O’Neill: Eliminating young firs to benefit huge oaks improves the forest — and planting beds

Casey O’Neill is a farmer and owner of Happy Day Farms in Laytonville, Calif. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mendocino Voice. If you’d like to write your own column for The Mendocino Voice, send your idea to info@mendovoice.com.

We’re working in the woods on the back side of the ranch, clearing young firs that are encroaching on the venerable, ancient oaks. It feels good to free up the old grandmothers, opening up the understory and making space for them to breathe and gather in the future rays of sunlight that push energy down into their roots.