About Carrie and Frank Vogler

We fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2004 when we swapped an old Victorian home in downtown Asheville for a beautiful, but very neglected property in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee. It would enable us to get closer to those pastimes we enjoyed – hunting, gardening and natural horsemanship. Despite coming without access to power or running water we thought we could make a go of it. (Finally, after three and a half years, we are about to install an off-grid system). The land had a little of everything, from steep to dead flat terrain, good creeks and springs, and nice stands of hardwoods. However, twenty years of neglect had left former hay, corn and tobacco fields in an advanced state of successional growth. A few acres of the wetter areas were overgrown with brambles, multi-flora rose, sumac and the like. But the majority sported yellow pine and cedars ranging from three or four inches diameter and less than a foot apart, to up to eight to ten inches diameter. After repeatedly attempting to clear nearly 80 acres of overgrown pasture, we realized that all traditional means only offered further damage and setbacks. We wanted to be able to use the available biomass (i.e. the pines and cedars) in a beneficial manner. We tried bulldozing and we tried hand clearing. We found that the bulldozer created a lack of soil stability and subsequent erosion issues, as well as a very low soil quality with almost no organic matter. You never go for a haircut and tell the barber “ go ahead and take a little scalp!” It was at this juncture that a little research turned up the fledgling field of forestry mastication. We learned that we could kill all birds with one stone, turning thick 15 or 20 year pines and cedar successional growth into mulch right on the spot, protecting the soil from erosion while the organic matter degraded into a black, rich layer. We experimented with different levels of re-growth, inclination and aspects. In every case we were ecstatic. Old cattle ditches were filled with mulch. Reforested field areas were selectively thinned. Farm roads and survey lives were recovered. We even cut horse trails with excellent mulch for footing and good clearance. Our son Silas arrived early in 2007, and slowed proceedings somewhat. But our commitment only grows to the natural revitalization of the nutrient-depleted regional soils. We are currently experimenting with test plots enriched with homemade compost and manure in addition to the mulch. We are interested to see whether a soil supplied with ample nutrient sources will naturally correct all its minerals and pH. We transformed a small but successful construction company into a forestry mastication enterprise. We are committed to helping Southern landowner of all types manage, and above all, improve their vegetation, timber and soil. In a world of shrinking resources, improving what you already have is a smart idea. Our hope is that with forestry mastication a renaissance in sustainable land use is underway. We hope to see this process through in not only farming, but also silviculture, watershed management, right of way maintenance, and development.

About Andy O'Rourke

Having been raised in the New Hampshire country by wonderful parents, and a mentor who taught me about the woods and its secrets, about hunting and fishing, about the care that goes with everything that you touch and work on in that environment, these are things that have molded my character, made me appreciate this great earth, and develop a keen sense of what is right and what is wrong for our forests and wild lands. I have a background in logging, heavy equipment operation, development, road building and your basic “shaping the face of the earth” resume. I have been able to take my upbringing, professional experiences, and forestry education and mold them into beliefs and a way of living that takes knowledge from the old and focuses on new ideas and practices. My wife and I moved to the southeast over a year ago and are absolutely amazed at the number of different trees, shrubs, and plants that flourish in this region. I believe very much in sound land management practices. Not every practice is cast in stone, there is some give and take as there is with everything in life so keeping an open mind when working with a community or an individual makes for a more positive and open working relationship. Doing things right the first time (so stated by my father on many occasions) can and will save money, time, labor and most importantly will produce an environmentally stable and sustainable earth. These are things I believe to be absolutely necessary in order to live a balanced, healthy, and co-existive life.