2006 Annual Report for ENE03-078
Increasing returns from farm woodlots with owner-operated processing of timber
Summary
Farmers who own small to medium sized woodlots often do not recognize the potential value of their timber. Returns from woodlot timber can be raised significantly by on-farm processing rather than lump sum sales to loggers, timber buyers, or mills. West Virginia’s year 2000 average farm net income was only $2,022 versus $21,382 for the U.S. according to the U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service (ERS). The 1997 Census of Agriculture showed that 41% of West Virginia farmland was in woodland (1.4 million acres) with an average woodlot size of 81 acres. This compares to a U.S. average of only 7% of farmland in woodlots with an average woodlot size of 37 acres. There is a great potential in West Virginia to increase farm income by adding value through on-farm processing of woodlot timber. The opportunity, resource, market and technology is present.
Farm advisors will be trained so that they feel competent and comfortable disseminating portable sawmill technical information. Adding value to their farm through increased utilization of their timber resource will make smaller farms more sustainable and profitable. Professionals advising farmers will learn new opportunities that encourage farmers to utilize woodlots for higher returns. Professionals such as Extension agents will be given financial and operational information that can be used to convince farmers of potential financial returns and options.
The project will involve several phases. Phase one will identify and select demonstration farmers who operate portable sawmills. A curriculum and fact sheet will be developed. The second phase involves three workshops for professionals to be held across the state. The third phase will involve the professional advisors disseminating the information and conducting educational programs such as workshops for their clients. The final phase will be a survey to determine if farmers adopted value-added income methods.
Objectives/Performance Targets
1. 30 extension and other farm and forestry educators will conduct educational programs on owner operated processing for value-added opportunities of timber.
2. Of the 30 educational programs, 10 will involve workshops for farmers/woodlot owners.
3. Of the 10 workshops presented by educators, 3 will incorporate on-farm demonstrations.
4. 100 farmers / woodlot owners who are recipients of value-added timber educational programs will add or plan to add value as a result of this program.
Accomplishments/Milestones
1. Develop curriculum and fact sheets with key project individuals. Target date: Sept. 2003. No. beneficiaries: 9.
A workshop curriculum was developed in 2004 as a series of individual speakers, each with a specific topic.
Three information sheets have been drafted and are being reviewed by WVU Extension Service communications department. Topics for these information sheets are: selecting a portable sawmill, sawmill accessories, and blade sharpening. These should be completed in early 2007.
2. Select three farmers/woodlot owner sites for professional educator demonstrations. Target date: Sept. 2003.No. beneficiaries: 3.
This performance target was met in 2004.
3. Attend workshop (extension agents and other farm/forestry professionals) on value-added processing of woodlot timber. Target date: June 2003. No. beneficiaries: 60.
This performance target was met in 2004.
4. Initiate and conduct educational programs (extension agents and other farm/forestry professionals) for clients on value-added processing opportunities through workshops, newsletters, farmer/woodlot owner meetings, newspaper articles, etc. Target date: March 2005. No. beneficiaries: 30 extension agents/forestry professionals conducting programs with100 beneficiaries of these educational programs .
This project exceeded has partially met this performance target. In 2006, this project sponsored or cosponsored 14 workshops in 13 separate counties in West Virginia. Hence, 13 of 30 targeted extension agents have facilitated a workshop. Total attendance at these workshops was approximately 277, an average of 21 people per workshop, exceeding this performance target. County extension agents from the WVU Extension Service assisted and helped to facilitate each of these workshops. Twelve different sawmill operators served as instructors and sawmill demonstrators at these workshops. We are currently planning more county-based workshops for 2007 with an extension of this grant.
In addition to the 3 information sheets mentioned above, we are in the process of developing a portable sawmill directory that can be used by local farmers and landowners needing small-scale or custom sawing. We are also developing a series of case studies of individual sawmillers to provide insight into portable sawmill enterprises. These are currently in review and should be completed in early 2007.
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
In addition to the 3 information sheets mentioned above, we are in the process of developing a portable sawmill directory that can be used by local farmers and landowners needing small-scale or custom sawing. We are also developing a series of case studies of individual sawmillers to provide insight into portable sawmill enterprises. These are currently in review and should be completed in early 2007.
This report is a summary of a program evaluation that was conducted on June 9, 2006 through November 2, 2006 using contact information given by participants of 8 counties: Brooke, Mason, Mercer, Mineral, Ritchie, Roane, Tucker, and Webster (counties that hosted workshops that took place prior to the evaluation mailing).
Workshop Evaluations for 2006
Workshop participants from selected counties were asked to answer the following questions (in italics). First, questions were posed and workshop participants were directed to circle the number that best fit their experience of the workshop. Numbers ranged between 1 and 5 representing strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). Several “fill-in” questions were asked to gather ideas about areas that were of interest and helpful to participants and areas that might be changed in future workshops. Thirty-eight responses were used to compile these results. The following are results of this survey.
Questions: Educational Material and Content (Average scores are listed in parentheses.)
Helped me better understand the uses of portable sawmills in West Virginia (4.0)
Provided information relevant to my interest in portable sawmills (4.1)
Were based on available, current, up-to-date information (4.0)
Addressed the topic identified in the title of the program (4.4)
Were easy to understand (4.4)
Will be of great immediate use to me (3.4)
Will improve the management of my business enterprise (3.2)
Questions: The Instructor
Was well prepared (4.4)
Was interested in helping me (4.2)
Answered questions clearly (4.3)
Related program content to real-life situations (4.3)
Held my attention (4.2)
Overall evaluation
The overall presentation including educational material and content, and the instructor met my expectations. Number of respondents circling the following categories:
Excellent (12; 32%), Good (19; 50%), Satisfactory (7; 18%), Unsatisfactory (0; 0%)
Why did you decide to attend the workshop?
• Relevant to my work.
• To see a portable sawmill work.
• May buy a sawmill in the future.
• Curious.
• See how a portable sawmill worked.
• I wanted to know about our woodlot. I ended up applying for a forest incentive program.
• See how sawmill worked.
• Interested in sawmills.
• My Dad.
• To learn about sawmills and new ideas to make them profitable.
• I like to saw lumber and work with wood.
• I decided to attend it because I have a sawmill and needed more information on it to help me.
• Information and fellowship.
• Learn more about how to saw.
• I have a portable sawmill at work.
• To learn more.
• We are highly interested in wood products here in West Virginia. We will be purchasing a saw mill in the near future and want as much advice, education, + experience as possible.
• We own woodland, my family and I have always been involved in the woods in a small way (logs, mine props, lumber, firewood) we are farmers and the woodland is another farm crop to us.
• Interested in portable sawmills, encouraged to attend by Jodi Richmond, friends participation.
• Find out more about sawmill operations.
• Wanted more information about how it worked.
• I have been thinking of buying a portable saw mill for awhile and needed to know more about them.
• Thinking about buying one.
• Wanted to learn more.
• Would like to get a mill of my own to operate.
• Educational.
• I am interested in purchasing a portable mill.
• I am in the manufacturing business and utilize precut lumber and was interested in watching it be cut.
• New ways to use my mill and market products.
• Plan to have lumber sawed.
• I knew the instructor and had helped on his mill.
• Interested in portable sawmill & its function.
• Future interest in a portable sawmill.
• To consider buying a portable mill.
• Handle + work in schedule.
• I was interested in seeing the mill operate and ask questions about profitability.
• Told by friend.
Average distance traveled to workshop: 13.7 miles
Do you own a portable sawmill?
Most workshop participants did not own a portable sawmill (71%), however nearly one in four (24%) did. One person was in the process of buying a sawmill and one had an employer who owned a mill.
What do you remember most about the workshop?
• Mill demonstration.
• The operators experience in working with a portable mill, and his knowledge of what he was doing.
• The 2 sawmills demonstrated.
• It was too expensive if you consider the stumpage that can be obtained from logging companies. Then you must add logging costs. In many cases they could buy construction grade cheaper on the open market.
• Visual presentation.
• Sawing the lumber.
• Production of sawmill.
• Good people.
• It was informative when the discussion was in the building, but when we moved outside it was not as helpful and the weather was really cold.
• Questions asked about portable sawmills.
• It was an outstanding mill with everything on it. The instructor was superior and very informative. He answered my questions very well when I asked him. He was an excellent instructor; he knew all about sawmills.
• Portamill convenient and economical.
• Demonstration of mill on site.
• Good technical information supplied.
• That it is best to clean the dirt from the bark.
• The instructors, the sandwiches (yum 🙂 !), the man running his sawmill, the woman from Lashmeet who runs her own sawmill, the other people who attended- the literature was very good.
• Getting the most out of a log a simple thing or two to help with productivity.
• How old the equip was and how good the instructor was at keeping it fixed & running.
• How to cut a log properly.
• Everyone was ready to answer any questions and were pleasant. The presentation was easy to understand.
• Quality of lumber.
• Operator using the sawing & the friendly people.
• Great # of people there.
• The quality of lumber that was sawed.
• Saw demo.
• Efficiency and quality of lumber sawed on mill.
• Sawing.
• The proper way to operate a portable sawmill.
• Watching the boards come off the sawmill.
• Portable sawmill dogs need improvement.
• The amount of lumber gained from tiny log.
The best part of the program
• Demonstration of mill.
• It was close to me, very knowledgeable personnel at workshop.
• The way the lumber turned out.
• Helped me get in touch with forest programs and associations.
• See above.
• Production of sawmill.
• All of it!
• The discussions at the beginning were helpful.
• All of the program was good.
• It was very interesting to learn things that will help me now. Many additional equipment that my mill needs. I am too old to actually run a sawmill, but people operating mills should really attend this workshop.
• Process learned.
• Actual use of mill.
• Information that was related by the sawyer.
• The help provided.
• Location + time of day + week.
• How to look at a log and get the most out of it.
• Actual sawing of logs.
• The instructors knowledge base.
• Seeing it in progress.
• It helped me to decide to buy a portable sawmill. I had never seen one operate before and wasn't sure if I should get one or not. It looks safer to operate than the circular sawmills.
• Everything.
• The saw, the fellowship & a better understanding of portable mills.
• It kept going in spite of a few interruptions.
• Saw demo.
• Demonstration of mill.
• The active demonstration.
• Sawing logs.
• Observing the operation of the sawmill.
• Live demonstration.
• Fellowship w/ fellow participants.
• Watching the mill work.
• Gained knowledge of use of very small timber.
Improvements I would suggest:
• Need more in depth information for any one considering this as a business.
• I would like to see a program on how to improve my woods.
• Talk louder for older people.
• More information on purchasing a sawmill.
• None.
• I would like to see someone who is actually making a fulltime living with a portable mill as to maybe just tinkering. See what the real life example + income are over say a two yr. period.
• None.
• Portable sound system would permit better hearing.
• More advertisement of the event.
• None.
• We don't know enough about forest management to suggest anything yet. But we're learning thanks to programs like this. (I am interested in safety with the sawmill.)
• Maybe have a clinic once or twice a year and maybe try to setup a type of organization to where small sawmillers could possibly sell cross ties or crib blocks or other wood products together. Most farms in WV have more woodland than any other resource and if the landowners could harvest it and turn it into a profitable crop they would probably do less harm to the environment than commercial timber cutters on small tracts of land a lot of timber on smaller tracts and well kept farms goes past goodtime to cut because people don't want the mess in erosion.
• Get some newer equip. The mill in the demonstration appeared to be need of constant maintenance. It was a turn-off to ownership. I don't want to spend half my time fabricating replacement parts.
• More information on purchasing portable sawmills.
• Maybe have the program earlier in the day. I also need to know how much to charge for my lumber and how much to charge for sawing other peoples logs. That might have been covered but I had to leave early.
• None.
• Have some different models from small to large price range.
• Handouts w/ cost data- cost of blades, sharpening, other.
• I don't have any.
• Provide more information on processing + using rough lumber dry kilning, planing etc.
• More about selling lumber.
• None.
• A wider variety of portable sawmills to display.
• New technology is need or be seen.
• More info on makes and models—information about markets.
• More reps from different mill companies.