Local Co-op Seeks Forest Owners Wanting to Sell Firewood
By Neil Schroeder, President, OWC
If you own family forestland and need to thin out some trees to improve it, the Oregon Woodland Cooperative (OWC) can help you realize income by selling firewood you could produce from those trees. OWC is actively seeking landowners to join other Co-op members in its premium, bundled firewood program that sells to high-end grocery stores in the Portland metro area.
The Oregon Woodland Cooperative is a group of over 75 private, family forestland owners in Oregon. Since 1980, OWC members have helped other members to improve their ability to sustainably manage their woodland and to market their products over the long term. Income is generated through the sale of timber, firewood, holiday boughs, essential oils, and handmade crafts, all using wood and other materials sourced from member woodlands.
The firewood sales program started in 2009. Many members were then in the process of thinning young stands, so firewood was a natural product choice. With start-up funding from a USDA Value Added Producers grant, our marketing person homed in on the bundled firewood market. Soon we were actively selling to a Portland-based upscale grocery chain. That first year we sold about $5,000 in gross receipts. We are now in our 7th year and project sales of about $160,000. Stores that sell our bundled firewood include New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front and Green Zebra.
OWC works hard to maintain a high level of quality for the bundled firewood it sells. To ensure consistent quality, the Co-op provides participating members with detailed guidelines to follow. The firewood producers hold regular meetings at a local tree farm to share tips on following the firewood protocol, and to demonstrate splitting and bundling equipment.
The protocol specifies that wood be dry (18% moisture or less) and free of insects, mold or rot. Regular Co-op firewood is mostly Douglas-fir but we also sell premium firewood from native hardwoods (oak, maple, etc.). Logs need to be cut into rounds 16” long and then split. Bundles are wrapped with plastic and branded the OWC paper label. The story of the producing tree farm is printed on the back of the label so customers can learn where the wood comes from. After they receive instructions from the firewood sales coordinator, members deliver their bundles to the customer.
The goal is to sell high quality products and return the majority of the income to the producing members. For bundled firewood, only 8.5% of each sale goes to OWC to cover accounting, label printing, and marketing. Currently, the 1.5 cu. ft. bundles of regular firewood retail for about $7, and the premium hardwood bundles sell for a dollar more.
OWC is all about members helping members to succeed in adding value to their forest properties. Our only paid individual is our accountant. All the rest of our work is done by volunteers, usually by members who benefit from the sale of their forest products.
The diverse backgrounds of our members--nurses, engineers, salespeople, artists, foresters, teachers, loggers, etc.--add to the success of the organization. Because of our love for the land, we manage our forests to be healthy and sustainable for the next generations. We believe the forest should provide multiple benefits: to the creatures living there, to the family landowners, and to our society. This includes clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and a retreat from the hectic, crazy-busy world.
Anyone owning forestland in Oregon or who is involved with a forestry enterprise here is eligible to join the Co-op. For more information about membership or the firewood program, please visit www.oregonwoodlandcooperative.com, or contact me on [email protected].
Ridge Runner, Jan. '17
If you own family forestland and need to thin out some trees to improve it, the Oregon Woodland Cooperative (OWC) can help you realize income by selling firewood you could produce from those trees. OWC is actively seeking landowners to join other Co-op members in its premium, bundled firewood program that sells to high-end grocery stores in the Portland metro area.
The Oregon Woodland Cooperative is a group of over 75 private, family forestland owners in Oregon. Since 1980, OWC members have helped other members to improve their ability to sustainably manage their woodland and to market their products over the long term. Income is generated through the sale of timber, firewood, holiday boughs, essential oils, and handmade crafts, all using wood and other materials sourced from member woodlands.
The firewood sales program started in 2009. Many members were then in the process of thinning young stands, so firewood was a natural product choice. With start-up funding from a USDA Value Added Producers grant, our marketing person homed in on the bundled firewood market. Soon we were actively selling to a Portland-based upscale grocery chain. That first year we sold about $5,000 in gross receipts. We are now in our 7th year and project sales of about $160,000. Stores that sell our bundled firewood include New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front and Green Zebra.
OWC works hard to maintain a high level of quality for the bundled firewood it sells. To ensure consistent quality, the Co-op provides participating members with detailed guidelines to follow. The firewood producers hold regular meetings at a local tree farm to share tips on following the firewood protocol, and to demonstrate splitting and bundling equipment.
The protocol specifies that wood be dry (18% moisture or less) and free of insects, mold or rot. Regular Co-op firewood is mostly Douglas-fir but we also sell premium firewood from native hardwoods (oak, maple, etc.). Logs need to be cut into rounds 16” long and then split. Bundles are wrapped with plastic and branded the OWC paper label. The story of the producing tree farm is printed on the back of the label so customers can learn where the wood comes from. After they receive instructions from the firewood sales coordinator, members deliver their bundles to the customer.
The goal is to sell high quality products and return the majority of the income to the producing members. For bundled firewood, only 8.5% of each sale goes to OWC to cover accounting, label printing, and marketing. Currently, the 1.5 cu. ft. bundles of regular firewood retail for about $7, and the premium hardwood bundles sell for a dollar more.
OWC is all about members helping members to succeed in adding value to their forest properties. Our only paid individual is our accountant. All the rest of our work is done by volunteers, usually by members who benefit from the sale of their forest products.
The diverse backgrounds of our members--nurses, engineers, salespeople, artists, foresters, teachers, loggers, etc.--add to the success of the organization. Because of our love for the land, we manage our forests to be healthy and sustainable for the next generations. We believe the forest should provide multiple benefits: to the creatures living there, to the family landowners, and to our society. This includes clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and a retreat from the hectic, crazy-busy world.
Anyone owning forestland in Oregon or who is involved with a forestry enterprise here is eligible to join the Co-op. For more information about membership or the firewood program, please visit www.oregonwoodlandcooperative.com, or contact me on [email protected].
Ridge Runner, Jan. '17