[Winona Online Democracy] > > Many civilizations have killed themselves by cutting down too many trees > (which causes a loss of top soil) and polluting their water sources. Will > we avoid that fate? > > Dwayne Voegeli > > July 20, 2004 **this caught my attention as a farmer. When we go driving and I see fields plowed up from fence post to fence post it makes me angry. Angry that a farmer does not respect the land that supports his family. In the winter you can see the wind has blown topsoil onto the snow banks in some areas around here. What happened that a farmer can no longer leave a strip of grass for water to run in? We have told our children that if anythig happens to us and they take over control of the farm and rent it out to put in writing the renters must maintain the contour strips on this farm. I can't fix the world, but I can protect my corner. As for logging, my thoughts on that have changed as I have learned more about it. When done properly it can be a good thing for the woods. We totally oppose complete cuts, but select cuts are good for restoring a dying woods. We had the DNR and Forestry Service come out and walk our woods before we did any logging. My husband took several logging/ forestry classes to learn how to do it properly. You must decide what trees are the best and leave them for seed trees. You want those genetics in your woods. Let the good trees drop seeds, acrorns, etc to replenish the woods. My husband walks through our woods before the logging crew gets here and spray paints only the trees they are allowed to take out. He then watches the crew to make sure they are not cutting anything they shouldn't. Actually he spray paints so low on the trees, that if they took something they were not supposed to we would be able to tell. The areas we have logged out are full of new growth. We also have fenced the cattle out of that section of woods, as we learned they compact the soil too much and new seedlings don't have a chance to get established. Our woods were literally dying because my father in law did not know how to properly have logs taken out. I feel it is our responsiblity to leave this farm in better condition then when we came here. My 2 and a half cents Linda Fort
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