Forester and timber consultant Kraig Moore (KY/TN) breaks down the 2025 hardwood landscape: prices up roughly 3% YoY overall (net flat after inflation), sharp species splits (yellow-poplar +~20%, sugar maple +20–30%, white oak −~11% YoY but +~52% over 5 years; walnut +~85% over 5 years), and fragile mill capacity after 100+ sawmill closures in two years. He explains how tariffs, China’s historic pull for ~40% of U.S. lumber, and production shifting to Vietnam (labor ~⅓ cheaper than China) are reshaping demand. For landowners, the play is smart silviculture, competition-driven quality, patch clear-cuts/group selection, avoiding diameter-limit cuts, and aligning to mills within ~60–90 miles, to grow value and keep white oak (bourbon barrel essential) regenerating amid maple/beech pressure. Kentucky is ~50% forested, and with interest rates easing and housing starts improving, Kraig is cautiously bullish on hardwoods as a diversification pillar.

Episode takeaways:

• Market snapshot: Hardwood prices ~+3% YoY overall (inflation-adjusted ≈ flat), with big winners (yellow-poplar, sugar maple) and laggards (hickory; white oak down YoY but strong 5-yr trend; walnut dominant long-term).

• Capacity risk: 100+ sawmills gone in two years; if demand pops, supply could choke, pushing prices up fast.

• Trade shift: China historically bought ~40% of U.S. lumber/logs; tariffs drove processing to Vietnam (labor ~⅓ cheaper than China), altering log vs. lumber economics.

• Profit strategy for landowners: Manage for competition (natural pruning/straightness), use patch clear-cuts/group selection, avoid diameter-limit cuts, and time sales to species cycles.

• Operational realities: Best ROI when mills are within ~60–90 miles; steep terrain or helicopter logging crush margins.

• White oak future: Main challenge is regeneration, not overharvest, control shade-tolerant maple/beech, open canopy on the right aspects, and keep foresters involved.

Talk to Kraig Moore: https://nationalland.com/real-estate-agent/kraig-moore

National Land Realty

https://www.nationalland.com

University of Georgia’s David Dickens and National Land Realty forester-agent Steve Chapman break down how pine straw turns timberland into a cash-flowing asset before the first thinning. For longleaf stands, raking can often start around age 12–15 and run 5–10 seasons, commonly paying about $150–$250 per acre on cutover sites and $250–$400 per acre on old-field sites, with first-year old-field rakes sometimes higher. At 100 acres and $300 per acre, that is roughly $30,000 a year and up to $300,000 before a first cut. They cover species fit (longleaf leads, slash limited, loblolly has no straw value), contract traps to avoid, CRP limits, and how herbicide, spacing, and canopy closure drive straw yield.

Episode takeaways:

• Longleaf pine is the primary straw species; raking usually begins at age 12–15 once canopy closure suppresses understory, then repeats annually for 5–10 years.

• Typical annual payments: about $150–$250 per acre on cutover sites and $250–$400 per acre on old-field sites; an example 100-acre tract at $300 per acre yields about $30,000 per year pre-thinning.

• Sell straw by the acre, not by the bale; define terms if you must do bale pricing and expect year-to-year yield swings.

• Manage for clean floors and tree health: foliar-only herbicide every few years, avoid excessive raking in arid areas, watch nutrient export and moisture loss that can invite beetles on marginal sands.

• Thinning resets raking in Georgia; most contractors prefer thinned stands, so plan to harvest straw before the first thinning window.

• CRP wildlife contracts generally prohibit raking during the term; prescribed fire is fine but schedule it 2–3 years ahead of the first rake.

Dr. David Dickens

https://warnell.uga.edu/directory/people/dr-david-dickens

Talk to Steve Chapman about your land!

https://nationalland.com/real-estate-agent/steve-chapman

National Land Realty

https://www.nationalland.com

Jesse Allen, vice president of National A Content at Farm and Ranch Media, joins to talk about the real state of U.S. agriculture and ag media. He hosts Agriculture of America on roughly 60 stations and SiriusXM 147, plus Market Talk and the American Ag Network. We cover sub $4 corn, $9 soybeans, record beef prices alongside the lowest U.S. cattle inventory in 60 years, and the squeeze producers feel heading into 2026. The conversation also digs into mental health in rural communities, the rise of spray drones and autonomy, and why crops like canola and camelina are gaining attention for sustainable aviation fuel.

Episode takeaways:

• Grain margins are tight with sub $4 corn and $9 soybeans while input costs remain elevated.

• Cattle prices are high while national herd size is at a 60 year low, drawing policy attention.

• Mental health deserves proactive check ins across farms, families, and rural teams.

• Drones, see and spray systems, and autonomy can fill labor gaps and improve precision, with payload limits still a constraint.

• Interest is growing in canola, camelina, and sorghum as diversification plays, including ties to sustainable aviation fuel.

• Barriers to entry are rising as equipment and land costs climb, making creative financing and succession planning more important.

Farm and Ranch Media Linktree:

https://linktr.ee/farmranchmedia

Agriculture of America

https://www.agricultureofamerica.com

Market Talk

https://www.markettalkag.com

American Ag Network

https://www.americanagnetwork.com

National Land Realty

https://www.nationalland.com