Author Archives: JohnMatel

After burn December 2019

Posted on December 8, 2019 by JohnMatel

On my way to pick up the first tranche of this year’s longleaf. I stopped off at Freeman to check out the fire results. It is odd. Some places burned a lot and others not at all. It seems like … Continue reading →

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The stupidest things

Posted on December 7, 2019 by JohnMatel

What was the stupidest thing you have ever done? My StoryWorth for this time. This is a hard one. I do stupid things all the time, but I often adapt and often make the dumb decision turn out better than … Continue reading →

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Burning Day 2

Posted on December 5, 2019 by JohnMatel

We finished our burning today in the clearings and under the loblolly. I will pick up the first 3000 longleaf seedlings on Sunday and plant them over the next week. I figure I can plant 600 trees each day. The … Continue reading →

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Burning day 1

Posted on December 4, 2019 by JohnMatel

We took the opportunity to burn a section of the farm this afternoon, only about eight acres, so Adam Smith and I did it ourselves, although the bulldozer was nearby freshening up lines, so could have been easily available. This … Continue reading →

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What was your life like in the 1970s?

Posted on December 1, 2019 by JohnMatel

What was your life like in the 1970s? Another StoryWorth I am generally satisfied with the economy and society of today because I spent my early adult life in the 1970s. From the bottom of a hole like that, everything … Continue reading →

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Land w/o people

Posted on November 28, 2019 by JohnMatel

Chrissy’s parents were dairy farmers and the family farmed in Wisconsin since their first ancestors arrived from Norway in the 1850s. She can trace her ancestry back in Norway to the 1500s. They were farmers there too at least that … Continue reading →

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Notes from longleaf academy

Posted on November 24, 2019 by JohnMatel

There was a lot more to the Longleaf Academy than I will report. This is not a summary, but rather my take-aways. This was the first Longleaf Academy in Virginia, but there were literally a hundred before. 2600 people have … Continue reading →

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Leopold landscapes

Posted on November 23, 2019 by JohnMatel

Aldo Leopold Foundation is asking people to talk about their encounters with Leopold’s ideas in 500 words or less. This is my contribution. My high school biology teacher introduced me to Aldo Leopold. I don’t recall that it made much … Continue reading →

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Planting after a hot fire

Posted on November 22, 2019 by JohnMatel

Looking at the bright side, I have some great markers to plant my baby longleaf and to find them later on. Those benefits, unfortunately, result from dead trees falling down. Our May 2018 fire got a little hot in one … Continue reading →

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Objectives for owning forest land

Posted on November 22, 2019 by JohnMatel

My Freeman farm was used as one of the case studies at the Longleaf Academy today and we talked about land management plans. Every good land management plan starts with landowner objectives. What do you want to do on your … Continue reading →

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