It's time for one to learn more about harvesting & marketing fire wood If he is looking for a way to produce income from his land, but want a crop that takes care of itself, can be harvested any time that he would like, keeps well & sells for plenty of money, he can sell wood from his own woodlot or, with a little coordinating, can secure wood from other sources such as sawmills and timbering operations.
To get started, he'll need a few supplies, many of which he may already own: a chainsaw (& appropriate safety gear such as gloves & steel-toed boots), an axe, a truck and/or a trailer to haul his harvest are absolutely necessary. A log splitter & tree felling tools such as cant hooks & skidding tongs are helpful luxuries that will make his job easier.
Any species of hardwood can be used as firewood, but most people prefer to buy oak or hickory, especially if it is seasoned (dried to 20-30% moisture). Dead trees are drier than live ones, but it is more important to consider the location of the tree than its moisture level. The closer to a road or the edge of a clearing the tree is, the easier it will be to harvest it & get it into his vehicle.
Firewood is usually sold by the cord or face cord. A cord of wood is 4' X 4' X 8', or about 128 cubic feet of space (usually containing about 90 cubic feet of wood). A face cord is 4' high, 8' long & can be of any width. If one chooses to sell "face cords", he can describe by stating the fraction of a cord that they contain. For example, one will avoid the possibility of awkwardness & confusion on him & his customer's part if he describes his 4' X 8' X 2' face cord as 1/2 a cord.
Even if his pricing is fair, customers get very upset if they feel they have been cheated by his selling them a "face cord" instead of the cord that they were expecting. Therefore, it's very important for him to clearly describe what fraction of a cord his customer is actually getting & avoid using ambiguous terms like "face cord".
People all over the country buy firewood, even if they live in relatively warm places like California & Arizona. They buy firewood for many reasons: to enjoy the beauty & warmth of a "decorative" fire, to heat their homes in a "simple" manner, with renewable fuel, or, with the price of oil rising to heat their homes more economically. By deciding which group of customers he wants to market to, he will be able to decide where to advertise his product & how to price it. For example, if he wants to sell to young, hip, environmentally-conscious apartment dwellers in an urban or suburban area, he could advertise in the local independent newspaper or on a community website, such as Craig list. This group of customers would likely purchase small batches of wood for which they would be willing to pay a premium price, especially if it is cut into relatively small logs & bundled neatly.
If he enjoys working outdoors & are looking for a good source of winter income, consider selling firewood. It will keep his customer's homes toasty & his own wallet full.
