Full Value Forestry

Earn ALL the values from our forest

Forests should Directly and Primarily benefit the forest owner and the local community, providing regular income, jobs, wood products, fuel, wildlife, water, recreation.....

This rarely happens due to the big corporations that dominate the Industrial/Government forestry systems. Typically modern "forest management" still strips the forest for the profit of some distant corporation, often 'greased' with payments to government officials, leaving few if any benefits to the local economy and people.  It is basically the same result in the U.S. on private land, in the Rainforests of South America, Siberia, SE Asia.... 

There is an alternative -
a Different forestry system that anyone anywhere can choose.

By promoting locally grown and manufactured forest products that are sold direct to customers, earning retail values for wood products - can pay for good forest management and excellent logging practices. 

Spring Green Timber Growers is a small family owned business in Wisconsin, U.S.A. that earns an average of 100 times the stumpage prices paid to other forest owners in the region.  Their forest to finished flooring business was developed to pay a professional logger a good wage for excellent work - as well as pay the grower a good annual income that encourages future oriented forest management.  One satisfying and well paying job can be supported for every 20-40 acres of forest with this system.

Woodworking is simple and practical on a small scale and using locally grown and manufactured wood is nothing new.   Wood is the perfect “fuel” for small business.

Timber Growers promote Full Vigor Forestry – the best of the best ideas from the Menominee Tribal Forests and the German Dauerwald.  After three decades of Timber Stand Improvement to restore their forest to full stocking of good quality trees after destructive logging in the past, the forest is now allowed to grow naturally.   Natural succession and regeneration are encouraged.  Diversity is enhanced.  

A portion of the natural output of the forest is used each year.  Arthroscopic logging using the smallest possible equipment generates an annual harvest of mostly dead trees.  Oak wilt and Dutch Elm disease kill several dozen trees each year in Timbergreen Farm’s 200 acre forest providing most of the trees for cutting.  Full Vigor Forestry has the potential to harvest one large tree (400 board feet) per acre each year - forever.

The Table – “Value Multiplied Wood Processing” contrasts the values of wood in the traditional timber market to prices earned by Spring Green Timber Growers.  Other forest owners are paid less than $1/tree for small diameter trees  (pulpwood) and average less than $100/ tree for the larger merchantable trees.   Timber Growers earn hundreds of dollars for small pulpwood trees and thousands of dollars for sawtimber trees. 

Value Multiplied Wood Processing
Value Per Tree in US Dollars

Type of       Scribner      Stumpage  $ Delivered  $ Kiln Dry   $Installed     Mega Value  
Tree            Tree Scale  Value/tree     to Mill        Lumber      Flooring       Products       

You can choose to work in any part of this process. 
They do it everyday – these numbers are real

Logosol and WoodMizer turns Straw Into Gold    (new article with photos)
They choose to earn Hundreds of dollars per tree for small diameter timber and thousands of dollars per tree for sawtimber sized trees by selling installed flooring and Mega Value products.  They choose to sell their wood direct to customers and eliminate all the brokers, wholesalers, shippers etc., and keep all the money right there in the family business.  They do this to protect and manage their natural forest.

"With flooring, we can earn about $10/board foot for a large volume of wood.  This is the threshold value where I believe a small woodworking business can operate profitably.  “Mega Value” products are higher priced items that take more time and skill to produce.  Furniture, cabinets, countertops, stairways, etc. can earn $20/bf or higher but typically use less volume of better quality wood.  Spring Green Timber Grower’s retail store makes a variety of wood art creations using a laser cutter/engraver that can earn up to $500/bf for jewelry, boxes, ornaments, and other small items that they export around the world."

Woodworking is simple and practical on a small scale.  Woodworking is nothing new.

Low value trees have a higher value-multiplied, but they actually earn just about the same money whether they process a tree with good commercial value or a ‘worthless’ tree.  All species have about the same high value in their system.  Earning is limited only by the imagination.  The potential is endless and growing.

It is extra rewarding to make high value wood products from trees that big industry considers worthless, but it is also fun to process large sound straight logs too.
Variety is good!

The column “Installed Flooring” is the level of earning that makes all aspects of forestry, logging, woodworking and selling profitable for the small business.  Flooring uses a large volume of wood and individual flooring jobs earn about $10,000 per thousand board feet and average $6,000 per sale.

“Mega Value Products” are unlimited numbers of wood creations;  furniture, cabinets, stairways, fireplace mantels, jewelry, pens, signs, art pieces, frames….  Much more time is spent on these products to earn a higher value per board foot.

Even if a forest owner sells a large, perfect - one in ten million - walnut tree for the top market price of $8/bf for the prime veneer log – that is peanuts to Timber Growers.  One board foot of any species can be resawn into three square feet of 3/16th inch thick lumber.  Using a laser engraver/cutter they sell products for about $1/ square inch.  This earns about fifty times the best price ever paid for a prime walnut veneer log around here – That is value Multiplied.  Hundreds of dollars per board foot is attainable for many products and for most species.  While trees have little value, wood products can have very high value.

Here is a plan for the Ultimate Community Based Local Food and Wood Business

Here is the layout for Good Food and Wood

Spring Green Timber Growers Retail Store