The Coopers are North Carolina's first finalist since
the competition was started in 1976!

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With its rich basketball tradition, the state of North Carolina is no stranger to making it to the Final Four, but in the National Tree Farmer of the Year competition conducted by the American Tree Farm System, Tree Farmers Jean and Bob Cooper are breaking new ground for the Tar Heel state. 

The Coopers, North Carolina’s Tree Farmers of the Year in 2007, were selected as the Southern Regional Tree Farm of the Year.  The selection qualifies the Coopers’ Meadowbrook Farm, which sits just a few miles from a growing downtown Winston-Salem, for the national competition that is announced at the National Tree Farmer Convention, October 16-18 in Portland, OR.

The regional finalist are: 
North Central…………..The Koerner Family, WI     
Southern…………………Bob & Jean Cooper, NC
Northeast………………..The Olver Family, PA
Western………………….Bob Mezger, OR

“We are honored to be recognized with this regional selection,” stated Bob Cooper.  “We have been blessed to have so many talented people who have contributed to the success of Meadowbrook Farm over the years.  Our farm is a true collaborative effort of state and private forestry professionals."

The photo shows Bob & Jean Cooper with their two sons and three of their five grandchildren.

Since 1976, The American Tree Farm System has sponsored the Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year competition in order to recognize private landowners that have done an exceptional job of forest management on their properties and promoting sustainable forestry.  Each state selects a Tree Farmer of the Year.  The state entries are evaluated by the national committee and three state winners advance to the regional competition.  From the regional pool, typically two or three Tree Farms, a regional winner is selected. 

The Coopers’ Meadowbrook Farm is located in Winston-Salem.  The Coopers first purchased the property in the early 1970’s to raise beef cattle.  Over the years, they have refurbished the homestead that dates back to 1845 and revitalized the health of the farm, evolving the property into an elaborate Tree Farm over the past 15 years.  Meadowbrook Farm is the home of several pilot projects of the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, including the first ever Green Ash planting alongside of Salem Creek.  The Tree Farm has hosted several educational tours and most recently was the site of a landowner workshop that featured a live logging demonstration.