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MORNING STAR
✳ MAY 11 - 17, 2006
Delmar husband and wife are this year’s state tree farmers of the year
500 W. Stein Highway • FAX (302)629-4513 • 22128 Sussex Highway • Seaford, DE 19973 • Fax (302)628-8504 (302)629-4514 • (302)628-8500 • (800)966-4514 • www.cfmnet.com
NEW G LISTIN
Above, Rachel Egolf teaches her son, Coleman,
about
trees.
Right, ‘Cole,’ who is 8 months old, enjoys his swing in the woods. Rachel and her husband Arthur are this year’s Delaware tree farmers of the year. Photos by Lynn R.
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Parks
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Coleman Egolf is only 8 months old. But already, he knows the feel of tree bark under his fingers. “I like to take him out and let him feel the trees,” said his mother, Rachel. “We hope that he grows up to love trees and forests.” Rachel Egolf, 32, and her husband, Arthur, 38, live near Delmar and own 140 acres of land, which are planted in a mixture of hardwood and pine forests. Recently, they were honored as this year’s Delaware tree farmers of the year. The tree farmer of the year is named by the state Tree Farm Committee, part of the National Tree Farm Program sponsored by the American Forest Foundation. Next year, the Egolfs will vie for a regional title and, if successful there, for the national title. Austin Short, state forestry administrator, said that the Egolfs were selected for the honor “because they have both actively managed their tree farm and promoted forest management.” That management has included harvesting, replanting, spraying herbicides and thinning. The Egolfs have also planted some of their land through the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. “Additionally, both Arthur and Rachel participate in tree farm activities, such as working in the tree farm display at the state fair,” Short said. “Both are members of the Delaware Forestry Association and Arthur is a board member.” Rachel and Arthur both have bachelor’s degrees in forestry from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. Arthur has a master’s degree in industrial forestry operations, also from Virginia Tech. Rachel said that both she and her husband are “committed to growing and caring for trees.” In addition to their tree farm, Arthur Egolf has his own forest thinning operation, through which he cuts smaller trees from tree farms in order to let the larger trees grow. The small trees are used in making pulp. Their 140-acre tree farm is divided into two parcels, one 85-acre parcel that Arthur bought in 1994 and a second 55-acre par-
cel that he bought in 1996. On the smaller parcel, he and Rachel have built their home. In their one-acre yard, they have planted a variety of trees, most of them native to the Delmarva Peninsula. Before “Cole” was born, they planted cherry trees; after his birth they planted sugar maple trees. In a small grove near the house, a variety of young trees, including black walnuts, oaks and gums, await transplanting into the yard. Nearby, cut into the woods, is a path that leads to a clearing where a plastic baby swing hangs from a large oak. On a sunny spring day, Cole is happy to get to swing for a while. Both Rachel and Arthur learned to love trees as teens. “I cut trees for firewood when I was in high school, and that was my first time in the woods,” Arthur said. He said that it is important to manage forests for wildlife as well as for trees. “The woods can’t be just for one thing,” he said. “Everything has to be in balance.” He still enjoys spotting wildlife in the forests where he is working. “When I talk to him at the end of the day, I always say, ‘Tell me your wildlife story for the day,’” said Rachel. Rachel also enjoys working outside. “When I was a teenager, I wanted to do something to help the Chesapeake Bay and planting trees seemed the best thing,” she said. Before she had Cole, she worked for the state of Maryland and as an urban forester, helping people plant trees in their communities. Rachel said that planting trees is an investment in the future. “Whether you see them mature or not, you know that you are putting something back,” she said. “We cut trees down, but then we plant new ones. That balances each other out.” Planting trees is also an investment in sanity, she added. “You can always just enjoy the trees, for the wildlife out there and just for the pleasure of looking at them,” she said. “Hopefully, we are doing the right thing by our land,” she added. “We just want to serve as an example to other people who are farming their land.”
Ma
By Lynn R. Parks
“Only Imagine”
Shiloh House of Hope 1st Annual Friend-Raiser Friday, May 26th, 2006 Silent Auction - 6:00p.m.; Dinner - 7:00p.m. Sam Yoder Community Building Tickets: $50/person Come enjoy an evening of food, entertainment, and Chinese and silent auctions. See what God is building to help heal the hurts of Delmarva’s teens, and be inspired by special guest speaker, Sara Trollinger, Founder and President, National House of Hope in Orlando, FL For more information or for ticket orders, call 302.629.5331 or email shilohhouseofhope@msn.com. Auction items accepted.
OUT WHERE THE REST BEGINS! Enjoy restful living on this 1 acre country location bordering State of DE Wildlife. Stoned circle drive, back yard patio & mature woods grace this 2-3 BR ranch w/2 full baths. (MBR overlooks patio & woods) Newly decorated formal DR w/pocket French doors, custom shelving, & parquet floors are a delight. Large country kit. can handle family dinners. Call Joan to view MLS#535641 $182,500
JOAN O’DAY 302-629-4514 Ext. 245
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Wayne Dukes, Owner’s Choice Glen Urquhart, Urquhart and Associates Christian Hershey, Hershey Design Group Marianna Baker, Retired Herb Troyer, All-Span, Inc.
Robyn Sturgeon, President Lori Rider, Vice-President Ivy Ulrich-Bonk, Director Bonnie Kendall, Secretary