Fourth-generation farmer has it made in the (pine) shade

“Yeah, they call me the pine straw guy everywhere I go,” Strickland says with a laugh, standing next to a trailer loaded with dozens of circular bales. “They all know us. We’ve been to I don’t know how many people’s houses in their yards spreading straw all over west Georgia.”

Working from the home built by his father more than 50 years ago, he cares for about 30 acres along Georgia Highway 166 in the Winston community through his business, Strickland Farm Services. He knows the land well, having spent his entire life there.

Making a complete circle, the 34-year-old points to nearby homes of other Stricklands, from his grandfather to aunts, uncles and cousins. That’s the work of his grandfather, Ervin Strickland, who raised cattle there before and after his service during World War II.

Ervin Strickland inherited the massive farm from his father Moes, who tended cotton before going overseas in World War I, then turned to cattle upon his return. Ervin later divided the land, splitting off smaller farms for his three children, including Travis’ father, Donald, himself a warrior in Vietnam.

“We’ve lived on this land since before the Civil War,” Travis Strickland said.

Family remains key in the business today. Travis’ sister, Jessie, answers phones and manages the customer side of things. His nieces and nephews pitch in from time to time, while his 4-year-old daughter, Mary, shows an affinity for the straw operation.

“It’s the definition of a small, family-run business,” Strickland said

“It’s small-town pine straw. We have a small operation,” echoes his business partner Davis Schling “We know everybody on a first-name basis.”

The two partners met through their side jobs as firefighters in Douglas County.

So, what is the key to good pine straw? Some of it lies in the needles themselves.

Strickland Farm Services only sells long leaf needles, which are more durable because of the longer stems at the end.

The age of the straw makes a big difference as well. Strickland harvests his product in Cordele, Ga,, where his aunt runs her own business.

“A lot of your big companies ship everything from Florida,” he said. “We’re completely a Georgia operation”.

On regular trips, Strickland heads to Cordele with three tractor-trailers. The time between harvest and sale is usually no more than a week.

“With the bigger suppliers, they store their straw in trailers on big lots,” he said. “They sit in the heat and the straw starts to deteriorate.”

In the early days, pine straw was raked and packaged by hand in the square bales we all know so well. Today, straw operations resemble miniature hay farms.

“They have small tractors that gather under the trees in narrow rows,” Strickland said.

While some producers still sell in bales, most now prefer a circular option, with each package holding the same amount as two and a half bales. The round bales are wrapped in plastic netting, preventing straw from spilling out during transit and spreading.

Workers also carefully comb through the straw to remove limb and bark debris often found in mass-produced bales.

That extra level of care permeates everything Strickland Farm Services does, even the way it raises cows.

The West Georgia Soil and Water District recently presented Strickland with its Conservationist of the Year Award for his efforts to protect a large lake on his property. He installed a dam and cross fencing to keep his cows out of the water, preventing contamination. New watering facilities help keep heavily grazed areas healthy.

Looking to the future, Strickland said he hopes to create a wilderness preserve stocked with a variety of fowl. His aunt operates her own protected habitat on 80 acres just down the road.

Wherever his life leads, it’s a sure bet it always will involve farming.

“I could sell out, but where would I go or what would I do?,” Strickland said. “I’ve been here forever. I’d wake up the next morning and I’d be walking around in circles wondering what to do.”