Timber is a big business in Tennessee. Around $1 billon of the state’s tree products are shipped abroad every year, and state economists estimate that it’s a $20 billion industry. But logging experts are worried about the future of the labor force. With massive trees falling and sharp saws running, the job is among the most dangerous in the world and not necessarily lucrative – and that makes it unattractive to young people.
To illustrate this issue, talk to the Redfern family in Robertson County. They’ve been in the woods for four generations, now deciding if their will be a fifth. Michael Redfern is dressed in overalls and a red-and-white trucker hat, a wad of tobacco tucked in his lower lip. He says logging to him is as natural as breathing or drinking water. “Well, I’m not bragging or complaining. But around Robertson County, if you mention the word ‘logging,’ the Redfern name comes up a lot, because we’ve been in it a long time,” he said.
But at least part of the Redfern family is plotting an exit strategy. Michael’s 29-year-old son Jonathan is looking for a job in nearby Springfield. “Because, you know, honestly, my dad’s 57-years old and takes a handful of pills every morning just to walk,” Jonathan Redfern said. “And some day, I’m gonna be the same way if I cut timber every day for 30 years. It just ain’t for me.”
He plans on staying until his dad retires, which could happen in the next few years. For now, the three-man operation, Jonathan, his dad and little brother Justin, still head into the forest most days. They’re all an essential link in the process. Jonathan saws, Justin drags the tree out of the woods with what’s called a skidder. And their dad drives the logs to a mill. He’s the negotiator.
From Nashville Public Radio: https://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/06/09/fourth-generation-tennessee-logging-family-faces-crossroads-will-carry-trade/