Iowa Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year to be recognized in Jefferson County

On Oct. 28, the Iowa Tree Farm Program will be recognizing Pete and Kathy Tollenaere as the 2025 Iowa Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year at the Fall Forestry Field Day. This field day will take place on the Tollenaere’s property, just west of 2497 Kelp Avenue, Fairfield.

Pete and Kathy purchased their 80 acre farm in June of 1996. Pete immediately got to work utilizing the expertise of multiple natural resource professionals to help him make management decisions and do some of the physical management such as tree plantings and timber sales. He soon became an unofficial forester himself by taking the ISU Master Woodland course in 1999 and then again with Kathy some years later. The earlier program plan that could be found for their property was a REAP TSI plan written in 1998 by District Forester Ray Lehn. In the 27 years since that plan was written, they have done various other REAP TSI projects and tree plantings, roughly 30 acres of some of the most gorgeous and well managed CRP prairies you can find, CRP shrub rows, EQIP tree plantings, early successional work, and even a berm.

Pete and Kathy’s stewardship goes well beyond their own property. Pete influenced multiple landowners, who either got started managing their ground because of him or were motivated to do more because of his example. Pete is also commonly the first volunteer to help his local county conservation crew with prescribed burns, invasive control, and timber stand improvement. Kathy has also volunteered countless hours to the conservation board, serving as a board member for over 20 years! They are not only stewards of their own ground, but they are also true conservationists for their county, state, country, and world.

The Iowa Tree Farm Committee is not the first organization to recognize Pete and Kathy’s efforts. The Jefferson SWCD awarded them as the 2004 Woodland Owner of the year. They were recognized by the DNR at the Iowa State Fair in 2017 for the Iowa Conservation Leader Award. Pete and Kathy also frequent many natural resources field days, including the annual Shimek Forestry Field Day, pollinator field days, and Tree Farm and Woodland Owner Field Days. The Iowa Tree Farm Committee will present Pete and Kathy with their award at their farm on Oct. 28 during this event.

Registration will take place from 9:00-9:30 a.m. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome from Billy Beck, Extension Forestry Specialist, and an overview and history of the property and presentation of the Tree Farmer of the Year award. The morning sessions will include forestry management lessons learned from Pete Tollenaere and forester Cassidy Widner, erosion control in woodlands by NRCS staff and Billy Beck, and pruning and thinning hardwoods by forester Ray Lehn and Becky Lee of the Iowa DNR.

During lunch, an update about CWD will be shared by Jace Elliot of the Iowa DNR and Catherine Cummings from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, an NRCS update will be given by Bailey Yotter, and an IWOA update by Paul Millice.

The afternoon sessions will be understory removal by Pete Tollenaere, Becky Lee, and Cassidy Widner and early successional habitat by Kevin Anderson of the Iowa DNR. The field day will conclude at 3 p.m.

Those interested in attending the field day can register by calling the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Jefferson County Office at 641-472-4166 or by emailing xjefferson@iastate.edu. Registration is recommended by Oct. 21 to guarantee a meal. Cost is $20 payable day of the event. This event will occur outdoors in the forest, with the meal taking place indoors.