In 2006, Tracy Markham and Denise Niemitz fulfilled their dream of living in nature on their own land when they purchased their 40-acre wooded property in Hardwick. When they first bought the property, they didn’t know what was even possible in terms of forest management. As the years went by, Tracy and Denise’s dreams for their property grew and they considered how they could use their land more fully. Ideas that they had included converting part of their forest into an orchard, creating walking trails so that they could access their entire property, and creating a pasture for their animals.
They decided to start by creating a forest management plan. Their neighbor recommended a forester to them who helped them through the process. Tracy and Denise had a great experience working with the forester, who helped them understand what was and wasn’t possible on their land and highlighted amazing features of their forest that they didn’t know existed. They recommend that landowners find a forester that they can work well with and that understands their goals. To find licensed foresters in your area, click here.
After writing a forest management plan, Tracy and Denise took the next step toward creating their dream property when they completed a timber sale in January 2017. This sale cleared some land for pasture, created walking trails throughout the property, increased the health of their forest, and gave them some supplemental income so that they can do even more in the future. Click here to learn more about caring for your land.
Since their timber sale, Tracy and Denise have fallen even more in love with their land and have many ideas about how they and their family will be able to use it in the future. They are so excited to share the land with Denise’s grandchildren, hoping that the kids will have fond memories of playing in and exploring the forest. They are proud to have their land in a conservation restriction, so that it will stay forested long-term. To learn more about deciding the future of your land, click here.