Each time Robb Brannan plants a tree, he’s planning for the future. It could take decades to reap a profit from his work, but he said he’s working for more than just monetary rewards.”I enjoy the beauty of the woods and spending time with my family in the woods,” Robb said. “Hopefully in the future, these forests will also mean financial security for my family.”Robb, his wife, Casey, and their son, Dalton, nicknamed “Bugg”, are this year’s Outstanding Young Farm Family in the forestry division. Their home in northern Mobile County near Citronelle sits among a canopy of stately pine trees that serve as a reminder of his everyday work. Robb and his father operate Meinhardt Farm Inc. that was started by his grandfather. Robb is a fifth generation farmer and loves the history of the timber business almost as much as the land that grows the trees.”Farming is a long family history that I’m proud of,” Robb said. “I love the benefits of watching my work grow. I want to teach my children how to make an honest living using the land. That’s one of the most important things I think I learned from my father.”Robb, 30, said his dad helped him get started in the timber business when he let him take over some rented land and allowed him to borrow a tractor in 1992. In addition to the family timber business, he and his dad also have a successful hay business.”When I was growing up, we row cropped in the summer and planted trees in the winter time,” Robb said. “Now, we are out of the row crop business, and during the summer we prepare land for planting (trees), perform control burning and do erosion control work.”The Brannans own 176 acres, mostly planted in natural long leaf pine trees. Robb said he prefers the long leaf pines because even though they may be slower growing, they are native to the area and produce a better tree in the end.”Long leaf pines are very fire tolerant,” he said. “This whole country used to be in long leaf pines before the other fast-growing varieties were introduced. When a long leaf pine tree matures, it will make a higher grade log that is disease and insect resistant. But the decline in pulp prices also played a factor in our decision to plant long leaf trees.”Casey, 27, spends most of her days tending to Bugg, who at two years old already loves farming, just like his daddy. On any given day you’re likely to find him playing with a toy log loader in the middle of the family’s den pretending he’s harvesting trees. Casey still finds time to keep the farm books and works part time at a local veterinary clinic. The Brannans are members of the Cedar Creek Church of the Brethren where Casey is a Sunday school teacher and secretary of the church board.While her family didn’t farm for a living while she was growing up, Casey’s father operated a business often used by local loggers to build roads and perform dozer work. So she’s sensitive to the pressures and problems that often come with the timber industry.”But I like it because it’s what Robb likes to do,” she said. “He’s not stuck in a job like a lot of people who hate to go to work every day. He does work a lot of long hours, and we miss him. Bugg especially misses him. I’m sure when Bugg gets old enough to go with him, there will come a time when I’ll miss them both. But I know Robb works hard so I can stay home and raise our child. That means a lot to both of us.”Robb said a heat stroke he suffered last year made him realize how important his family really is. “It taught me that nothing is more important than your health,” he said.He passed out shortly after driving a dozer for several hours in 100-plus degree weather. He said it took months before he felt normal again, adding that he’s more careful about his health and work habits these days.Even though timber prices are lower than they’ve been in years, Robb said he’s not giving up. He’s focusing a lot of his work towards conservation and wildlife enhancement. Being a good environmentalist also is a big part of his job, especially when he’s conducting a controlled burn in a forest.”Some critics see just a fire,” he said. “But fire is an important tool in site preparation for planting trees and actually helps trees that already are there to grow faster. Burning the fuel that may be laying on the ground under a stand of trees can actually help control a wildfire that could destroy thousands of acres.”Robb and his dad employ one full-time worker and three part-time employees. In an average year, they will plant 800-1,000 acres, each with about 700 young trees.Three straight years of drought, hurricanes and tornadoes have created some hardships for the Brannans, but the biggest obstacle they face is low prices for their timber, they said.”You can’t hardly give wood away right now,” Robb said. “Some people speculate that prices will remain low forever, and others say we’re just in a cycle and have hit bottom. I’m not sure which it is, but things have got to get better.”Robb said he wants it to get better because he’d love for Bugg to follow in his footsteps, but added that he hopes his son doesn’t have to work as hard to make it.The Brannans said the Young Farmers Program offers them an opportunity to meet with other couples who share their concerns. Robb has been a member of the Mobile County Young Farmers for 11 years and currently serves as vice chairman of the group. Casey said the Mobile County Young Farmers are fortunate to have good support from the Mobile County Farmers Federation and from their Area Organization Director Roy Rigney.”They do a great job of helping us,” she said. “If we ever need anything or have a problem, they are right there to help us figure it out. That’s especially important because with all the pressures you already face in farming.”