An idiot alone

[SamWhiting12]

Looks like a great project V.I. There is something quiet satisfying seeing all your timber stacked in neat piles.

 

Do you process all the wood yourself or do you just sell it in lengths?

[silky fox]

Great last picture...a man happy in his world.

[the village idiot]

Looks like a great project V.I. There is something quiet satisfying seeing all your timber stacked in neat piles.

 

Do you process all the wood yourself or do you just sell it in lengths?

 

Up to this year I have processed it all myself, selling it 'ready to go' to a couple of fellow Arbtalkers. I do the processing whilst the charcoal kiln is puffing away in the background. After this winter I am going to have significantly more raw material than usual so am currently considering my options regarding how to deal with it all.

[the village idiot]

Great last picture...a man happy in his world.

 

Happy and ever so slightly petrified:001_smile:

[peatff]

Happy and ever so slightly petrified:001_smile:

 

It looks like a man seeking enlightenment

[@Wildlife_Mgr]

It looks like a man seeking enlightenment

 

Looks like a man who's found it

[the village idiot]

Looks like a man who's found it

 

Looks like a man thinking "I'm gonna need a bigger box!"

[the village idiot]

So, to the final instalment of The Idiot Chronicles. How does one earn a living from woodland management? I am finding that the simple answer is, it's not simple!

 

If you are happy to do a desk job with occasional woodland outings you could train and get qualified as a Woodland Agent. If you prefer life at the coal face and have a lot of working capital or are prepared to take on substantial finance payments you can be a forestry contractor. You could also work for a forestry contractor. Another option would be to get qualified and take a job as an estate forester.

All of these would be very sensible, tried and tested, financially sustaining paths to follow to earn a crust from managing woodlands. Needless to say I followed none of them.

 

Somehow over the last two and a half years fate has conspired to land me in charge of 200 acres of Suffolk woodland. This area looks set to increase substantially pending discussions with the owner. I have no proper forestry qualifications, no big machinery and no absolute certainty that it can all come together, but at the same time I kind of know it will.

 

I have been extraordinarily lucky to find (after a year or so's searching) a woodland owner who cared about the condition and biodiversity of their woodland, and was willing to give someone a go. I am determined to repay the goodwill shown to me by the estate by bringing their woodlands back into active management and leave them in a healthy state for the next generation of mad woodspeople.

 

So how is income generated? I am self employed and not an employee of the estate. Although a lot of my income is derived from converting and selling the resource generated by the management activities, there are also important jobs within the wood that do not generate much useful wood or timber, such as the ride widening and pond restoration. At present I receive payment for carrying out these jobs.

 

The rest of my income is derived from firewood and charcoal sales plus a few other woody creations such as swedish candles. Firewood is cut over winter, split in the spring and sold to a couple of arbtalkians who deliver it to their customers in winter. There is scope to increase income from firewood sales by starting to do deliveries myself (something I have avoided up to now). It is a more realistic proposition with a partner.

 

The other 'backbone' product is charcoal, made within the fiery belly of Puffing Billy. Charcoal and firewood production sit well together as they can be carried out at the same time, make use of almost the entire tree and provide an income stream over summer and winter. All my charcoal is also currently sold wholesale, some to Mrs Idiot's sister who is the brains behind Barbecube, and the rest to yet another arbtalker. As with the firewood there is scope to increase revenue from the charcoal by exploring direct sales to the retailers.

 

I have tried to remain focused on these two core products during my formative years at Raydon. I am quite easily distracted so wanted to get a good solid base established before venturing into other areas. The options are almost endless in terms of other woody products or services. Mrs Idiots parents own a large farm shop with craft units providing a ready made means of shifting product. My head has been so stuck in the woods that I haven't really explored the options there either.

 

There is no getting away from the fact that earning a living through the production of self felled woodland resource is bloomin' hard work and the financial returns are at best modest.

Having said that, the work and your positive impact on the woodland is hugely rewarding. The work environment is second to none. But best of all, you get to wear the much coveted works uniform (see avatar)

 

That's my trump card played. I'm done!

 

All the best TVI

 

PS. More pictures to follow.

[@Wildlife_Mgr]

Does the landowner want nothing in return for your hard work, other than well managed woods? Do you not pay him anything for the wood you use to make charcoal or sell for firewood?

 

A friends of mine is head forester on a local estate, I'm wondering if a message to him might be in order?..

[the village idiot]

Does the landowner want nothing in return for your hard work, other than well managed woods? Do you not pay him anything for the wood you use to make charcoal or sell for firewood?

 

A friends of mine is head forester on a local estate, I'm wondering if a message to him might be in order?..

 

At present the owner is asking nothing in return other than, as you say, well managed woods.

A well managed wood will be a more valuable asset than an unmanaged one.

The owner of Raydon Wood is an exceptional chap who has a history of supporting local employment, especially in the countryside sector. I am extremely fortunate to have made his acquaintance. He understands that in order to do his woods justice I need to invest in kit and

further training. Paying him for the wood would limit my capacity to manage his woods properly into the future.