Well as you can see from my pic- I have a sawmill. And I actually make a pretty tidy sum using it as part of my farm business. That being said- as someone mentioned in the thread, it has to be part of a bigger business. I build rustic structures (cottages, barns) -only two or three a year for customer's. I'm not the low cost guy here but do great, unique stuff. The sawmill helps here with reclaimed antique woods and timbers from barns we salvage or new logs I saw for materials.
I also mobile saw for local farmers- lots of hemlock, some hardwoods- $38.00 per hour for me and the mill- U pull the lumber.
I have a solar kiln where I will load in really nice hand picked hardwoods (about 1000 feet a month) and sell to local cabinet/woodworkers- I get them involved in the process and supply what they want. This comes off my 120 acre woodlot.
Then the big new addition is firewood- I hope to sell 100 cords or so in 2011 as well as slabwood from the mill. I cut the firewood from my place as part of my timber stand improvement and wildlife habitat projects. I honestly have quite a lot of downed trees etc every year to also process into inventory. I may have to invest in a commercial grade firewood processor in 2011 if it keeps growing...
I also saved probably the cost of my mill in sawing out a good portion of my new home, my sheds and my barn. This isn't for everybody and honestly if you don't have a large woodlot of your own- it becomes harder to justify and make a go of it. But if you have good acreage- its very doable. But you also have to be a pretty decent sawyer and creative businessperson to keep diversifying and adding value to the wood.
I am pretty intent on making a living full-time off my farm and woodlot- Im not there yet- but getting close!
I also mobile saw for local farmers- lots of hemlock, some hardwoods- $38.00 per hour for me and the mill- U pull the lumber.
I have a solar kiln where I will load in really nice hand picked hardwoods (about 1000 feet a month) and sell to local cabinet/woodworkers- I get them involved in the process and supply what they want. This comes off my 120 acre woodlot.
Then the big new addition is firewood- I hope to sell 100 cords or so in 2011 as well as slabwood from the mill. I cut the firewood from my place as part of my timber stand improvement and wildlife habitat projects. I honestly have quite a lot of downed trees etc every year to also process into inventory. I may have to invest in a commercial grade firewood processor in 2011 if it keeps growing...
I also saved probably the cost of my mill in sawing out a good portion of my new home, my sheds and my barn. This isn't for everybody and honestly if you don't have a large woodlot of your own- it becomes harder to justify and make a go of it. But if you have good acreage- its very doable. But you also have to be a pretty decent sawyer and creative businessperson to keep diversifying and adding value to the wood.
I am pretty intent on making a living full-time off my farm and woodlot- Im not there yet- but getting close!
