Reforestation/reclaimation of farmland

[Dave R Iverson]

re:what to do with the land

The first thing you will want to do is a get a soil test done. This can 
usually be done for a relatively small cost. Check around in the area to 
see how conducts these tests. Here in Canada (and specifically at the 
University of Guelph) the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food does a 
lot of the test, but at the same time, many soil tests get mailed 
directly here to the University.

What do you are a looking for is the amount of Nitrogen in the soil. You 
will also be interested in the aeration porosity of the soil. My guess is 
that if the soil has been in continous production for the past 50 yeas, 
that it has suffered from massive soil erosion. Also, the N levels will 
most certainly be low.

Only after you get the soil test done, and you start to decide how to 
proceed. Like it wouldn't be a good idea to go ahead with your forest 
plantation only to descover the soil can't support life. 

Keep in mind that the more soil test you have done, the better your 
chances of getting a more accurate result.

Please let me know how things go. After having spent four years in a 
resource management degree, this is the kind of stuff I live for.

Cheers,

--
..Dave