“Plantation” – What is a plantation? They come in varying sizes, shapes, uses and ownerships. They are located all around the world. Webster’s definition of a plantation is as follows:
“1. Any place that is planted. 2. A farm or estate of many acres, planted in cotton, tobacco, rice, etc., worked by resident laborers. 3. A group of early settlers: a colony. 4. An oyster bed or oyster farm. 5. A grove cultivated for its wood. 6. The act of planting.”
The old time plantations are known for the large expanses of acres covered in cotton fields for as far as you could see. Over time the plantation has evolved into everything from the glamorized open quail woods with mule drawn wagons and pointers to pine plantations to a 50 acre parcel that the owner has named a plantation. It really does not matter about the size, location or the use of the land. It is the name and what the landowner wants for their special piece of land they call their own. So if you plant trees, grow crops for the wildlife, raise quail, deer, turkeys or cattle, or have a farm, you have by definition a plantation.
I was fortunate enough to be raised on what was said to be the largest privately owned operating plantation east of the Mississippi River. I worked with the cattle and row crops and spent several years managing the 1100 sow hog operation, but the job that shaped my career was working in the woods. We had thousands of acres of intensively managed pine plantations and several thousand acres of hardwood drains and creek bottom with huge oaks and endless canopy. My job was to manage these pine plantations for maximum returns and do my best to preserve the hardwood bottoms. Part of our goal was managing the wildlife by manipulating the habitat and create as much diversity as possible. I have had the privilege of working with the UGA forestry professors and programs, and wildlife biologists from Georgia and South Carolina. We used our own logging crew and sold millions of dollars of wood to outside bidders. We developed a management plan that encompassed timber management, wildlife management for deer, turkey, quail, ducks, dove and many other game and non game species of wildlife, planted over two hundred acres of game plots and managed some 300 miles of roads and firebreaks.
The point of sharing this information with you is I have been there on the plantation and understand the aspects of plantation management and how diverse it can be. I was able to do this with some very incredible people from the guy at the bottom of the totem pole to some of the finest financial minds around. Since I have left the plantation, I have been able to share this incredible experience with many clients. We can manage and manipulate habitat to achieve better returns for you. We can help you with timber production, wildlife management and habitat, road work, aesthetics and a combination of all these things. If you need help picking out your plantation, managing your plantation or selling your plantation for top dollar, we want to be the one to make it happen for you. Green Hill Land & Timber, LLC has done this for many clients and would like the opportunity to talk with you about your goals and opportunities on developing and managing your plantation.
Click on the link below to view plantations we helped enhance wildlife habitat and income potential from forest management.
Click to view Ivey Springs Plantation
Land.com recognizes Jack Frankhouser as a top producer in the Southeast. Jack's hard work, expertise, and professionalism has helped many people with their land.