CADIZ, Ohio — Beyond the entrance of Reclaimed Tree Farm sit acres upon acres of different tree species, from black walnuts and red cedar to even paw paw trees, where wildlife nestles in and calls home.
But this beautiful landscape in Harrison County, Ohio, wasn’t always the lush, wooded area it is today; it used to be a strip mine that was left behind and considered “unusable” land. This didn’t stop Rob Davis, however, from buying it and “reclaiming” it as his own.
“The reason I could afford to buy this land when I did was because it was worthless to so many people and I never saw it that way. I could afford it, and I can afford to buy more of it as it became available,” Davis said. “The idea that I couldn’t do something with it never crossed my mind.”
Planting trees in the spoiled, rock-hard soil was no small feat, but with the help of others, Davis has planted roughly 150,000 trees since first buying the land. That’s why he was awarded the Ohio Tree Farm Committee’s 2024 Ohio Tree Farm the Year, and will host a tour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Reclaimed Tree Farm, 40480 Cadiz-Dennison Road, Cadiz, Ohio.
Growing up
Davis grew up on five acres of land in Copley, Summit County, Ohio. His first interest in trees was sparked by his dad’s endeavors, buying and planting tree seed packets from his conservation district.
Not long after Davis started planting trees on his childhood land. After moving a few doors down from his childhood home in Copley and planting more trees, Davis began searching for land to bird hunt on.
So, in 1995, he bought 128 acres of former strip mine in Cadiz, Ohio, that would eventually become “Reclaimed Tree Farm.” The first thing he did was construct a driveway and then an outhouse. He and his wife, Pat, lived on the property in a camper while they constructed a house.
A land’s new life
As Davis worked on building the house, he also turned his attention to the trees. In 1996, he planted his first 500 trees on the property. Only a few survived, however, and they are much smaller than most other trees on the strip mine land because the roots can’t grow in the soil.
He then got help from his local soil and water conservation district and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry and planted 1,000 white oaks. But yet again, not one tree lasted; the deer ate every one.
The bigger problem, other than deer, was the soil. Because the strip mine land is made up of spoil bank — excavated earth, rock debris or waste materials left behind from operations like strip mining — the soil is compacted and almost acts like concrete.
The topsoil and organic matter were gone. The bedrock was also limestone, which brought up the soil’s pH; trees can’t grow in high pH zones because it makes essential nutrients unavailable to them.
“So we’ve got compacted soil, high soil pH, no fertility and deer,” said ODNR’s District Supervisory Forester Jeremy Scherf, who joined Davis’ operations in 2000. “Rob had already done a big tree planting that had kinda failed, so alright, this is why it failed, how are we going to get around these issues?”
Some of these issues weren’t something Davis and Scherf could change like fertility.
Instead, they turned their attention to the compaction problem, breaking up the soil in the fall by using a steel shank, known as a ripper, to loosen up the soil. This crack in the ground would freeze over in winter, preventing any sediment from getting in. Come spring, they would reopen the rift, and plant the tree down inside of it.
Every tree had to be planted by hand using a shovel, as the rock-hard soil wasn’t suitable for a mechanical tree-planting machine. The trees Davis planted on the strip land include red cedars, burr oak, chinkapin oak, black cherry, black walnut, sweet gum and several varieties of white oak.
Every year, leaf litter from the trees builds up topsoil, which over time, will restore the land to its former pre-mining glory.
The first year he saw a successful planting on the strip mine land was 2003, and after that he kept going. This was just the start, though; Davis’ success on the strip mine land only heightened what he calls a tree-planting obsession.
More land, more trees
Davis began buying more land from his neighbors as it became available. In 2006, he bought land from his neighbor Martha who formerly raised dairy cattle and sheep. He acquired even more of Martha’s land in 2012.
“When we started buying more land in ‘06, then we had (what I call) real dirt. It was topsoil, so we could expand the varieties,” Davis said.
Davis was able to start planting trees like sycamores and use a transplanting machine instead of planting trees by hand. On average, Davis estimates he’s planted roughly 2,000 trees a year over the past 9 to 10 years. Today, Davis owns 640 acres of land.
As he’s acquired more of his neighbor’s land, he has also been fighting and ripping out invasive trees like tree of heaven, autumn olive and bush honeysuckle.
“Like the tree of heaven, you cut one you get 100. The roots sucker, if you don’t give it a big drink of strong herbicide you just change(d) that one big tree into 100,” Davis said. “It’ll take over until there’s no native vegetation.”
Part of his land is also dedicated to a ministry home established in 2014. The Davis family converted Martha’s original farmhouse, built in 1890, into the Martha House where families and individuals that are a part of their ministry can stay for free.
The first guest stayed in the Martha House in 2016. Davis’ son is also a pastor at the ministry.
“Part of the name reclaim (in the Reclaimed Tree Farm LLC) is the fact that it is a lot of reclaimed old strip mine, but we’re also trying to touch the lives for Christ,” Davis said.
Alongside his ministry and tree work, Davis spreads the word on the importance of tree planting. His neighbor convinced him to start hunting deer, and in return, his neighbor agreed to start planting trees.
“Part of the reason they’ve gotten this award is not just all the great work he’s done here but his impact on his neighbors has spread even further,” Scherf said. “I figured it was an impact of another 40,000 trees and probably 2,000 to 3,000 more acres of forest management work that got done just because Rob started doing it here.”
Ohio Tree Farm of the Year award and tour
Every year, the Ohio Tree Farm Committee gives out the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year to a certified Ohio tree farm, nominated by a forester, that has done the most prominent conservation work throughout their lifetime.
Scherf nominated Davis and Pat for the award this year for a number of reasons.
“It’s (the) 150,000 trees in the ground, 640 acres of land that the vast majority of has had invasive species controlled multiple times,” Scherf said. “It’s the pond he built down there and also that connection with the neighboring properties, and spreading that knowledge and enthusiasm for doing these things.”
Alongside the award, the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year is expected to host a farm tour.
The farm tour on Sept. 7 event will consist of wagon rides guided by a forestry specialist who will give visitors a tour of the property and discuss different practices used on the farm. Self-guided walking tours will also be an option and visitors will also hear from forestry specialists like Scherf and a solar panel company — Davis has solar panels powering his home.
The main event, however, will be a clear-cut demonstration. Millwood Lumber Inc. will be cutting roughly 14 to 15 acres of forest to harvest for timber. No RSVP is required for the event.
Davis knows that he won’t benefit much from trees that take years to grow, but he recognizes that others will, and sometimes that’s what’s more important.
“When we plant a tree, we try and plant something that’s going to be desirable, not only for the wildlife, but for timber … . If you can survive the 60 to 70 to 100 year thing, it is definitely going to pay (but) it’s not from Pat and I,” Davis said. “That’s not the purpose. We’re not going to see a real payday, that’s not our goal. But our kids and grandkids should.”
For more information on the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year tour, visit ohiodnr.gov/home/news-and-events/all-events/forestry-events/2024ohiotreeframoftheyeartour.
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
