Black Walnut

[Dawgs8um]

My church is building a homeless veteran facility. The property we are building on is wooded and we plan to log before clearing. It’s all hardwood with some nice white oak and black walnut. We estimate we’ll have 40-45 black walnut logs 20”-30” in diameter. We are in Northeast Mississippi. Any advice on how we can market these black walnut logs?

[SawyerTed]

Contact your county Forest Service office or a local consulting forester.  The first is free the second will charge s fee but maybe not for a first consultation. 

[Brad_bb]

I'm wondering, would you make more selling the logs, or would you make more having them sawn, stacked, stickered, kiln dried, S3S'd and selling them wholesale?  I've sawn a lot of walnut, but I've never sold any.  

I suppose if you have any veneer grade logs, you'll probably get the most money from a veneer buyer.  But do your homework.  From what I've heard, they have to be fresh green just dropped and laid out.  They also have specific requirement on length and maybe other stuff.  Maybe that forest service office can help you navigate that.  Just don't have trees dropped without knowing exactly what's needed before hand.  Only a percentage of them will be purchased by the veneer buyer. The rest will need to be sold to someone else as saw logs.

[Ron Wenrich]

If they're veneer quality, you'll make more selling the logs with less headaches.  However, there will be logging expenses if you want to just sell logs. 

Selling veneer quality timber to a veneer buyer or a good logger can be worthwhile.  They give a good price on the stump and have good markets for the sawlogs. 

A good consultant should have avenues to several types of buyers.  Make sure you get references and not go with the first one that steps into the woodlot.  

The state forester should have a list of timber buyers for that type of timber as well as a list of consultants.  They can give you a fairly unbiased opinion for a direction to go. 

[Dawgs8um]

Thanks to all who responded. We sold our logs to a guy around Jackson, TN that does artisan woodworking using exotic woods. He has his own sawmill and takes it from logs to finished pieces. We are going to commission him to do a piece using some of the black walnut from the property to commemorate the veteran’s service.