There’s always one person out there that breaks the mold or stereotype.  For the North Carolina Tree Farmer Program, that person is C.D. Barrett, who owns some 350 acres on the Wilson-Greene County line.  And, Wilson County is better off for it. 

C.D. is a forest activist.  Now you won’t see C.D. trying to set up a tree-sitting stand to stop a timber sale.  No, C.D.’s mission is much more effective.  He goes after the people who actually own over 76% of the forestland in this state, the private non-industrial landowner.  He wants them involved, sharing ideas, getting the right facts and growing trees to their potential.   

 

Of course, C.D. has his own description for his approach that he shared while praising fellow Wilson County forest landowner, Dwight Batts.

 

“Mr. Batts, he is real astute in forestry,” explained Barrett with his typical twinkle in his eye.  “He had another career, but now he’s taken on forestry and he has come into it real articulately.  He’s gone at it like a professor would.  Me, I go at it with more of a Joe Redneck approach.”

 

Obviously, Barrett, a printer by trade, is selling himself short.  He takes a common sense approach on several issues that are imperative to the health and productivity of our forests in this state, and he isn’t afraid to ask a direct question or two.   

 

For example, Barrett promotes to fellow landowners to research their land with the county tax office.  Now, most folks tend to stay clear of government agencies, but Barrett is not content to trust the status quo. 

 

“There are so many discrepancies between the map acreage you actually have and the acreage they have and your tax draw,” explained Barrett.  “We tell landowners in our county that they need to pull the card and check it.  We are going to have a meeting to tell people how to go down to the tax department and what to ask for.”

 

And taxes are just one of the issues that Barrett takes on with fellow landowners. 

 

Barrett, a member of the Wilson County Forestry Association for the past 25 years and its president ever since its inception, takes a protective view of his fellow landowners.  People can talk outreach, but Barrett lives it. 

 

During the summer of 2001, four delegates from China visited C.D.’s farm to learn more about forestry practices in the United States. They also stopped in Washington, DC, Virginia, South Carolina and Washington.

 

In the fall of 2003, C.D. hosted a demonstration in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Service, the North Carolina Geological Service and the County Extension Service as part of the Wilson County Forestry Association Tour that year.

 

C.D continually thinks of ways to promote forestry in the community. Whether it is a phone call from a business customer inquiring about forestry issues and how it relates to their situation or his willingness to conduct tours on his property, he always has something in the works.           

 

As President of the Wilson County Forestry Association, C.D. is also instrumental in organizing the Annual Meeting and selecting Wilson County’s Tree Farmer of the Year recipient.

 

When he first started attending forestry association meetings, he noticed that there were few women in attendance.  Since many women end up as the eventual sole property owner, Barrett was concerned that a large segment, and maybe the most needy segment, was missing out on valuable information. 

 

He started bringing his own wife, Carolyn, to the meetings.  In time, he noticed this encouraged other landowners to bring their spouses and the amount of women in attendance began to increase. 

 

“Billy Little is our extension agent and really the ramrod of the group,” stated Barrett.  “We have a Forestry Advisory Board consisting of farmers, the forest service, interested tree farmers and the Wilson County Extension Service, that gather to plan the upcoming meetings. 

 

This year, Barrett and the Wilson County Forestry Association presented a program specifically targeting women who own forestland, called “Women in the Woods.”  This program utilizes N.C. Cooperative Extension educational personnel and Wilson Extension Agents. 

 

“We have had programs for women all along,” stated Barrett.  “The main thing is to educate women on how to sell timber, because they need to know how.  We want to invite women and let them feel free to come to these meetings.”

 

Barrett, an American Tree Farmer since 1964, inherited his property from his grandparents in 1945 and has been living on the property for the past 20 years. 

 

“I inherited the land from my grandparents back in 1945.  They bought it on the court house steps during The Depression.  Most of this has always been in woodlands.  It was cut back in the 20’s and 30’s and it grew from then until 1960.  West Durham Lumber Company cut about 1 million board feet. At least that’s what they paid me for,” Barrett added with a chuckle. 

 

In addition to being an American Tree Farmer, Barrett is a charter member of the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Stewardship Program.  He has been recognized as a Tree Farmer of the Year by Weyerhaeuser, the NCFA and Wilson County over the years.   

 

“By being a part of the Stewardship Program, you can show the wildlife, water quality and the trees in the plan,” explained Barrett.  

 

For Barrett, the Stewardship Program is sort of an official seal of approval of his hands-on approach to his forestland.  Or maybe a “hands and bucket” approach.  While Barrett employs a consulting forester, Bob Mazur, this Tree Farmer has taken it upon himself to develop his own manner of fertilizing.   

 

Armed with a bucket, Barrett moves over his tracts of trees with a five-gallon bucket filled with fertilizer to increase the growth rate of his trees.  He uses the same fertilizer that is used on his farm for the production of tobacco and soy beans. 

 

“I put two pounds of fertilizer on each tree to help them come out,” explained Barrett. 

 

True to C.D.’s nature, his property is anything but static.  There are various things going on in different quadrants, and C.D. can tell you down to the finest detail what is going on in each.  It is here where his enthusiasm for his trees really comes through, not to mention his common sense approach. 

 

Early on, for example, Barrett noticed that when he was planting his tracts of timber in 20 acre increments, he had a tough time attracting bids when the trees were mature. 

 

“I have about 300 acres of timberland,” stated Barrett.  “I have tried to break it up over the years.  I have tried to plant 20 acres a year, but it works out that the timber man does not want to come see you for 20 acres.  You almost have to put it into 60 acre tracts.  So, I have broken my land up into four 60 acre tracts.  Now, I can a tree sale every five years.”

 

This system not only ensures a market for his trees, but it also puts the harvest income from his 300-plus acres on a payout plan of sorts.

 

“The key thing that makes a real good tree farmer is a check rolling in every five years,” stated Barrett.  “That makes you a committed tree farmer.  So every five years, I’ll either be clear-cutting or thinning.”

 

Timber production is the primary goal for Barrett, but as with most Tree Farmers, his forest tracts provide much more than just a paycheck every five years. 

 

Working with his logger, Barrett has established the logging decks as permanent wildlife areas. 

 

“I have turned my loading decks into wildlife areas after thinning so, when they come back to clear cut, they will use the same area,” stated Barrett.  “There will be no need to plant trees there because they won’t be as big.  So I will burn and disc that loading deck and that will be my wildlife plant.”

 

Barrett maintains a set of ditches where he closely monitors the water levels and eliminates any possible nutrient runoff through the use of flashboard risers.  This system has many benefits for his forestland. 

 

“When it rains, the water on top doesn’t have to go as far down to meet the underground water before it can completely saturate the land,” explained Barrett.  

 

In the front portion of his property, Barrett leases some 60 acres to a local farmer who grows corn, soy beans and tobacco.   

 

“I have 60 acres of cleared land,” explained Barrett.   “Over the long run, my nearly 300 acres of woodlands are making more money than my cleared land.”

 

And while he is active in his forestry, you won’t catch Barrett tilling a tobacco field in the near future.   

 

“I am in the printing business,” stated Barrett.  “I grow it, and I use it.  I grow trees, sell it and then I see it come back on a skid from Weyerhaeuser, Champion, International Paper, Georgia Pacific, Appleton, etc.”

 

C.D. is a third generation printer, operating Barrett’s Printing House, Inc.  The print shop has been located in downtown on Goldsboro Street since 1896 and was started by C.D.’s grandfather.  Since 1960, C.D. has been running the company, which does all types of printing, although now he has turned over the daily operation of his five-employee shop to Margaret, one of his daughters. 

 

“I am just an errand boy,” claimed Barrett with a chuckle.

 

While there is usually activity on the farm in the front of the property, maybe the most tranquil part of Barrett’s property is the back end that is bordered by Highway 264. 

 

During the construction of the highway, the State of North Carolina needed to take soil to create the base of the highway in this section of Wilson County.  After the state took its lot, the 7.5 acre hole filled with water, creating a man-made lake that is bursting with fish that come to the surface in search of food as if they were in one of the world’s largest fish tanks.    

 

“This is the grandkids favorite place on the farm,” stated Carolyn Barrett as she reached into one of the buckets of fish food and threw a handful out.  “The kids just love coming down here to feed the fish.”  Together C.D. and Carolyn have six children and a total of eight grandchildren. 

 

“Our family and friends like coming out to the country where it is quiet and peaceful.  They enjoy seeing the various types of wildlife and farm animals, such as cows, ducks, pigs, rabbits, foxes, raccoons, deer, etc. We have cookouts and it really is a great time.  Also, the beautiful sunsets are a must see over the pond.” explained Carolyn.  

 

Yes, a visit to Barrett’s Tree Farm is an educational experience.  You get an earful on forestry issues from C.D., but better yet, you see the proof of his knowledge and diligence in the beauty of the property.