MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. That is what University of Missouri Extension state specialist in forestry Hank Stelzer often hears when talking with landowners, and even some professional foresters, about an Ozark woodland.

“But the Schmollinger Tree Farm in Mountain Grove is a testament that a plan and perseverance can resurrect a severely abused and neglected Ozark woodland into a healthy and productive forest ecosystem,” Stelzer says.

Max and Lois Schmollinger came to Missouri from Staunton, Va., in 1977. They soon purchased 80 acres of land northeast of Mountain Grove in Texas County. In Virginia, Max had been a timber management assistant for the George Washington National Forest. With a solid forestry background and strong work ethic, Max was the “quintessential woodland weekend warrior,” says Stelzer.

Max assessed the degraded condition of his property. With the help of a Missouri Department of Conservation forester, he developed a plan to begin restoring his abused woodland.

Each harvest was followed with timber stand improvement (TSI), taking advantage of cost-share dollars only once. Poorly formed and damaged trees were removed, and a conscious effort was made to shift toward a larger white oak component. Max said he spends “stump time” in his deer stand thinking about his next TSI project.

“Throughout the evolution of their farm, the Schmollingers have remained true to their initial management objectives: produce marketable timber products, provide quality habitat for wildlife, protect water quality, minimize soil erosion and encourage oak reproduction,” Stelzer says. “One cannot throw a rock almost anywhere on their property and not encounter abundant oak regeneration. The Schmollinger Tree Farm is now an integral part of Mizzou’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the national White Oak Initiative.”

A 1978 forest inventory showed the total timber volume was 51,000 board feet of mixed oaks. “The 2019 inventory revealed 221,000 board feet of standing timber, over four times as much volume as in 1978!” Stelzer said. And that does not count the 226,000 board feet sold in four different harvests. There are now trees of all ages, from seedlings to sawtimber, totaling approximately 147,000 board feet of hardwoods growing for future harvests, he said.

Their hard work has resulted in the property being recognized as the 2024 Missouri Tree Farmers of the Year, and they are finalists in the American Tree Farm System’s North Central Region.

The Schmollinger Tree Farm will be the highlight of the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri’s annual Woodland Owners Conference, Oct. 3-4 in Mountain Grove.

In addition to supporting Missouri’s forest products industries, the Schmollingers enjoy the wildlife, fishing, recreational and scenic qualities of their property.

Learn more about the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri at www.forestandwoodland.org.

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Schmollingers
Max and Lois Schmollinger of Mountain Grove were named Missouri Tree Farmers of the Year.