ELKTON, Ore. — Brothers Gary and Seth Williamson grew up on their family’s ranch and timber operation, raising cattle and planting trees near Elkton, Ore.

They hunted and fished and spent summers swimming in the Umpqua River, which borders nine miles of their property.

They learned that if they took care of the land, the land would take care of them.

Today, the Williamson brothers and their cousin, Quintin Magee, manage Big K Guest Ranch and Outfitters Resort and Kesterson Bros. Logging.

Those businesses were recently honored as the 2025 Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year for their state-of-the-art practices, stewardship and education outreach.

The award was announced by the Oregon Tree Farm System Nov. 16.

Long-term ownership

The honor is recognition of decades of work, Gary Williamson said. “We’re rolling into our sixth generation of managing this particular piece of property,” he added.

Everyone in the family has been involved in the businesses’ success, and the award includes plenty of others, the brothers said.

“There are so many people who have helped us along the way, employees and contractors and other people. I feel like it’s a community award. It’s thousands of people over six generations,” Seth Williamson said.

The Kesterson family has been in the area since 1905 and now has nearly 1,500 acres of timber and 700 acres of pasture.

Besides income from timber and cattle, the family hosts fishing and hunting clients, corporate retreats, weddings and family reunions at the Big K Guest Ranch.

Land goals

The Kesterson family aims to preserve habitat and enhance water quality on their property, reduce the presence of invasive species and maintain a high level of fire preparedness.

“There are so many considerations when managing a property like ours. … It’s forest, it’s pasture, it has the river that borders it. It’s home to many species of wildlife,” Seth Williamson said.

In the past five years, the family has reclaimed more than 100 acres covered by Scotch broom and blackberries, replanting Douglas fir trees.

Three miles of fence were also installed to separate trees from cattle and reduce compaction and damage to seedlings.

Guest ranch

With their homestyle hospitality business, ranching and timber efforts have to be presentable.

“Not only do we need to do a good job, we need to make sure we look like we’re doing a good job,” Gary Williamson said.

For three decades, Big K has welcomed nearly 4,000 guests a year.

The guest ranch also hosts tours and events, including the Oregon State FFA Forestry Competition.

Interlocked businesses

The Williamson brothers and Magee operate businesses that are interlocked with Big K and Kesterson Bros. and their expertise helps the family’s larger operations.

Magee owns QLM Trucking, Seth Williamson manages a logging company, Double S Log, and Gary Williamson owns land clearing business Rocky Mountain Equipment, as well as Backcountry Outfitters, a hunting guide service.

When Kesterson Bros. needs contractors, they can go to familiar faces for site preparation, harvest and hauling.

For future generations

The brothers’ children are growing up the same way they did to ensure family values are passed down with the family property.

“A lot of those things that we manage, we know we’ll never see a return on all that investment and work. We’re managing the land for future generations,” Gary Williamson said.

“I am optimistic in 50 to 100 years, it doesn’t look much different. I never want it to turn into a subdivision or be broken up into small ranchette parcels. Our family is going to try and maintain this property in the same fashion that my grandpa, Alvin Kesterson, left for us,” he added.

Big K Guest Ranch and Outfitters Resort and Kesterson Bros. Logging

Big K Guest Ranch and Outfitters Resort and Kesterson Bros. Logging

Who: The family businesses are managed by brothers Gary and Seth Williamson and their cousin, Quintin Magee.

Where: Near Elkton, Ore., along the Umpqua River.

What: Big K and Kesterson Bros. were recently named the Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year.

Quotable: “We’ve never actively pursued an award. We’ve always done what we perceived as the right thing to do with the land itself,” Gary Williamson said.

County tree farm awards

County tree farm awards

County tree farmers of the year are eligible for consideration for state awards presented by the Oregon Tree Farm System.

The Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year Silver Award went to Buxton Forest and Farm and the Tibbs Family, near Buxton in Washington County, Ore.

Other county tree farmers of the year included: Rich Clark near Alsea in Benton County; John and Alessane Dugan and Dugan Family Tree Farm outside Cottage Grove in Lane County; Steve and Katie Kohl and Sirius Woods east of Lebanon in Linn County; and Neil Schroeder, Laurie and Jim Marsh of Schroeder and O’Neil Tree Farm in Yamhill County.