Have fallen a little behind on replacing my inventory, but really only three months of big winter demand months remaining.
Moving a lot of 50/50 deliveries of hickory and white oak. Customers are always asking me what is my best firewood. I tell them hickory and white oak because they are hot burning, long-lasting and high in BTUs. So they usually want to try both. Works for me.
Lucky to get two dusting a winter. Did get about six inches of snow three years ago and was able to snow shoe my road. Also rare to get highs below freezing more than 6-12 days during the winter. I remember a winter I spent in Newport, RI. Didn't get above freezing for 33 days. And the wind was blowing hard also.
I have sold a lot of cherry, hickory and white oak to those with portable smoking rigs. Some just do it for family events and entertainment, but most are trying to get into the commercial food business around Nashville. Had a guy drive 75 miles one-way to my place yesterday to get a 50/50 of hickory and white oak. He recently moved from Seattle (towing his smoker) and is hoping to establish himself here. He seemed very savvy about everything. He checked out all the commercial firewood places and said it was all garbage unseasoned stuff. I gave him a tour of my woodyard and pointed out the newest to the oldest. He wanted stuff in the 16-18% moisture range and used his meter to determine from where he wanted his white oak and hickory from. I sold him his rick/face cord for $240 and he was happy. With tips, I average over $300. So I discount my diesel and driving time when selling to those who pickup. I really don't like having customers on my property, but he seemed like a good dude after talking with him over the phone for awhile. He arrived exactly on time, so another plus for him becoming a regular customer.
Very poor cash management on my part. My two face cord hickory customer yesterday texted me this morning asking me if I had lost some cash. The delivery before him paid me three Benjamins for some hickory and I put it in my pocket. Apparently it fell out when I was responding to a customer while wheelbarrowing and stacking this guys firewood. He found it when mowing his yard. Well, he Venmoed me the $300 and all is well. Guess how much extra firewood he will receive on his next delivery?
Flat out crushed October for deliveries. Almost obscene. Delivered three today ($40 tips), have three scheduled for tomorrow, three Friday, and two so far Saturday. A little cold weather brings out the burners. I delivered a rick to a guy in mid October and he already wants two more. I am still bringing more into the woodyard when I can. \
One of my customers today said his wife is on the road 36 weeks a year and loves fires when she is home. Don't know who she is, but their huge house says she is somebody.
Have a repeat customer meeting up with me on a Nashville delivery Friday. He is a quality control manager at Jack Daniels in Lynchburg, Tn. Have had others further away meeting up with me for hickory. Weird but true. Why can’t they source hickory closer for cheaper. Asked him to pay me with single barrel whiskey in the future.
Busy day! Wanted a day off, so paying for it with three deliveries everyday through Tuesday. Purchased two loads today and split and stacked most of it. Then loaded my deliveries for tomorrow. A customer from 10 days ago contacted me about cutting down some trees on a ninety acre parcel he is developing about 40 miles away. I drive by the place 3-5 times a week. So plan on cutting after my deliveries. He said it is mostly shag bark hickory. Can sell a Rick of that stuff for $300+ a FC
Stopped by a customer’s 90 acre real estate development today to check out a shag bark hickory me wants cut down and removed. 104” circumference. Divided by 3.14 equals big wood.!! Cutting it down tomorrow after my 3 FC deliveries. Contacted a smoker customer six miles away to see if he wanted to purchase the limbs. Of course he did. Thinking I’ll bank $1,500 off this tree 55 miles away from me.
Plan on felling it in this direction. Have half a dozen big cedar beams a customer gave me recently to land it on to keep it off the ground .
I will lose money cutting this tree up on a hourly basis, but have never had the opportunity to cut a shag bark, so I want it stacked in my Woodyard no matter what.
32” shag bark on the ground. The huge limbs kept it from hitting the ground with a crash. I’ll be cutting on this beast for weeks.
Didn’t miss my aim point by an inch. Layed down some cedar beams to catch it and keep it off the ground.
Know I know why shag bark is so high in BTUs. This stuff is amazingly heavy compared to anything else.
This 90 acre farm will be developed into a massive apartment complex starting next month. I waved to a few residents nearby coming and leaving today. Just stink eyes from all. Had my Glock at the ready as usual when in a seedy area. I deliver to 10 million + homes to some very scary places.
I price my firewood high for a few reasons. To limit demand, keep me out of scary places and I think I deserve the Benjamin’s for the hard work I put in
