The Forestry Forum

Around here (middle Georgia) firewood sales have been in the toilet. We've had a really warm winter with most days hitting the 50's and days in December in the 70's. It has cooled off the last couple days so I may be getting some calls but it's just been dead.

Note: we don't have ash trees here and there have been no widespread disasters increasing the supply of wood. It appears to me it's a combination of warm temps and low gas/propane prices. (not much oil heat in these parts)

A lot of people heat with electricity and I would think they would still be burning wood (if it gets cold)

It has been warm in the north too.  (although -10°F this morning)

Looks like oil price may continue the down-turn.. according to this
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/01/11/oil-prices-fall-for-sixth-day/?intcmp=hplnws

The cold weather in the last few days here has kicked up some sales. Prior to that it had been slow.  Typically it's always slow between Christmas and New Years for me.

Deerslayer I jusy got to oakwood ga north east of atlanta, last night, hauled in a load of steel tubing from out of atlas tube in Harrow ON. Was a bit nippy here this morning.

sold 4 tri axel loads to my self  :D :D

was a record good year here for me, BUT a lot of the wholesale wood I sold this fall was green and will be used for next year so I think (am almost positive) that next years sales will be way down. that's the way it goes I guess. lucky its just a sideline and not my main income ;)

Coxy did you give the buyer a quantity discount on the price?   :D :D :D :D :D

NO everyone pays the same  :D :D

I made the OP in January of 2016, that winter I sold one trailer load of wood. Last winter (2016-2017) I didn't sell ANY firewood. This winter I haven't sold any either but we really haven't had much cold weather. Firewood sales around here tend to be more panic inspired than steady. ie, if they forecast an ice storm event I'd be getting calls.
I advertise on the local facebook page and Craigslist. Not a big deal and there's a lot of competition. My price is $140 per cord and prorated for smaller amounts. I won't sell it for less than that. I'll push it in a pile and burn it before I give it away (unless it was a needy person).

We are closing in on 100 cord.  I figured we'd be somewhere around 65 or 70 at the beginning of the year but we've been doing some processing for a fella and those cords add up quicker.  Kinda nice to just process the wood and not have to truck it, dump it (never in an easy spot), get money, and drive home and start again!

I have 2 or 3 semi loads to bring away to clean up the pile but I'm gonna be right around 500 full cord sold sinse February 1st 2017. I never thought I would come close to that this year. last winter was warm and I upped my prices a REAL LITTLE BIT this fall. I deliver with a 1 ton that can hold a cord and a half. other years I would deliver a cord or 1.5 cord at a time but this year there was a rule change. only 1.5 cord deliveries. it takes as much time to deliver a cord as it does 1.5 cord. also a bought a cleaner and customers are REAL happy with the product. also I bought an older grain truck that holds 3 cord. customers don't care but it sure helps me save time   :) just a few needed improvements to efficiency  ;)

OH Logger, good point on it taking the same amount of time to deliver 1 or 1.5...  You got me thinking for next year!  Might need to upgrade my 3/4 ton to a 1 ton (I pull a 12ft dump trailer) not sure she'd like to always be that heavy!

as of dec 1st I gave my neighbor 40 tri axle loads of wood all he had to do is pay the trucking 6 miles up the road 8)   the truck driver got 4 load to bring me 10 at my house  and still not done with this TSI/ash cut have about 10-15 more tri axle loads of wood to go  ::)

Too bad you're not my neighbor Coxy.
He's getting a bargain there.  8)

he don't complain about me at working in my shop and starting Detroits and derby cars with straight headers at 1 in the morning  :o   the other neighbor is a different story he complains about every thing hes just a typical NYC jack butt  :D

Good neighbors are a great thing.
I only have one neighbor.
He's great.
I plow his driveway for him in the winter.
Drop him off firewood once in a while.
My roosters wake him up everyday.  :D :D
My cows and sheep keep his lawn fertilized year round when they escape.  :o
Good neighbor for sure.  :D

that to me would be free beef  ;) :D :D

With the new regulations against burning wood, or any other solid fuel, all the firewood guys I know are reporting weaker sales, and it will only get worse as they start enforcing the issue.
I do not anybody that has actually been fined yet, but do have a close friend that got a certified warning letter, that claims he will be fined 1000 bucks the next time they see smoke out of his chimney on a cold day.

Quote from: starmac on December 21, 2017, 05:33:35 PM
new regulations against burning wood

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

Me too.  ??? ??? ???

there has to be more to it  ??? ???

This has been around for some time, just research EPA wood burning stoves...

This is the first real-world experience I've read.....Scott B.

just hauled the last semi load away yesterday and gonna start bustin up more wood Tuesday  ;D.  officially sinse last February 1st I sold 543 full cord. still I have lots of people callin for wood and when I tell them I'm sold out they are not happy. oh well.  great year and glad to be done...well for a little bit. 2 customers I wholesale to want lots of wood as soon as its ready so they can start putting it up for next year. and the cycle of life continues...  :)

Going to be 20 below for the next few days . The phone will be ringing . Poor planning on there part is not a emergency on my part sorry Sold out .

If they try to ban wood heating, I think its time for a class action lawsuit against the EPA.

Quote from: starmac on December 21, 2017, 05:33:35 PM
With the new regulations against burning wood, or any other solid fuel, all the firewood guys I know are reporting weaker sales, and it will only get worse as they start enforcing the issue.
I do not anybody that has actually been fined yet, but do have a close friend that got a certified warning letter, that claims he will be fined 1000 bucks the next time they see smoke out of his chimney on a cold day.

I frankly just don't believe things like this.  All old stoves are always grandfathered.  EPA does not regulate what people can burn.  If he has such a letter I'd sure like to see it until then ..i am sceptic that such a thing exist.

They do regulate how new stoves are built.  In some towns the local govts have tried to reduce woodstove smoke by offering big incentives to upgrade stoves.  I believe states up in the NE have several such programs.  They don't worry about existing home owners though, they want the process to be incentive based, new much more efficient stoves at big subsidy.  Win for the buyer and the local air.  I'm the only one around burning wood but it does smell a bit and I have a newish Lopi insert with good secondary burning and all. 

Quote from: OH logger on December 23, 2017, 07:09:07 PM
just hauled the last semi load away yesterday and gonna start bustin up more wood Tuesday  ;D.  officially sinse last February 1st I sold 543 full cord. still I have lots of people callin for wood and when I tell them I'm sold out they are not happy. oh well.  great year and glad to be done...well for a little bit. 2 customers I wholesale to want lots of wood as soon as its ready so they can start putting it up for next year. and the cycle of life continues...  :)

Wow that is darn impressive.  I have a harvest planned with 400 or so cord of oak/hickory and I need to find a home for it. 

Quote from: nativewolf on December 23, 2017, 09:08:49 PM

Quote from: OH logger on December 23, 2017, 07:09:07 PM
just hauled the last semi load away yesterday and gonna start bustin up more wood Tuesday  ;D.  officially sinse last February 1st I sold 543 full cord. still I have lots of people callin for wood and when I tell them I'm sold out they are not happy. oh well.  great year and glad to be done...well for a little bit. 2 customers I wholesale to want lots of wood as soon as its ready so they can start putting it up for next year. and the cycle of life continues...  :)

Wow that is darn impressive.  I have a harvest planned with 400 or so cord of oak/hickory and I need to find a home for it. 

haul it up here and ill try to get rid of it for you...I wont even charge you!!  :D

Sold out of dry firewood a month early this year. Going to try to double up next year. Started buying 16" dia. logs from a logger this year for next year. I work for a farm service and in winter I am a propane serviceman, so I don't have a lot of time to chase down wood. I have sold around 30 - 40 cord a year. Wanting to at least double that.

Quote from: starmac on December 21, 2017, 05:33:35 PM
With the new regulations against burning wood, or any other solid fuel, all the firewood guys I know are reporting weaker sales, and it will only get worse as they start enforcing the issue.
I do not anybody that has actually been fined yet, but do have a close friend that got a certified warning letter, that claims he will be fined 1000 bucks the next time they see smoke out of his chimney on a cold day.

I've heard of that in Massachusetts also. Anyone ever came to my place cause they saw smoke out my chimney, I'd chase them the hell off my property. I'm in NH, and around where I live, anyone trying to fine you for smoke out the chimney would be considered a joke, and would be laughed at.                                                                                                                                                                   

The newest laws, while they do have some to do with epa, epa stoves has nothing to do with it, and NOTHING is grandfathered in, period.
We had a few years where they were subsidizing new epa approved stoves, now they have passed laws to the effect that on certain days and weather conditions causes no burn at all days. This is for all solid fuel, not just wood, it includes wood pellets, coal, and waste oil.

This laws covers the borough (think county) not just in town.

There are also new laws governing the sale of firewood, from what I understand. These include keeping records of who you sell to and the moisture percentage of said wood, among other things.

I don't see it ever happening, but the way I read the law, you can be in a hunting camp 30 miles from a road and be fined if caught burning wood on certain days, or burning wood with over 20% moisture any day.