Mickman Brothers taking part in Tree Planting Initiative

Mickman Brothers Conservation Efforts

Posted on April 17, 2008 by abcnewspapers
by Eric Hagen
Staff writer

Mickman Brothers of Ham Lake will contribute to the planting of over 45,000 tree seedlings this spring through partnerships with Cub Foods and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

John Mickman, president of Mickman Brothers, told ABC Newspapers that if the company he and his brother Chris Mickman own did not give away these seedlings, nobody else might do it.

“There’s always some kind of reason not to do these kind of things,” John Mickman said. “But as everybody knows, in recent years, our governmental agencies have gotten severe cutbacks in their budgets and much of this work that had been carried out in past years is no longer happening.”

According to John Mickman, his family business will pay for 100 percent of the cost for the DNR to plant 25,000 evergreen trees this spring in Minnesota state parks and state forests in northern Minnesota and at Sand Dunes State Forest in Zimmerman, Minn.

On Saturday, April 19, all Cub Foods will host a kids scavenger hunt from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Once they solve clues on the environment, recycling or food, kids will be led to tree seedlings that they and their parents can plant.

Mickman Brothers and Cub Foods split the cost of 20,000 Black Hills spruce seedlings that will be given away at Cub Foods’ 76 store locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. There are 56 stores in the Twin Cities alone, according to Cub Foods spokeswoman LeeAnn Jorgenson.

This give away honors Earth Day, Jorgenson said, which is next Tuesday, April 22.
John Mickman said Cub Foods has been a loyal customer over the last decade. Mickman Brothers manufactures Christmas wreaths, holiday door swags, centerpieces and garland for Cub Foods.

From April 21-27, Mickman Brothers will give away a total of 500 Black Hills spruce seedlings at its garden center in Ham Lake, which is located on the southwest corner of Highway 65 and Andover Boulevard.

John Mickman said they will give away 50 seedling packages from Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25 and then give away 125 seedling packages on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. All seedlings will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The give away at Mickman Brothers honors Arbor Day on April 25.

John Mickman said he is looking forward to helping the DNR plant the evergreen trees this spring. He has planted trees each year since he was 10 years old. His father in 1960 purchased 500 acres to turn into a Christmas tree farm near Lake George in Oak Grove and the family business expanded to other farms throughout the area.

When Mickman was a young man, he was a commercial fisherman in Alaska where he saw the devastation of the shrimp and king crab fisheries. This peaked his interest in environmental conservation in general.

“When one sees something like that personally, especially when you’re a young person, it makes a big impact,” he said.

Copyright 2008 ABC Newspapers

Wilson Fifth-Graders Learn Natural and Historic Lessons

Wilson fifth-graders learn natural and historic lessons

Originally Posted Thursday, September 23, 2010 1:58 pm by ABC Newspapers
by Eric Hagen
Staff writer

If only trees could talk. They would have some amazing stories to tell. For about a week, students at Wilson Elementary in Anoka walked by and touched a dead stump of a red oak tree that had lived through two world wars, women’s suffrage when women got the right to vote, man landing on the moon, 9/11 and much more.

On a Thursday morning last week (Sept. 16), almost 100 fifth-graders witnessed the planting of a tree that is about as old as they are while they heard about the important role they play in the environment and how more people are needed to plant them.

Twenty years from now, the Sienna Glen Maple will be fully grown at 50 to 60 feet tall, said John Mickman, who co-founded Mickman Brothers in Ham Lake with his brother Chris.

Principal Diane Henning said whenever the kids come back to visit, they will feel like they were a part of something.

“It will help them to have ownership because they’ll be here when it’s happening,” Henning said. “It’s helping them understand that they’re part of the community.
Elementary students from all over the state of Minnesota took some ownership in the planet on the same day. Volunteers from 70 companies associated with the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association visited elementary schools to encourage the youth to plant trees.

This specific initiative is new and called Green for Life. It received the attention of the governor’s office. Gov. Tim Pawlenty drafted a proclamation specifically for this statewide effort.

Besides encouraging environmental friendliness, this was an effort to excite kids about the horticulture industry.

“We felt that at this age none of the kids have a clear idea what they want to be when they grow up,” said John Mickman, who mentioned that two kids came up to him after his presentation and said they wanted to work at Mickman Brothers when they grow up.

Students were not merely bystanders for the 45-minute planting and presentation. While the maple tree was planted, John Mickman talked about all the ways trees help people. They make the air easier to breathe because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and clean polluted air. The root systems help stabilize soils, which helps with erosion concerns. Trees also serve as a wind break and more appealing noise barrier for humans.

John Mickman has worked closely with over 90 students at Wilson Elementary for the past year ever since the now retired fourth grade teacher Janet Vratkovich contacted Mickman after reading the Mickman Brothers newsletter. The students have visited the Ham Lake businesses garden center and Mickman has taught the students a lot about the industry.

The students, who are now fifth-graders, did not forget John Mickman over summer vacation. When he came to the school last Thursday, they yelled out his name and happily greeted him.

Copyright 2010 ABC Newspapers