Growing up in Chicago, Sally Hightower was a city kid who loved nature—when she could find it. Her exposure largely came on occasional trips with youth organizations to places such as Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. Even then, she dreamed of having a secluded place of her own, surrounded by wilderness. Today, Hightower lives on a Tree Farm of 37-and-a-half acres in Gladwin, Michigan, about 70 miles northwest of Saginaw, in the watershed of Saginaw Bay. A beautiful, shallow stretch of the Tittabawassee River runs alongside Hightower’s land, which is called Twisted Oak Tree Farm, and an artesian spring-fed stream crosses the property. The area is rich with wildlife and trees—lots of trees. “It’s just trees, trees, trees,” Hightower said. “It’s so beautiful. It’s the best thing that this Chicago kid has ever seen.”

Hightower has owned the property since 1981 when she bought it at a discounted price from a motivated seller she had heard was indebted to the mob. A school counselor, Hightower couldn’t believe her good fortune. She built a house on a ridge that overlooked a striking bend in the river. The first time Hightower stood on the ridge, she felt peace come over her. “I just knew that this is where I was supposed to be and that I would be happy here,” Hightower said. “And I have been extremely happy here for 40 years.”

Hightower’s first harvest came in 1985, a timber stand improvement to salvage low-quality pine, aspen and birch. Dow Corning purchased the wood to use as biomass at a Michigan plant. From the beginning, Hightower has been committed to responsibly managing the property, facing whatever challenges arise, working with foresters and loggers, and occasionally cutting down trees herself for firewood and timber stand improvement. Hightower has also been active with a range of conservation efforts, and she placed her land in a conservation easement with a local land conservancy. The property formed the basis for one of her most profound personal relationships.

During her time as a school counselor, she met a freshman named David, who was being raised by his grandmother. She learned that David loved spending time outdoors and had fished for trout in the river alongside her home since he was a young child. On weekends, he would often ride his bicycle to the river with a fishing rod and a sleeping bag and spend his days and nights there. They quickly formed a strong bond over their love of the area. The bond was so strong that Hightower adopted David when his grandmother passed. away. Today, David and his wife and children are building a house along the river near Hightower’s home. One day, he will inherit the farm. “He loves this place as much as I do,” Hightower said. “It’s nice to know that he’s going to be here after I’m gone to take care of it”. Hightower, said her farm has brought her compelling, invigorating challenges and endless joy, and she feels grateful that her childhood dream came to fruition. “It’s just enriched my life phenomenally,” Hightower said.