With a tractor, a planter and a piece of land, Marlon Dean Schrock launched his own small business in 2023. The name MDS Forestry has two meanings: Schrock’s initials and the company slogan — Miscanthus and Trees, Development and Stewardship.
It all started when Schrock planted miscanthus and switchgrass on his property to phenomenal results. With encouragement from friends at the hunting property management company TagOut Technique LLC, Schrock dove into his newfound work as northern Indiana’s only large-scale tree-planting operation.
“I started picking up small jobs here and there by myself,” Schrock said. “And then I ended up making it an LLC, starting a business name, and that way everything’s legal.”
Schrock sold land and used the money to buy MDS Forestry equipment, expanding the types of jobs he could take. Equipped with a Genesis 5 no-till drill, Schrock could plant corn, soybeans and grasses in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take. With a little advertising, business began rolling in.
“It just exploded. Last year was amazing,” he said. “I probably did triple what I expected to do.”
Schrock runs the business part-time while maintaining a full-time position at Renegade RV’s factory in Elkhart County.
MDS Forestry planted more than 5,000 trees this spring, beginning in March and April. From mid-April through the end of June, Schrock plants miscanthus hard and heavy. In addition to herbicide application, he preps the ground for soybeans, corn and switchgrass throughout May.
“April, May, June — those are my three heaviest months, and then it tapers off in July,” Schrock said. “July, a lot of the time, is just maintenance work. Another thing I’m doing right now is pulling ground samples for custom fertilizer blends.”
Schrock said the best time to plant trees is in autumn, followed by spring. MDS Forestry planted 2,000 trees last fall. White pine, Norway spruce, apple trees, pear trees, swamp oak, white oak and hazelnut are just a few of the many varieties the company plants.
“Most of the time, everything that we plant is seedlings,” Schrock said. “Except the fruit trees — they’re all at least 4 to 6 feet.”
By summer, the tree planting season winds down. July and August are prime times for fall food plot planting. Deadly Dozen seeds are staples of the season, containing cereal grains, beets, radishes, purple top turnips and more.
Sales of miscanthus and trees this season have doubled Schrock’s initial expectations.
“I’m not that much into the big bucks myself,” Schrock said. “What I like to do is plant something and see it flourish.”
Customers can purchase trees to plant themselves, or MDS Forestry can plant trees customers have sourced elsewhere. The business also works with patrons who are part of the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Easements Program — initiatives by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that encourage landowners to plant native grasses and trees on environmentally sensitive land.
As a wildlife habitat manager, Schrock is an expert seed planter and seller. He is certified by the Office of Indiana State Chemist as an agricultural pest control applicator. He also holds certifications in forest pest management, ornamental pest management and agricultural fertilizer application. With his 30-foot boom sprayer and arsenal of pesticides and herbicides, he’s well equipped for the task.
MDS Forestry offers a tree and brush removal service. Schrock uses a tree puller capable of uprooting trees up to 6 inches in diameter. He frequently receives requests to remove invasive species like tree of heaven, mulberry trees and Osage orange shrubs. The company does not yet offer service for removing larger trees.
“I get a lot of calls from people who say, ‘Hey, I got a big tree in my backyard. Could you come get it?’” Schrock said. “That is not something I do at this point.”
Schrock is open to expanding the tree and brush removal service if he acquires the proper equipment.
As a dealer of Mike’s Mighty Micros, Schrock sells spray formulas that help problem plants produce with enriching micronutrients. MDS Forestry also sells a biochar soil booster from the Illinois-based company.
For now, Schrock said the best way to reach him is by phone or email at mdsforestry@gmail.com.
MDS Forestry is at 6143 W. 1300 N. in Nappanee. For more information, call 574-678-0435 or visit mdsforestry.com.
