CADIZ, Ohio – It takes determination and mental toughness to restore former strip mines and turn that useless land into fertile soil, but that’s just what Rob and Pat Davis, of Cadiz, did.

For his effort, Davis was awarded the Ohio Tree Farm Committee’s 2024 Ohio Tree Farm of the Year award. A presentation was made at his farm on Sept. 7.

Cadiz is located about 25 miles northwest of Wheeling, not far from the Pennsylvania border. The land in that area was initially strip-mined around 1970, when there were no laws in place that provided for saving the topsoil and reclaiming the land. The Davis family purchased their first piece of property (128 acres) in Harrison County in 1995, knowing well that the land was all strip-mined solely for coal. The ground was compacted, and the topsoil was gone.

“The reason I could afford to buy this land when I did was because it was worthless to so many people and I never saw it that way,” Davis said. “I could afford it, and I can afford to buy more of it as it became available. The idea that I couldn’t do something with it never crossed my mind.”

Davis immediately started planting trees, much to the delight of all the deer in the area.

“In the early years, we were trying to plant different pines, and they’re strictly deer candy,” Davis admitted. “I didn’t know that. We lost thousands of seedlings to the deer, but we kept trying different kinds of trees and started focusing much more on hardwoods. The eastern red cedars were an evergreen that the deer did not like to eat, but they rubbed them and tore them up, so we couldn’t grow those.”

The first thing he did was construct a driveway and then an outhouse. The couple lived on the property in a camper while they constructed a house. That same year he planted his first 500 trees on the property. Those didn’t survive because the roots didn’t take to the strip-mined land.

He then planted 1,000 while oaks, but not one tree lasted. The deer ate every one. An even bigger problem than the deer was the soil, which was made up of excavated earth, rock debris and waste materials left behind from the strip mining. The soil acted like concrete, Davis said. The topsoil and organic matter were gone. The bedrock was also limestone, which brought up the soil’s pH, which is bad for trees.

To solve the compaction issue, they broke up the soil using a steel shank, known as a ripper, to loosen up the soil. This crack in the ground would freeze over in winter, preventing any sediment from getting in. Come spring, they would reopen the rift, and plant the tree inside it.

Every tree had to be planted by hand using a shovel, as the rock-hard soil wasn’t suitable for a mechanical tree-planting machine. The trees Davis planted on the strip land include red cedars, burr oak, Chinkapin oak, black cherry, black walnut, sweet gum and several varieties of white oak.

Davis said that every year, leaf litter from the trees builds up topsoil, which over time will restore the land to its former pre-mining glory.

Davis first saw some true fruits of his efforts in 2003, when planting of trees took root in the soil. In 2006, they bought land from a neighbor who formerly raised dairy cattle and sheep.

“When we started buying more land in 2006, then we had what I call real dirt,” Davis said. “It was topsoil, so we could expand the varieties.”

Eventually Davis was able to start planting trees like sycamore and using a transplanting machine instead of planting trees by hand. On average, Davis estimates he’s planted roughly 2,000 trees a year over the past 10 years.

To this day there are many acres of different tree species on his land, aptly called Reclaimed Tree Farm.

It didn’t come easy. The Davises struggled big time. Nonetheless, they planted trees in the spoiled, hard-rock soil and with the help of others, he planted roughly 150,000 trees since buying the land.

“I don’t look at it any different than planting corn,” Davis said. “I see wildlife habitat, and it’s fun getting to see some of the fruit from your labor.”

Some of his hardwoods are already producing acorns and black walnuts for animals.

Davis grew up on five acres in Copley, Ohio, in Summit County. His first interest in trees was sparked by his dad’s endeavors, buying and planting tree seed packets from his conservation district.

Jeremy Scherf, a service forester with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry, nominated the Reclaimed Tree Farm for this honor.

“We typically look for a landowner who’s really engaged and active in managing their forest,” Scherf said. “One that’s managing for a variety of uses. The four corners of the tree farm program are wood, water, wildlife and recreation. We’re looking for somebody who’s following all those and somebody who’s been doing it for a while. This isn’t something you can do in one year and you’re getting an award. We’re looking for management. We’re looking for results and sometimes something unique.”

Scherf was impressed by Davis’ desire to plant trees. He’s been working with Davis to improve his tree farm for 24 years, and before that, Davis worked with another ODNR forester.

“With Mr. Davis, it’s the 150,000 trees in the ground, 640 acres of land that the vast majority of has had invasive species controlled multiple times. It’s the pond he built and also that connection with the neighboring properties, and spreading that knowledge and enthusiasm for doing these things.”