AgAmerica Lending Honors Arbor Day and Earth Month through Reforestation Partnership Efforts

AgAmerica joins the Arbor Day Foundation to pay respect to Earth Month 2019.

AgAmerica Lending is proud to announce that for the fourth consecutive year, we have partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to aid in their quest to plant 100 million trees by 2022—a nod to the 150^th anniversary of Arbor Day.

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation was established on the 100^th anniversary of the first Arbor Day event. The foundation’s mission is to make a lasting impact on the world by educating people about the vital role trees play in our communities across the globe. They strive to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees across our nation. Each year, the Arbor Day Foundation works with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters to identify national and state forests that are in need of reforestation. Partnership efforts, such as AgAmerica’s annual donation of 2,000 pine trees, support the planting of nearly 10 million trees each year.

The History of the First Arbor Day

On April 10, 1872, J. Sterling Morton and his wife, Caroline Joy French, spent the day with people from their community celebrating the importance of trees by planting nearly one million trees across the state of Nebraska. By 1885, Nebraska had officially declared April 22 as Arbor Day in honor of J. Sterling Morton’s birthday. The date was eventually changed to the last Friday of April to coincide with planting season. As the oldest environmental holiday—approximately 100 years older than Earth Day—Arbor Day has played a vital role in preserving native land, improving watersheds, restoring forests, and growing awareness around environmental issues that are reshaping our ecosystems.

AgAmerica Supports Local Reforestation Through Annual Contributions to the Arbor Day Foundation

The U.S., which ranks among the top ten most forested nations, is home to nearly 765 million acres of woodland. Each year a percentage of this land is loss due to urban development and natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. From 1992 to 2012, nearly 31 million acres of farmland were cannibalized for development use. Additionally, since 2003, damage to woodland has steadily increased—just over 24,000 wildfires burned 7.4 million acres of U.S. timberland in 2017.  Adding to this devastation, highly active tropics over the last decade have led to numerous hurricanes and cyclones, which have battered acres of farmland and timberland. In 2018, Hurricane Michael destroyed more than 2.8 million acres of Florida and Georgia timber—also taking with it several Longleaf Pines planted approximately 18 years ago.

With the understanding of the critical need to preserve and restore timber in the face of these challenges, AgAmerica helps replant pine tree populations in local Florida forests annually. Since 2016, AgAmerica has contributed approximately 2,000 trees to each of the following forests:

• The Etoniah Creek State Forest in North Florida
• The Myakka State Forest in West Central Florida
• The Withlacoochee State Forest

This year we again support the foundation by contributing another 2,000 trees to help in the management of local ecosystems. We recognize just how integral healthy soil and a thriving ecosystem are to the success of today’s farmers and future generations. We are proud to play a role in our community and support organizations that pay a homage to our incredible planet.

Learn How AgAmerica’s Land Loans Support You Through Good or Bad Times

Our team understands the unique challenges you face in this ever-changing world. We are proud to offer custom land loan packages that position your operation for long-term success. Take our brief verification quiz to get started, or contact us directly.