Buy cheap land in the rainy tropics that needs reforestation (~$500-$3000/ha), then plant trees. Labour at ~$15/day per worker is abundant and comes with much valuable local knowledge about the best trees etc. Interplanting the hardwoods with leguminous inga edulis trees to shade out the weeds and fertilize the soil is a preferred method, as per https://www.rainforestsaver.org/advice-for-farmers
This year we'll have planted another 7 hectares of Guazuma ulmifolia at a density of 2mx3m or ~1700 trees/hectare using the Inga alley cropping method. They should have an average trunk section at least one foot square and 26' tall in 10 years. (ie 1x1x26x12= 312 board ft) so if you do the math at just $1/board ft then it's about $150/day/hectare. (ie 1700x312x1/10/365= ~$145). So 7 hectares makes your net worth increase by about $1000/day. The nice thing about these type of trees is that they re-sprout after harvest so no need to replant, ie continuous harvest indefinitely by cutting blocks only 1/10th of your trees per year, so the first cut trees are ready to cut again when the last, much bigger, are harvested.
(I've got some teak & mahogany planted too but not a big fan, too slow. I'm not a fan of non-native pines nor eucalyptus either.)
Those numbers go way up if you process the lumber and make furniture, flooring etc.
Also many trees are valuable medicinals. For example a water extract (ie tea) from the bark of the G. Ulmifolia tree (bolaina negra, not blanca) kills virus, lowers fever and reduces pain. See https://www.rain-tree.com/mutamba.htm
Along with bark from uña de gato with lemon (immune system stimulus), chanca piedra (other antivirus & more), tumeric with black pepper (anti-inflammatory), ginger, moringa and matico leaves (antibacterial). Is our anti-virus go-to, much better than what is available in pharmacies.
htnsao|5 years ago
This year we'll have planted another 7 hectares of Guazuma ulmifolia at a density of 2mx3m or ~1700 trees/hectare using the Inga alley cropping method. They should have an average trunk section at least one foot square and 26' tall in 10 years. (ie 1x1x26x12= 312 board ft) so if you do the math at just $1/board ft then it's about $150/day/hectare. (ie 1700x312x1/10/365= ~$145). So 7 hectares makes your net worth increase by about $1000/day. The nice thing about these type of trees is that they re-sprout after harvest so no need to replant, ie continuous harvest indefinitely by cutting blocks only 1/10th of your trees per year, so the first cut trees are ready to cut again when the last, much bigger, are harvested.
(I've got some teak & mahogany planted too but not a big fan, too slow. I'm not a fan of non-native pines nor eucalyptus either.)
Those numbers go way up if you process the lumber and make furniture, flooring etc.
Also many trees are valuable medicinals. For example a water extract (ie tea) from the bark of the G. Ulmifolia tree (bolaina negra, not blanca) kills virus, lowers fever and reduces pain. See https://www.rain-tree.com/mutamba.htm
Along with bark from uña de gato with lemon (immune system stimulus), chanca piedra (other antivirus & more), tumeric with black pepper (anti-inflammatory), ginger, moringa and matico leaves (antibacterial). Is our anti-virus go-to, much better than what is available in pharmacies.
kpennell|5 years ago