BLAZE Magazine Special Edition 2006-2016 | Page 26

representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tour the property to observe various conservation practices being implemented. These practices included: understory thinning, longleaf restoration, prescribed burns, stream crossings, as well as wildlife habitat in longleaf pine and native grasses. Past and present, Charles has served on so many forestry-related committees – county, state, and national levels – there’s not enough room here to name them all! He has spoken numerous times on various forestry-related topics, including a talk on the Longleaf Pine Restoration Initiative to a group in South Carolina in 2010. At the request of the Chief of the Forest Service, Holmes represented private land ownership in the United States at the World Forestry Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2009. For all of his endeavors, Charles was recognized as “Conservationist of the Year” by the Alabama Wildlife Federation, their highest honor. In 2011, he was named the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts “Supervisor of the Year,” and was an inductee into the Conservation Hall of Fame, Southeast Region. He has also been awarded a “Special Service Award” By the National Association of Conservation Districts and he received an “Environmental Stewardship Award” presented by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association which recognizes cattlemen whose natural resource stewardship practices contribute to the environment while enhancing productivity and profitability. Other honors include the USDA’s national winner of the “Earth Team Award” for dedication to conservation and outstanding efforts in the recruitment, training, and management of a superior volunteer program for the Perry County Soil and Water Conservation District. Most recently, in 2013 the NRCS named Charles a “champion” of soils health. He encourages the use of all-natural fertilizers, and promotes “no till” practices, emphasizing that soil enrichment should apply not only to row crops but to timber as well. With his dedication to stewardship, water quality, and soil improvement, it’s no surprise that the plantation was named a Helene Mosley Memorial TREASURE Forest Award winner in 2013. Charles noted that many of the components of the TREASURE Forest creed had been implemented by his family for years before he took over. (To watch the full presentation video, visit www.youtube.com/ user/ALForestryCommission. To learn more about the Moore- Webb-Holmes Plantation, visit www.holmesteadcompany.com/.) The successful operation of the Holmestead Company and the Moore-Webb-Holmes Plantation takes the whole family – everyone pitches in and each one plays a vital role. The days are often long and the work is hard. Charles noted, “People sometimes ask, ‘why do you do this?’ I suppose it can be attributed to my Scotch-Irish upbringing . . . this inherent love of the land that was instilled in me. Farming and an agrarian lifestyle has been in my family for generations, down to my father and uncles. It’s in my blood. All I’ve ever wanted to do was farm, and I’ve never regretted coming back to the family farm.” As for the future, Charles and Jenny both acknowledge that their main goal is to make sure the plantation is passed on to children and grandchildren that will continue to foster a love of the land. “The Holmes family has worked this beautiful farm and forestland for almost 200 years . . . we hope this next generation will take what we’ve been given and make it even better.” This article is courtesy of Alabama’s TREASURED Forest Magazine. Reprinted from Spring 2014. 26 | | SPECIAL EDITION 2006-2016 Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org