Tree Farms provide a host of benefits to the environment and communities that they serve. They protect water quality, stabilize soil and wildlife habitat. They also provide a valuable economic resource and employment to local communities.
The best tree farms have a variety of trees. They offer customers a choice of what to purchase and how big they want it to be.
Land: A small amount of a piece of forested property is sufficient to get started with tree farming, depending on what type of trees you’re going to grow and the level of care required to keep them alive. Some popular choices include pine, spruce, fir, cedar and maple trees.
Timber: Some farmers convert larger sized trees into fencing posts, wood chips and other products. They can even sell thinnings to the pulpwood market.
Agroforestry: Forestry is a traditional land use system that incorporates the cultivation of trees alongside food crops and livestock farming. The practice helps rebuild soil, sequesters carbon and improves agricultural productivity and food security.
Become a Tree Farmer: The American Tree Farm System is the program that certifies private forest landowners as Tree Farmers. This means they meet certain minimum standards and guidelines known as the Standards of Sustainability.
Membership in the Tree Farm Program is free for private forest landowners who meet the qualifications. The Tree Farm Program enables these landowners to have their forest management objectives reviewed and discussed with a certified professional forested land manager on a periodic basis.