157: Heritage Property: Working on the Land in South Carolina

Tom is on the road and interviewing Mike Meetze from South Carolina! Mike shares his heritage property with Tom and explains how the property has evolved over the years. Everything from growing Soybeans to cattle to now timber. Mike has been on the tractor since he was eight years old, but he is actually an engineer by trade. Take a journey with Mike as he walks you through his property on this week's episode!   Key Takeaways: [1:40] Tom is recording from the road. Come join him on an adventure in South Carolina! [2:10] How did Mike first acquire his farm? [3:30] Mike's property used to grow soybeans and wheat in the '80s. Now it grows timber. How did Mike and his family make that transition? [4:25] Mike shares a little bit about his wife, Lucy Anne, and how she got into agriculture. [7:50] Mike talks about his family heritage and how his father bought his first property. [13:40] Mike has a pesticide license and is able to take care of his trees more effectively. He also performs controlled burns on his property. [18:10] Mike has four sons! Two are both professional engineers like Mike and his father and the other two are in education. He also has four grandchildren. [24:15] How often does Mike do controlled burns? [28:40] Mike shares a special moment he had with his grandson and the joys of working on the land with his family. [31:40] What does the future have in store for Mike and his property? [38:25] What kind of equipment does Mike use for his land? [49:25] Mike shares how he knows when he's cut a quality piece of timber or not. [52:25] What's Mike's advice for landowners and tree farmers? [54:40] Quick words of wisdom from Mike's grandson.   Mentioned in This Episode: Sctreefarm.org State.sc.us Scforestry.org Scfbins.com