Meet Joe Davis, Foreman
November 15, 2011
Joe Davis is the foreman for Davis Forestry Products and oversees the crew that cuts timber on the Farm Cove Community Forest. Contributing to the economic well-being of Downeast Maine is central to our mission, and employing local contractors is an important part of how we accomplish our goals. The wood from the Community Forest supports jobs in the forest and at pulp, paper, and saw mills around Maine.
How many people work for you harvesting on the community forest?
“Usually one harvester, two skidders, two limbers, a crane operator, and four trucks, so eleven of us.”
Is your work for the land trust an important part of your year?
“It’s a big part of the year for this crew. It could become year-round work for us if the land trust buys the West Grand forest.”
How did you get started working in the woods?
“My father owned the company. I’m a 3rd generation logger. I went to college and studied culinary arts, but I wanted to get back and work in the woods. My dad has put thirty years of hard work and risk into this family business. It would be very hard to walk away from.”
How old are you now?
“I’m 30. I look forward to logging here for a very long time. I have a 12 year old little brother, and I hope he’ll be able to do this type of work when he gets older. I’ve had my young son with me, and my father and grandfather. That’s four generations together in the woods. We’re fortunate to have young people coming up in the business. I consider myself very fortunate to live here and do what I do. I know everybody in the small community where I grew up, and know my kids are safe.”
What do you like about your job?
“I like being in the outdoors. It’s nice you can work, and see wildlife, even hunt. Just this morning I saw a deer on Daugherty Ridge.”
What’s different about working on the land trust?
“It’s a little more challenging, because the harvests are more specific. We handle each stand completely differently, doing the right thing depending on the conditions, instead of doing the same thing everywhere.”
More information about Downeast Lakes Land Trust’s sustainable timber management and wildlife habitat management, and our current conservation effort, is available at www.downeastlakes.org.
