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OPINION
Edge feathering
Firms must blur the lines between business units to allow for better collaboration, client service, firm growth, and sustainable returns.
D uring the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I often felt cooped up and longed for opportunities to get outside, exercise, and enjoy the outdoors while maintaining social distancing measures. At the same time, we wanted to diversify our financial portfolio by investing in real estate. We decided that investing in a modest hobby farm or recreational property could meet both needs – providing recreational opportunities while also offering long-term financial appreciation. Fortunately, we found a property within our budget that met our criteria, and we officially became part-time “farmers” alongside our careers in environmental engineering and accounting.
Nathan Hamm, P.E.
Our farm consists of an equal portion of oak-hickory forest and native warm-season prairie grass pasture. From a financial standpoint, the grass portion of the farm provides an annual income stream through hay production, and the timber holds potential for longer-term selective hardwood harvest. As an environmental engineer, I’ve always had a passion for environmental stewardship, including soil and water conservation, sustainable agriculture, and wildlife conservation. This past week, I had the opportunity to host two wildlife biologists from Quail Forever, a not-for-profit upland wildlife conservation organization, to discuss management practices that could be employed to increase biodiversity, maximize wildlife habitat value, maintain soil conservation, and otherwise be a good steward of the land.
The biologists suggested using “edge feathering” to create a softer transition between the grasslands and timber areas on the property. This practice aims to reduce the sharp divide between the forest and grassland areas. Species such as quail, wild turkey, and deer thrive on the edges between habitats, which provide travel corridors, shelter, food, and escape cover. The process involves selectively cutting some trees along the field edges to create a more jagged edge, increasing the linear feet of habitat transition. This softer transition benefits the wildlife species utilizing the farm.
See NATHAN HAMM, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 11, 2024, ISSUE 1561
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