Tree farm tour coming in September to Post Boy

Mike and Patsy Schmuki’s Post Boy Tree Farm has been named Ohio Tree Farm of the Year, and they’re opening their 238 acres of trees for tours on Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The farm is recognized as one of the best operations in the state.

Topics on the tour will include the following:

—Persimmon Grove.

—Food Plots for Wildlife by Merit Seed.

—Tree Plantings and Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District.

—Pollinator Plot with Pheasants Forever wildlife biologist Abby-Gayle Prieur.

—Forest Management Plan by Colton Frink.

—Turkey Calls, Handcrafted With Wood by Chad Reminaric.

—Oxford Township History by John Wise.

—Homestead Barn Renovation.

—Oak Tree Regeneration.

Tours will be led by ODNR service foresters.

The nomination for Tree Farm of the Year came from Ohio Department of Natural Resources forester Luke Walters, who recognized the management of the farm during a visit in 2022 and now works closely with the family.

“They opened their farm for some workshops we wanted to do to educate people about forestry management,” Walters said, “and the number of people who came out for it was around 50. It was an easy and obvious thing to nominate their farm. They’re active in the community. They do a lot of outreach and education here. They took some ground which they could have easily left go, but they’ve done everything you could possibly do to make it better.”

The beneficiaries of the Schmukis’ work are numerous as the land supports a diverse variety of Ohio wildlife.

“Just about anything you would expect to see in a forest in Ohio is here,” Walters said, “from woodcock to deer. There’s just really excellent cover and brambles which the family has preserved, and it supports the kind of low cover which birds depend on. If we had more grouse around here, this is where they would want to be.”

Such a large collection of carefully maintained trees also produces fresh oxygen for the atmosphere each day, helping to combat the effects of climate change. “The answer is to plant more trees,” Mike Schmuki said.

The tree farm tour will feature workshops and speakers who will help visitors understand how tree farms are managed for the greatest benefit to everyone.

“We have been mowing and getting trails ready,” Mike Schmuki said. “We will have a lot of foresters here acting as guides so you can get the most out of the visit.”

Food will be available for purchase from food trucks.

“We want to showcase good forest management and help people understand how it’s done,” Walters said. “This is the perfect farm to do it.”

The farm cuts trees when needed with the assistance of forester Randy Clum, who marks which trees can be harvested with paint.

“When you see logging trucks on the road,” Patsy Schmuki said, “you rarely see them marked that way. So those trees have been cut without the assistance of a forester.”

Mike Schmuki stood near red oak trees that were planted in 2018 and are now about 8 feet tall. “We wrap the tree trunks with material that allows light and water in but keeps animals out. Deer like to eat those early shoots when they appear, so this helps to give them a better start,” he said.

The farm is typically planted with 25% pine or soft woods, which are a sacrificial species.

“The deer eat those and rub their antlers on them and leave the hardwood trees alone,” Mike Schmuki said.

Hardwood trees include red and white oak and even a few elm and ash trees, which are unusual to see. The farm also plants uncommon persimmon trees, which provide food for forest-dwelling wildlife.

Walters pointed to young trees from the same planting year that are barely knee high and were not wrapped. “Oak trees spend the first few seasons establishing a solid root system before they begin growing for height,“ he said. “That’s when the deer keep eating them, and it keeps them shorter like this. But they’ll recover.”

The Schmukis allow hunting on their forested land as part of its management.

To visit the farm for the tour in September, visitors should wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather, as walking through forested paths will be a part of the day’s activities. Getting to the farm takes some driving on a one-lane road. The address for GPS is 17395 Starkey Hollow Road SW, Newcomerstown. This brings you to a cabin owned by another family at the edge of Post Boy Tree Farm. From there, there will be people to help with directions and numerous signs.

Call foresters Jeremy Scherf at 614-212-3309 or Walters at 216-215-6564.