T he family farm, located in Southern Ohio's Pike County, is used to grow healthy and diverse wildlife populations and native plant communities in a natural way. The farm has nine acres permitted to sell live plants from and approximately 160 wooded acres managed as wildlife habitat and a tree farm. The primary source of potted plants comes from the thinning of wild populations in periodically disturbed habitats (e.g. fields, road and power line right-a-ways). Woodland products are primarily made from a small number of weather damaged and dying trees using a small portable band sawmill. The wood is air and solar dried at the farm.

Serving as a model for similar types of farms, Pike County Farm, LLC’s vision is to create a more natural and environmentally sustainable way of making a family farm economically viable by demonstrating the diversity, value and demand for locally grown native plants and adding value to a small number of annually harvested trees (e.g. mill, dry, surface, manufacturing). Historically, the farm grew tobacco, livestock and hay and had periodic timber sales. While similar farms throughout southern Ohio are being sub-divided into smaller parcels for residential and recreational properties, Randy believes that maintaining large wooded parcels as economical and environmentally sustainable family farms will help maintain the existing woodland and biologically diverse landscape of the Appalachian hill country.

Business and Farm Management Principles

• Promote and manage for native wildlife, plants and biodiversity.
• Promote and manage healthy water resources (streams, wetlands and ponds).
• Promote and manage woodlands for diverse uneven aged habitats (dense stands of young saplings to old aged big trees) and diverse native plant communities.
• Promote and use environmentally friendly and sustainable forestry methods.
• Provide native plants and handcrafted woodland products for local markets.
• Actively participate in the Southern Ohio Forestry Association (SOFA).
• Avoid and/or minimize the use of chemicals including pesticides.
• Reduce, recycle and reuse.
• Use local markets for retail sales.

From the beginning, Randy knew his new logo had to include one of his favorite native plants - the American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). Randy passionately promotes the species as an important tree to protect and plant along Midwestern streams due to their strong root systems and preference for flowing water (Sycamores, Streams, and Wildlife). The "growing nature" includes not only the biodiversity and habitats grown at the farm, but also the company and farm management principles including the promotion of the beauty, value and conservation of the farm’s natural resources.