Farmer Christmas

For a few magical and fleeting weeks, this timber man welcomes you to find your tree—and your holiday spirit— in the deep woods of Gaylord.

- Emily Tyra

Keith is a forester. He helps landowners manage and make the most of their forests. He operates 520 acres of his own timberland. He’s a conservationist and activist, serving on the board at Headwaters Land Conservancy. And leading up to the holiday season, Keith and his wife, Cathy, welcome Up North neighbors to their pre-cut and U-cut tree farm in Gaylord’s snow belt.

We hop in with Keith and bump down a two-track that dips and curves through the woods like a holiday roller coaster ride. “I started planting trees here with my dad when I was six years old,” he says. Martell’s Northwoods Tree Farm, established in 1954, was a hobby for his dad, an engineer for Ford. His dad purchased this land in Gaylord intending to plant trees on it. “As with all engineers, he liked to tinker,” says Keith. “So he built a custom tree planter to fit behind a Ford tractor. I helped my dad plant, and I loved it. It’s why I decided early in life to become a forester.”

Keith has an M.S. in Forestry from Michigan State University, served as a state forester for many years and is now partner and president of Martell Forestry, where he guides Michigan forestland owners to make informed decisions, protecting both the owner’s interests and the forestland itself. He crafts forest management plans that include planting trees, maintaining trails, protecting and improving wildlife habitat and forest stand improvement. He and his team of certified foresters administer harvests from start to finish.