Planting trees on the Kesey Family Farm

The Eugene Branch: news from Friends of Trees Eugene

Planting trees on private property is a regular part of the program at Friends of Trees Eugene. Almost every planting event includes yard trees, with about 20% of all FOT Eugene trees planted on private property, and increasing every year.

We recently had the pleasure of being a part of a private property planting event at the Kesey Farm just outside of Eugene (yes, that Kesey: Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and more!). The Keseys contacted us because in addition tree advice and help with planting, they wanted to involve Friends of Trees because they really like the community involvement part of how we plant trees.

The Eugene Tree Team worked with the Keseys on where to plant the trees and on species selection. The family really wanted some redwoods, so we planted those along with some more drought tolerant giant sequoias. All told, community volunteers and the Keseys planted 30 trees, including giant sequoias, redwoods, Lavelle hawthorns, and silver lindens. (DYK? silver lindens are perhaps the best trees for native bumble bees!)

This was an all-around great planting event: It was a beautiful sunny day at a beautiful site, everyone was happy to be there, and the Keseys not only helped plant but were great hosts, sharing treats with the volunteers. We even met some cows and learned what a “bummer calf” is (a days-old calf that can’t feed from its mom).

Private property planting events in Eugene are fully funded by the property owners, as in this case, and sometimes with private donations if cost is an issue. Do you have some private property that needs trees? In some cases FOTE can play a role, advising on tree selection, site planning, and through involving community volunteers for a tree planting event. We’d love to talk with you about your tree needs!