Here a Tree, There a Tree

We live in a forest. By definition, that means there are a lot of trees around. But not enough, apparently, for the taxation department. The previous owners of the land ran cattle, so they got a break–known as farm deferral– in their taxes. We are city folk.

When I was a young girl, my IQ was tested. At one point the examiner asked, “Who is your favorite author?”

“I have two. Erma Bombeck and James Herriot.”

The examiner just stared at me.

Just because I love to read about Herriot’s vet experiences doesn’t mean I want to stick my arm into a dark place to help a calf be born. I’d rather stay being city folk. The only thing is…city folk pay more taxes to own farmable land. Five years worth of back taxes, to be exact. Our other option was to roll the land over into forest deferral. Tons of research later, we realize this means we need to reforest our meadow areas with around 1200 trees.

Seedlings sound more fragile than premature babies. They can’t be bounced too much or the roots will bruise. When planted, the roots need to hang free or they will J-root and grow back up to the surface. They should only be planted in 30-40 degree weather, but not after days of freezing weather. Each seedling needs to be dipped in water for 1 minute before it goes into its hole. The hole can be dug best with a three step process. Each seedling must be kissed goodbye before you move on to the next planting site.

Yes, I made the last one up. Sound intimidating, doesn’t it? So we prayed. We called a landscaping company to see how much they would charge to plant the trees. Quote: $6600. We kept calling. Enter Lou the forester. His quote: slightly more than $300. Hallelujah!

Here a tree, there a tree, everywhere a tree, tree!