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41500 Whitehouse Fork Rd.
Bay Minette, Alabama 36507
251.937.FARM
1. FROM ATMORE AND POINTS NORTH: Turn left off I-65 south at the Bay Minette/Gulf Shores Exit 37 onto AL287 south. About 4 miles south, continue straight through a 4-way stop onto the AL59 south bypass around Bay Minette. At the 4th light, turn right at the Church’s Chicken on AL138 (Hurricane Road). Go west 1.6 miles on AL138, and turn left on Co. 40. (Whitehouse Fork Rd.). At two miles, pass a large green barn on the left, and turn right at the entrance sign.
2. FROM WEST AND NORTH MOBILE: Take I-65 north across the Delta. Exit at the Stockton/Spanish Fort Exit 31, and turn right on AL225 south. About 8 miles south, at a 4-way stop, turn left (east) on AL138 (Hurricane Rd.), and go about a mile to Co. Rd. 39. Turn right on Co. 39; then go to a stop at a “T” intersection. Turn left on Co. 40 (Whitehouse Fork Road); and follow Co. 40 past two bends and a left turn at a flashing yellow light. At 1.5 miles north of the light, pass an isolated farmhouse on the left, and turn left at the entrance sign.
3. FROM EAST MOBILE: Take I-10 east, exit in the middle of Mobile Bay onto the Causeway (US31), and turn left (east). Just after the US98 light in Spanish Fort, turn left at
Bruno's onto AL225. Continue north past Blakeley. At the 8-mile marker, turn right on Co. 40 (Whitehouse Fork Road). Stay on Co. Rd. 40 for seven total miles. Pass a sharp left turn at a flashing yellow light. At 1.5 miles north of the light, pass an isolated farmhouse on the left, and turn left at the entrance sign.
4. FROM FAIRHOPE AND DAPHNE: Take US98 north past I-10 to
Spanish Fort. Turn right on US31. Turn left in one block at Bruno's light, and follow the directions #3, above, from AL225 north.
5. FROM GULF SHORES: Take AL59 north through Loxley and past I-10. Thereafter, follow directions #6, below, from AL59 north.
6. FROM PENSACOLA AND POINTS EAST: Take I-10 west to the Loxley/Bay Minette Exit
44 (a cloverleaf loop), exit and turn left on AL59 north. US31 and AL59 merge at the light in Stapleton. Watch for a green Whitehouse Fork sign on the right. Turn left at the sign onto Co. 39. Go several miles to a stop at a “T” intersection. Turn right on Co. 40 (Whitehouse Fork Road); continue past two bends and a left turn at a flashing yellow light. At 1.5 miles north of the light, pass an isolated farmhouse on the left, and turn left at the entrance.
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Although the climax forest in Alabama is the eastern deciduous hardwood forest,
the coastal regions of Alabama were part of the great longleaf pine ecosystem.
The longleaf pine forest was once the most extensive on the continent.
The pre-Columbian longleaf pine forest stretched from eastern Texas across
the Gulf South and north along the Atlantic seaboard into the Carolinas.
William Bartram, the first American born naturalist, described this area
in the late eighteenth century when he stayed just north of our farm in Stockton.
He spoke of open park-like pine forests replete with wildlife and giant trees
with native grasses beneath.
Longleaf pine is a sub-climax forest; an ecosystem sustained,
like some of the prairies further west, by fire. Longleaf pine
and the associated shrubs, grasses and forbs, are highly fire tolerant.
Indeed, longleaf pine is shade intolerant and young pine seedlings cannot out compete hardwood
species in the absence of fire. As there was a sufficient period of
human habitation in the region by Native Americans, it is entirely
possible that the longleaf forest was culturally maintained. If so,
Native Americans were the original silviculturalists in North America.
Certainly, fire was a part of historical pine forest management.
In this setting and well into the twentieth century, the bobwhite quail thrived.
The decline of the native quail in the twentieth century is due to
several factors, including some agricultural and silvicultural practices
which result in quail habitat loss. Clean fences and field edges eliminate
quail habitat, as does even-aged dense pine monoculture.
Though there are some plantation pines on our farm, the majority
of the forest on the Beebe Farm is uneven-aged longleaf pine.
The soils and topography on our farm are ideal for longleaf pine,
and we have actively grown
longleaf for three generations. We have
also consistently used prescribed burns in our forest for many years.
This practice, combined with recent thinning of the forest, has created
an exceptional habitat for native quail. Unlike some other quail management
programs, we have avoided the introduction of invasive exotics (i.e., lespedeza).
We do, however, release quail for stocking. These pen-raised quail
will not increase the native population, but they do allow greater sport hunting pressure.
Quail hunting is restricted to 