Meet The 2025 North Central Outstanding Tree Farmers: Rob and Pat Davis
For Rob and Pat Davis of Harrison County, Ohio, their stewardship ethics are rooted in love—love of trees, wildlife, people, and the chance to make a difference. What began more than two decades ago as an effort to reforest a worn-out strip mine has grown into Reclaimed Tree Farm—a 640-acre property that demonstrates not only what good forestry can achieve, but also how land can be a ministry to others, and has earned them the recognition of this year’s North Central Outstanding Tree Farmers.
When the Davises first purchased the land, they were well aware of its reputation. Stripped of topsoil by mining in the 1970s before any reclamation laws, the property was considered marginal at best—compacted soils, poor fertility, crown vetch, and deer pressure stacked the odds against any attempt to restore it. But the Davises and their forester saw possibility where others saw problems. They ripped the soil to break compaction, experimented with more tolerant species, and made multiple attempts at herbicide treatments when first efforts failed. Year after year, he and Pat persisted, and today more than 150,000 trees have been planted—nearly all protected with shelters. Seeing bur oaks planted as saplings grow to produce acorns is, for Rob, a milestone he once thought impossible.
Their work has gone far beyond planting. They have relentlessly fought invasives like tree-of-heaven, autumn olive, and oriental bittersweet, carried out crop tree release, and recently completed a 14-acre cottonwood clearcut to create much-needed early successional habitat. Rob also stepped in to help a neighbor avoid a poorly written timber sale, connecting her with a consulting forester and saving her woods from being high-graded. Working with neighbors, Rob has encouraged quality deer management across thousands of acres, while food plots, nest boxes, and ponds provide habitat for everything from turkeys and wood ducks to bobcats and eagles.
A unique feature of the farm is Martha’s House, a restored farmhouse named for its former owner. Using resources from the oil and gas expansion in the region, the Davises transformed it into a retreat for pastors and missionaries. Visitors can hike the trails, fish or paddle in the pond, or simply find peace in the woods. For Rob and Pat, it is both a ministry and another way to share the lessons of good forestry.
Reclaimed Tree Farm has hosted forestry field days, Society of American Foresters meetings, chainsaw safety workshops, and Tree Farm tours—often combining them with practical demonstrations like a pond clinic. Pat ensures guests feel welcome, keeping the grounds and trails ready for visitors.
For the Davises, their legacy is measured not only in the hundreds of thousands of trees planted or the acres of invasives controlled, but in the people they’ve reached. By mentoring neighbors, supporting youth hunts, hosting students, and opening their land for ministry, they’ve shown how forests can heal both landscapes and lives. Their story proves that patience, persistence, and love for the land can truly reclaim even the most difficult ground.