Meet a Tennessee Family Commitment to Tree Farming
In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Nestled in Big Sandy, Barrett Farm embodies resilience, rising like a phoenix from a devastating forest fire and growing over the last 50 years of tree farming. Founded in 1946 by Jack and Lamoine Barrett, the farm has weathered the test of time and flourished across three generations.
In 1962, a stray flame from a burn barrel caught over 20 acres of woodland on fire. The Tennessee Division of Forestry contained the blaze and supplied the Barrett family with loblolly pine saplings to restore the scorched woods. The pine stand remains on the farm to this day. After the fire, Jack sought guidance from the division to improve the woods, sparking a multigenerational commitment to responsible forestry.
Seeds of Inspiration
Jack’s sons, Robert and Wayne Barrett, worked alongside their father to care for the woods. Inspired by the forester he met at a young age, Robert pursued an education and a career as a registered forester. In 1971, he enrolled the family’s land into the Tennessee Tree Farm program.
In the following years, the Barrett Farm became a diversified tree farm, producing softwood, hardwood timber and other wood products. It was always Robert’s goal that the tree farm would be self-sustaining. His children, Jack, Amy, Jamie and Katy, recall fond memories of working with their father, uncle and grandfather.
“In 2008, Robert decided that the farm needed a new shop,” says the younger Jack who takes a primary role in running the farm today. “He hand-picked 40 white oak trees and made a deal with a veneer buyer. The proceeds from those trees paid for the construction of the shop.”
Family of Tree Farming
Aside from planting many different varieties of trees like cypress and oak around the farm, the family also ventured into some niche forestry markets.
“Robert was always experimenting with different timber operations and species,” Amy says. “During the
mid-’80s, he created a small Christmas tree farm operation that consisted of white and Scotch pine. All the grandchildren were involved in the mowing, trimming, pruning, cutting and selling the trees.”
Around the same time, the family purchased a sawmill as a retirement job for the patriarch of the family, elder Jack. Wayne started a lumber business by thinning red oak stands, and the grandchildren helped cut, stack and deliver lumber.
Looking to the Future
Robert passed in 2020, leaving behind many lessons and an appreciation for the forest.
The Barrett grandchildren are now the third generation of stewards of the forest, consulting each other on the best practices concerning forest management, selective cuts, pine thinning and new planting. At the same time, Linda Barrett, the youngest of Jack and Lamoine’s children, still resides on the farm.
The family now maintains trees they helped plant decades ago. Jamie recalls planting walnut trees along a creek bank with his grandfather.
“Even as a young boy, while following Papaw Jack along the creek bank, I remember sensing that it was important to him that we helped him out because he knew that we would be the ones to enjoy watching them grow,” Jamie says.
The family plants saplings every Arbor Day, allowing the youngest members to learn about caring for trees. Biannually, the family conducts a controlled burn in the original pine stand to promote tree growth and manage weeds.
The Barretts envision a future where forest management remains a cherished family affair, passing down knowledge, traditions and a deep appreciation for family and the trees.