Living in our "small" town, I’ve learned that word of mouth is the ultimate currency. Everyone seems to be an expert, eager to charge you for their know-how. But let’s be honest, the “How hard could it be?” gene doesn’t always get the job done.
When it came to clearing our land for the garden, chicken coop, and future home of my sanity (aka the house), we knew we needed someone legit. Enter Earl Brock—recommended by a friend of a friend. Because in this town, everyone’s connected by no more than two degrees of separation and maybe a plate of barbecue.
Earl is a one-man show and looks like he could moonlight as Barry Corbin’s stunt double. Born and raised in eastern North Carolina, he’s been on a tractor since he was 5 years old. Around here, I’m convinced that’s basically a rite of passage for men over 60. Earl rolled up to our lot with a grin so big it looked like he’d just won the county fair pie-eating contest. Within 10 minutes, I felt like we’d been old friends forever.
We spent a solid hour not talking about the job. That’s just how it goes here—everyone chats, and no one’s a stranger. Earl entertained us with stories about driving a tractor with his feet barely grazing the pedals and the time he played peek-a-boo with a mama bear and her cubs on another job. If nothing else, the man has stories. Luckily for us, those stories come with actual skill and know-how.
Eventually, we circled back to the reason we called him. Earl confidently assured us he could handle the job and promised to bring his skid steer out after the holidays. “Make sure you bring your kids,” he said with a wink. “They’ll get a kick out of it.”
Fast forward to the coldest day of the year, and Earl did not disappoint. My son Axel was practically vibrating with excitement at the sight of the big truck—and when Earl offloaded his skid steer? Pure bliss. Earl rolled up to a tree, and within seconds, it was mulch. Axel was on cloud nine.
Earl went tree to tree, turning them into instant sawdust while my kids squealed with excitement like it was Christmas morning. Meanwhile, my mom and I soaked up his running commentary about tree species, growth rates, and why mulching is better than clearing entirely. Who knew tree mulch could be so fascinating? Earl was like a walking forestry TED Talk with a North Carolina drawl.
By the end of the job, we had clear land for our garden, chicken coop, and a glimpse of the horizon. Don’t get me wrong—I love trees as much as the next person. But after living in what felt like a jungle, seeing open space was a moment.
Earl left us with a clean slate and a ton of gratitude. If you ever need someone who can clear your land and entertain you with some of the best stories around, Earl’s your guy. Just don’t rush him —there’s always time for a good story here in the South.
So, here’s to Earl, the skid steer whisperer, and the start of building our dream on Taeda Farm—one mulched tree at a time.
