Holmes County tree sale delivers more than 16,000 seedlings

More than 16,000 tree seedlings left the Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District’s hands in a record 2026 sale, a strong sign that Holmes County landowners, farmers and homeowners are still planting for the long term.

The district said the sale wrapped up with pickup and delivery last week, with tree pickup held April 2 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Harvest Ridge. The total topped the district’s 2025 benchmark of 14,300 trees sold, delivered or planted, giving Holmes County a bigger tree-planting turnout this spring than it saw a year ago.

For a county where farming, wooded acreage and rural home sites sit side by side, those seedlings are aimed at very practical uses. Residents buy trees for erosion control, windbreaks, privacy screens, wildlife habitat, reforestation and yard plantings, turning the annual sale into a countywide snapshot of what property owners are trying to solve on their own ground.

The Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District says its mission is to provide technical assistance on soil and water concerns for farmers, landowners, homeowners, schools, organizations and the broader community. The tree sale is one of its recurring spring programs, with orders taken during the winter and seedlings distributed on a set date at a designated location.

Demand this year was strong enough that White Oak seedlings sold out first, prompting the district to restock additional White Oak trees. That kind of early sellout suggests buyers were looking hard at native species and the long-term value of planting trees that can anchor a property for decades.

The district also promoted tree tubes as part of the sale, an added layer of protection for seedlings that can be vulnerable to deer and other animals. Tubes were available with seedlings at pickup, underscoring that the program is built around more than the sale itself. It is also about getting young trees established successfully after they leave the district’s trucks and trailers.

The record total shows that conservation work in Holmes County is still tied to direct action on the ground. At Harvest Ridge, the district did not just hand out a catalog order; it moved thousands of seedlings into the hands of people who plan to use them to protect soil, improve water quality and shape family property for years to come.