By Jim Griffith
Registered Forester #1616
Ignorance can cost us dearly. I am ignorant in regards to how foods affect my cholesterol levels. In my ignorance, I tend to pick foods that cause my bad cholesterol to elevate beyond a safe level. Recently, I made a decision to overcome my ignorance. I can’t seem to do this on my own, so I have two people in my life who assist me. First, my wife helps me make better food choices at mealtime. Since trying to stabilize my cholesterol levels on my own was not working, I had to consult a professional. My doctor has given me a prescription to help lower my cholesterol to safer levels. The reward could be the avoidance of a stroke or heart attack and years added to my life. Some of the people I talk to are just as ignorant about their timber as I am about my food choices. I recently talked to a landowner who was waiting to sell his trees until timber prices went up. Following the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast this fall there has been an expected increase in timber prices due to damage to timber stands along the Gulf and the resulting reduced supply of building materials. We have finally begun to see a trickle-down price increase to timber growers due to the supply and demand factor. So, I called this landowner back to let him know the time is getting right to sell since prices are up.
I was too late with the good news for this landowner because he had already sold. He wanted to have the trees cut by year-end. And guess what? He sold on his own, at a greatly reduced price from what he could have obtained if he had used professionals to help him make better decisions.
Approaching my ignorance problem on my own could be extremely costly, resulting in a stroke, heart attack or even an early death. Approaching your timber sale alone could be just as costly for you, posing a risk to your future financial security. I made a decision to get help with my ignorance problem and maybe you should do the same with yours.
You see, a professional forester can help you make the right decisions when it comes time to sell your trees. He can provide the prescription for your timberland that will benefit you the most for your future. Trying to wing it on your own is no different than me trying to fix my cholesterol.
Jim Griffith is general manager of the Georgia Farm Bureau Timber and Real Estate Companies.
Georgia Farm Bureau News – November 2006
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