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Eve-Cowles Family Tree Farm from Massachusetts

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Eve-Cowles Family Tree Farm from Massachusetts


What makes them outstanding?

The Eve-Cowles family have been outstanding stewards of their family woodlands for more than 40 years encompassing 3 generations. They have turned a cut over woodland into a productive forest and have improved the wood roads and trails substantially in the process. They have also improved and diversified wildlife habitat, controlled invasive species, and protected the historic foundations of a 350 year old homestead in Conway. Besides being excellent stewards of their property, they have also been outstanding ambassadors for forestry and sustainable land management, encouraging use of the property by outdoor groups, Scouts, UMass forestry students, birders, bikers, hikers and snowmobilers. They have hosted tours highlighting different types of forestry management and showing the old roads and foundations for history groups. In the words of their forester, “By being good stewards of their land as well as promoting the use of it as a demonstration area for others, they have improved the public image of forestry in this region, and provided a type of education that is greatly needed.”

Tree Farmer Story

The Eve-Cowles Tree Farm is a family woodland on 360 acres in Conway and Deerfield where we emphasize forest management for the long term growth of quality timber, wildlife habitat enhancement and family recreation. Our overall goal is to promote the long term growth of quality timber while improving the habitat for wildlife. To accomplish this, we have focused on commercial thinning to remove cull trees, a small firewood business, and woodlot and environmental improvements that take advantage of federal and state cost-sharing programs. Arthur & Barbara Eve purchased the first 163 acres of the property in 1973 to use as a place for family recreation, enjoyment of nature and reflection, building a campsite and trails for family and friends to use. After slowly becoming more educated about our land and trees, we began working with a forester and had our first ten year management plan approved in 1984. We began selling firewood and timber in the early 1980s, relying heavily on foresters to manage these sales.

We also took part in federal cost-sharing programs to build and improve roads, construct water bars, dig drainage, prune pine trees, and improve the woodlot in other ways.As our children grew and got married, they, their friends, and then their families also became involved in the stewardship and management of our woodland, which expanded when we purchased an adjacent 212 acre property in 1993.  We have had family work days every year on the property to prune brush, rebuild tent platforms, work on the roads, prune apple trees and remove vines and brush around the historic cellarhole of Cyrus Rice, one of the first settler of Conway. We have used the property year round for recreation “ sledding and snowmobiling, bird watching and wildlife identification, winter and summer camping, hiking, biking, running, skiing, cutting firewood, and too many campfires to count.In 1995 and 1996, we used Stewardship Improvement Funds to clear and seed a six acre forest opening, install bluebird houses, clear trails, prune apple trees, improve drainage, remove vines and preserve the Rice homestead cellarhole. Recognizing that family succession was as important as forest succession, in 1995 we turned the Tree Farm into a sub chapter S corporation with the six adult family members as shareholders.  

This has allowed us to give Art & Barbara’s shares to their two children to transfer ownership to the next generation. Our daughter Laura and her husband Bob Cowles bought a 13 acre parcel to build a house on it in 2003 (6 acres of which have been returned to the Tree Farm).In 1998 we had a timber sale of 52 Mbf of white pine and contracted with a local firm to bury the stump piles from clearing the forest opening and improve the lower access road. In 2004 we had an improvement harvest on 40 acres of low quality hardwood and softwood and when that was done we did another 26 acres. In 2011 we received an NRCS grant to do three years of invasive species control on 5 acres, 30 acres of low-density thinning, and 80 acres of low intensity oak regeneration restoration and management of declining habitats.  Our forester, Mike Barry, arranged with John Conkey & Sons to do the harvest of a lot of low grade white pine, which we were able to ship to Maine for pulp thanks to our certified Tree Farm status. I was one of the founders of the Massachusetts Woodland Cooperative and through it, we were able to have our land certified under both FSC and Tree Farm, and it has been maintained that way since.For more than four decades, our tree farm has been the place where family and friends have gathered to camp; explore nature; listen to and recognize birds, identify wildlife; learn about trees, plants and invasive species; cut and stack firewood; hike; run; make trails; walk the dogs; snowmobile; snowboard; sled; ski; and talk, eat and plan for the future.

In addition, we have:

  • Hosted the Amherst High School Survival Living and Outing Club weekends from 1976 to present,
  • Hosted local Cub Scout, Brownie, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, Cadette and Venture Crew groups, as well as regional Boy Scout Klondike Derbies at special camping sites
  • Connected with local trails to abutters for walking, running, biking, skiing and horseback riding
  • Hosted an Audubon Society guided Bird Habitat Walk in Spring 2014 to demonstrate the new Foresters for the Birds program
  • Hosted retreats by the Northampton River Valley Tae Kwon Do group from 2013 to present
  • Allowed the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts to use trails through part of our property connecting with trails leading to Conway, Deerfield and Whately.
  • Hosted guided tours for UMass forestry classes
  • Hosted a Conway Historical Society guided history tour to the Rice homestead cellar hole
  • Researched and wrote a narrative about the early history of our property.
  • Hosted the Mass. College of Liberal Arts Outing Club from 2008 to present. Our Tree Farm mission is to grow and market enough timber to maintain our Tree Farm in family ownership for future generations while improving wildlife habitat and recreational options.

Our Tree Farm goals include:

  • Establish long term positive relationships with neighbors, forestry/wildlife personnel, loggers and potential customers.
  • Improve our knowledge and understanding of the financial aspects of operating our Tree Farm
  • Develop and implement a business and family succession plan for the Tree Farm
  • Identify opportunities for additional growth and activities or services that are appropriate for the Tree Farm

Wood

Using advice from their consulting foresters, the family has had numerous forestry operations carried out to thin and harvest timber over the last 40 years. They have operated a small firewood business to market cull trees, and have had timber sales in the early 1980s, 1998, 2004, and 2011, the most recent cutting 271 Mbf of timber, 120 cords of firewood, 400 tons of pine pulp on 85 acres, in a shelterwood harvest to promote oak regeneration.Much of the improvement work they have done themselves. Bob Cowles has constantly improved the roads and drainage, cut firewood, conducted TSI, and cared for the woodland over the years. The result of their efforts has been to turn a cut over woodland with many poor quality trees into a beautiful forest with excellent growing stock.

Water

The family has used federal cost share programs to improve the road system, install water bars and drainage on their hilly property to protect streams, seeps and wetlands. All forest cutting is subject to the mandatory Massachusetts Chapter 132 BMP rules.Their management has also protected an upland wetland and streams on the property.

Wildlife

One of the passions of the Eve-Cowles family has been to improve and diversify habitat for wildlife, particularly bird species that are in decline in Massachusetts. Their 6 acre forest opening was created in part to provide habitat for bluebirds and other grassland birds within their woodland, including pruning wild apple trees to provide more food.Recognizing the importance of oaks for wildlife, their most recent forest operations in 2012 aimed at creating better conditions to regenerate red oak and their thinning operations have favored black cherry, an important species for mast for wildlife.

Their management plan for the next ten years plans to create several medium sized patch cuts of 2+1/2 to 5 acres each to create areas of early successional habitat within the mature white pine/hardwood forest. These openings should provide breeding habitat for many declining bird species, including grouse, woodcock, white-throated sparrows, chestnut-sided warblers, and towhees.Their property has been chosen as a demonstration site for the Foresters for the Birds program that encourages landowners to manage their woodlands to provide habitat for declining species of birds.

Recreation

The Eve-Cowles Tree Farm is used year round by family members, neighbors and the public for different types of recreation. Recreational activities include running, hiking, camping, sledding, skiing, biking, snowmobiling, orienteering etc. The family has also allowed Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Amherst High School and Mass. College of Liberal Arts Outing clubs to hold encampments on portions of the property every year.The family has created and maintained a network of trails and wood roads through the property which are used by family members and the public.When the family acquired the 212 acres in Conway, they discovered that one of the old roads through the property was used by local snowmobile clubs to go between Conway, Deerfield and Whately.

Because the family also used snowmobiles on the property, they found their trails often confused club members so, working with the club, they built a new snowmobile trail and installed directional signs to provide club access through the property away from the main access roads used for harvesting or other forestry operations.The family has put in considerable effort to maintain and research the 1763 Cyrus Rice homestead foundations on the property and have led tours of it and the old Stage Road that goes through the property for local historians. They have also maintained the 300 year old stone marker that marks the boundary between Conway and Deerfield.