeast Region
Gerry purchased the property in 1969, and more than 55 years later, he and his wife, Karen, are still actively caring for it. Gerry built their log home from red spruce trees that were dying from acid precipitation, turning the forest itself into both their home and a lifelong project. From the beginning, Gerry's philosophy has been consistent: grow a healthy, vigorous forest by removing the poorest trees and giving the best trees room to thrive.
Today, the Hawkes' woods remain a family endeavor. Their granddaughter, now 12, has already declared that she wants to inherit the property and become a forester. She is even thinning her own small patch of saplings and learning to identify trees by their bark. After more than half a century, Gerry and Karen have created something much larger than a well-managed forest. They have built a home, a working forest, a haven for wildlife, and a living demonstration of what sound stewardship can accomplish.
The Kesterson Family for the Western Region
For six generations, the Kesterson family has built their life along Oregon’s Umpqua River. It started 1908, when Charles Franklin Kesterson purchased 300 acres near Elkton, and now has grown into a 2,200-acre family operation that balances forestry, ranching, and recreation. Today, the Kesterson Family Tree Farm spans about 1,500 acres of timberland, carrying forward a tradition of adapting to changing times while keeping the land at the center of the family business.
Big K has hosted forestry competitions, Tree Farm tours, Women in Agriculture events and industry training, while offering visitors opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, bike, raft and experience the working forest firsthand. After more than a century, the Kesterson Family Tree Farm remains a working example of how a family can adapt without losing sight of its roots.
The Robbins Family for the Southern Region
For Brad Robbins and his family, the Robbins Family Tree Farm represents more than five decades of caring for a piece of land and finding ways to make it better. Today, the family manages roughly 900 acres of contiguous property, with several generations involved in its future. A conservation easement now ensures that the family’s commitment to the land will endure.
What began with Louis Robbins buying a few acres to preserve a place for his family has become something much larger: a working family forest where the next generation can continue learning, experimenting and deciding what comes next.
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