He and his brother have planted pines on the farm where they grew up. Right now he's talking about fertilization of pine trees. I don't know if we're going to do it, but we have the information we need. He has followed Wood's advice, however, on chemicals to use in an attempt to control the spread of wild pear trees on a section near national forest land. LeRoy is president-elect of the McCormick County Forestry Association and a member of the local Extension Advisory Council.
Wood does a lot of program work through associations and the use of demonstrations.
Cattle and timber are the two big agricultural enterprises in McCormick County, one of the most rural areas in the state. Its nearly 360 square miles is 88 percent forest, and nearly 48 percent of all land is owned or managed by federal and state governments. Wood says wildlife is a growing industry for landowners who rent out hunting rights. He expects a major decline in cattle in the next 10 years in the county. Wood says he has more hobbies than he has free time.