How can I make the most money off the land I own?  This central question has many alarming issues with it, yet it remains the common mindset of most farmers and other landowners throughout the country.  The effects of this land ethic have already been observed and will continue to grow without wise choices and forward thinking of today’s landowners.

When Europeans first started settling the land we call America, they saw a pristine, resource-rich land, ripe for exploitation.  The land gave them everything they needed from food and clean water to strong lumber for housing.    The abundance of resources in early America led to a rush of resource extraction.  How could timber so abundant and soil so deep and fertile ever run out?   Continue reading