We went down to the farms. The boys came with on Saturday. I stayed an extra day to talk to our local friends. Trees look good. They have only just started to grow for this season, so I look forward to seeing them again next month.
Lots of things are happening in this part of Virginia. An old International Paper Mill was repurposed for fluff pulp in 2012. Two new wood pellet plants by Enviva are opening this year. Some of this is sold to the EU as part of their renewable requirements. And Dominion Power is converting some of its plants to biomass from coal. This will create demand for wood chips.
If the housing industry picks up a little, we should be in high cotton (or high pine) by the next time we harvest some of the trees.
The top picture shows the boys plus their friend Colin at a stream crossing on the new farm. Below they are near ten year old trees at CP and the bottom is Espen in the truck.