CADIZ, Ohio – Beyond the entrance to Reclaimed Tree Farm are acres and acres of trees, from black walnut and red cedar to papaya trees, that wildlife use as homes and nests.
But this beautiful landscape in Harrison County, Ohio wasn’t always the lush, forested area it is today. It was once an open-pit mine that was abandoned and considered “unusable” land. But that didn’t stop Rob Davis from buying it and “reclaiming” it as his own.
“The reason I could afford to buy this land 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 when it becomes available,” Davis said. “The thought that I couldn’t do anything with it never crossed my mind.”
Planting trees in the blighted, rock-hard soil was no easy task, but with the help of others, Davis has planted about 150,000 trees since purchasing the property. Because of that, he was awarded the 2024 Ohio Tree Farm of the Year award by the Ohio Tree Farm Committee and will be giving a tour of Reclaimed Tree Farm, 40480 Cadiz-Dennison Road, Cadiz, Ohio, on Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Grow up
Davis grew up on a 5-acre property in Copley, Summit County, Ohio. His initial interest in trees was sparked by the efforts of his father, who purchased and planted tree seed packets in his conservation district.
Not long after, Davis began planting trees on his childhood land. After moving a few doors down from his childhood home in Copley and planting more trees, Davis began looking for land where he could hunt birds.
So in 1995, he bought 128 acres of former strip mine land in Cadiz, Ohio, which would become Reclaimed Tree Farm. First, he built a driveway and then an outbuilding. He and his wife, Pat, lived on the property in a mobile home while they built a house.
The new life of a country
While Davis was working on the house, he also turned his attention to trees. In 1996, he planted his first 500 trees on the property. However, only a few survived, and they are much smaller than most other trees on the mine site because their roots cannot grow into the ground.
Then he got help from his local soil and water conservation district and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ forestry division and planted 1,000 white oaks. But again, not a single tree survived; the deer ate them all.
The bigger problem, aside from the deer, was the soil. Because the mine site is made up of spoil heaps – excavated earth, rock rubble or waste materials left over from operations such as open-pit mining – the soil is compacted and almost looks like concrete.
The topsoil and organic matter had disappeared. The bedrock was also made of limestone, which increased the pH of the soil. Trees cannot grow in areas with high pH because they lack important nutrients.
“So we have compacted soil, high pH, no fertility and deer,” said Jeremy Scherf, the ODNR district forester who joined Davis’ operation in 2000. “Rob had already done a major tree planting that had somehow failed. So, OK, that’s why it failed. How are we going to get around those problems?”
Davis and Scherf were unable to change some of these problems, such as fertility.
Instead, they addressed the compaction problem and loosened the soil in the fall with a steel shaft called a ripper. This crack in the soil froze over the winter, preventing sediment from entering. In the spring, they reopened the crack and planted the tree in it.
Each tree had to be planted by hand with a shovel because the rock-hard soil was not suitable for a mechanical tree planter. The trees Davis planted on the strip land include red cedars, swamp oaks, chestnut oaks, black cherries, black walnuts, sweet gums, and several varieties of white oaks.
Each year, the leaves of the trees form topsoil, which over time restores the land to its original pre-mining splendor.
The first year he experienced a successful planting on the open pit site was 2003, and he continued after that. But that was just the beginning; Davis’ success on the open pit site only reinforced 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 used to raise dairy cows and sheep. In 2012, he acquired even more of Martha’s land.
“When we started buying more land in 2006, we had (what I call) real dirt. It was topsoil, so we were able to expand the variety of varieties,” Davis said.
Davis was able to start planting trees such as sycamores and using a planting machine instead of planting the trees by hand. On average, Davis estimates he has planted about 2,000 trees per year for the past 9 to 10 years. Today, Davis owns 640 acres of land.
As he acquired more and more of his neighbor’s land, he also began to control and eradicate invasive trees such as the tree of heaven, the olive tree and the honeysuckle bushes.
“Like the tree of heaven, if you cut one, you get 100. The roots form runners, and unless you give them a large amount of powerful herbicide, you turn that one big tree into 100,” Davis said. “It will spread until there is no native vegetation left.”
A portion of its land is also dedicated to a parish hall built in 2014. The Davis family converted Martha’s original 1890 farmhouse into the Martha House, which offers free accommodation to families and individuals who are part of their parish.
The first guest stayed at the Martha House in 2016. Davis’ son is also a pastor at the church.
“The name Reclaim (of Reclaimed Tree Farm LLC) comes in part from the fact that it’s a lot of reclaimed old strip mining, but we’re also trying to win people to Christ,” Davis said.
In addition to his ministry and work as an arborist, Davis also raises awareness about the importance of tree planting. His neighbor convinced him to start deer hunting, and in return, his neighbor agreed to start planting trees.
“Part of the reason for the award is not only the great work he’s done here, but also his even more far-reaching impact on his neighbors,” Scherf said. “I estimate it was another 40,000 trees and probably 2,000 to 3,000 acres of forest management work that was done just because Rob started it here.”
“Ohio Tree Farm of the Year” award and tour
Each year, the Ohio Tree Farm Committee presents the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year award to a certified Ohio tree farm, nominated by a forester, that has performed the most outstanding conservation work throughout its life.
Scherf nominated Davis and Pat for the award this year for several reasons.
“It’s the 150,000 trees in the ground, 640 acres of land, the vast majority of which have fought multiple invasive species,” Scherf said. “It’s the pond he built down there, and also that connection with neighboring properties and spreading that knowledge and enthusiasm about these things.”
In addition to the awards ceremony, the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year is expected to host a tour of the farm.
The Sept. 7 farm tour will consist of wagon rides led by a forestry expert who will show visitors around the property and explain various practices used on the farm. There will also be an option to take self-guided hikes, and visitors will also hear from forestry experts like Scherf and a solar panel company — Davis has solar panels that power his home.
The main event, however, will be a clear-cutting demonstration. Millwood Lumber Inc. will clear-cut approximately 14 to 15 acres of forest for lumber. Registration for the event is not required.
Davis knows he doesn’t get much out of trees that take years to grow, but he recognizes that others benefit, and sometimes that’s the most important thing.
“When we plant a tree, we’re trying to plant something that’s not only beneficial for wildlife, but also for timber… If you survive 60, 70, 100 years, it’s definitely going to be worth it (but) that’s not coming from Pat and me,” Davis said. “That’s not the purpose. We’re not going to see a real payday, that’s not our goal. But our children and grandchildren should.”
For more information about the Ohio Tree Farm of the Year Tour, visit ohiodnr.gov/home/news-and-events/all-events/forestry-events/2024ohiotreeframoftheyeartour.
(Reach Liz Partsch at [email protected] or 330-337-3419.)
