DEC
23
Idylease Tree Farm in Passaic County, New Jersey is cutting down hundreds of its trees in a regular harvest. This is a process called “thinning.” Thousands of trees stand majestically at the Idylease Tree Farm Farm in West Milford, NJ. Owner Richard Zampella helped plant the first trees in 1972 and has watched them grow into the present. “They were just seedlings an less than foot tall,” Zampella said “The Norwegian Spruce and Scott Pines are now over 70 feet tall.”
Zampella’s father started the farm and was awarded the Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 1991 for his efforts. Now, it has become a 2nd generation stewardship of the forest. “Forests like this are important,” said Andy Bennett who is the consulting Forester for Idylease. “Forests are like timber engines, they’re strong and they are growing a lot of cubic feet per acre per year.”
Bennett has worked in forestry for more than 15 years. He operates Ridge and Valley Foresty. He said the industry has undergone significant change and that Idylease Tree Farm should remain successful for several more decades. This is the farm’s third thinning in 50 years. He estimates the farm should still be in operation for at least another 50 years.
This footage was filmed over the course of several days over the skies of Idylease. Photographed and Edited by filmmaker Richard Zampella -- The video makes use of a DJI Phantom Drone with a Zenmuse 3-D Gimbal and the GoPro HERO 4 Camera.
The woodlands at Idylease have been a certified tree farm within the NJ Tree Farm Program (NJTFP) since 1987.
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"1 Reply Idylease Winter Tree Harvest"
Janet Goertz-Myer
June 17, 2023 at 11:25 am
It is wonderful that this lovely old building is being well cared for and preserved for future generations