Nominated by : Lauren Shima
Date Added : Sept 2008
He’s like 47 and still planting harder than ever. He gets up at 5 a.m. to stretch every morning before planting and he also stretches before dinner everyday. He plants for Brinkman on the Cranbrook crew. Ask them for more info. They might know how many trees total he has planted.
Nominated by : Cloé Bayeur Holland
There are a few Brinkman planters now who are breaking world records and, in his 21st year of planting is well on his way to planting his 3 millionth tree. Although Rick worked with different supervisors over the years, he eventually became a core highballer and key role model on Fred and Bob Schutter’s crew.
Quoting Bob Schutter: “His enjoyable nature, his optimistic attitude and his unparalleled passion for life and playing guitar make it a pleasure to work with him. Yoga and meditation keep him in incredible physical shape. Rick is always the first out of the truck and the first to reach the tree line. Often he doesn’t have a break until he finishes his 3rd run. Cooks have learned to keep a plate for him in the oven for when he comes home for dinner later than others. His work ethic is second to none.” Dirk remembers in 1984 Rick wondering how long his planting career would be because of his knees. Rick is an example of how to stay healthy and lead a balanced life.