If it “takes a village to raise a child” then it definitely takes a community to produce a community college graduate. As a Natural Resource program our “community” consist of the agencies, industries and landowners who invite our program to their properties. The discussions that have sparked because of these invitations will not soon be forgotten. One such discussion took place today with Julian Watson.
In 2009, Julian was recognized as Mississippi’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of The Year. His Franklin tree farm has been in the family since 1872. Historically, the property produced cotton, corn and cattle and was a hub for the local community. Now the property is focused on forestry. Through the guidance from top-notch forestry professionals like Russell Fletcher, Julian has been able to produce a variety of sustainable forest products.
“I’ve never seen a property with this many Tree Farm signs,” Forestry instructor James Floyd said. “And it’s rare to find landowner as deeply rooted in the community and in forestry. I don’t know if my students can fully appreciate the effort it takes to maintain such a beautiful place, but I do know they had a great time and won’t soon forget it.”
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up