The World Tree

Farmer Program

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Free trees, training and support for farmers

Fast-growth produces strong, light hardwood in 8-12 years

Receive 50% of profits from the sale of the lumber

Revenues to the farmer for up to 70 years

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1 year old tree, Texas

Farmers wanted

Seeking farmers now for our 2021 planting

World Tree is looking for landowners to plant and grow our fast-growing Empress Splendor trees. The World Tree Farmer Program model is simple: World Tree provides the trees, training and support; you plant the trees and care for them; World Tree brings a buyer for the lumber; together we share in the profits.

The Empress Splendor is the fastest growing tree in the world. In its first season, it can easily grow to a height of 10 feet and reaches 20 feet on the best sites. It grows to hardwood maturity within 10 years and produces light-weight hardwood lumber. Even better, it regrows from the stump up to 7 more times, each time producing more timber for harvest.

Empress trees produce a light, strong hardwood known as the ‘aluminum of lumber’ that is water, rot and termite resistant.

If you have suitable land, you can grow Empress trees with the help and support of an experienced team. We give you the trees for free, we train and support you in the best growing methods and we bring a buyer for the lumber when the trees are ready for harvest.

Whether it’s through depleted soil or land that is too expensive to farm, your unused acreage is taking money out of your pocket. World Tree provides a way that you can get started with a highly profitable crop, with the full support and experience of our team.

The Farmer Program

How it works

World Tree provides a way for farmers to start growing Empress trees with the help and support of an experienced team. We give you the trees for free, we train and support you in the best growing methods and we bring a buyer for the lumber when the trees are ready for harvest.

World Tree currently has 5,000 acres under management, working with over 150 farmers. We are looking to expand our program with farmers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington State. If you are a landowner in one of these areas with at least 10-20 acres available you could qualify for our program.

As a farmer, you will receive 50% of the profits on harvest. Not bad, when you consider that Empress timber currently sells for between $3 and $14 a board foot. Profits from a well-managed tree farm can range between $30,000 and $135,000 /acre of an 8-12 year harvest cycle – depending on yields and the quality of lumber produced.

The program is funded by World Tree’s investors who also share in any profits from the harvest. Once harvested, Empress Splendor trees regenerate from the stump for up to seven harvests. After the first harvest, the trees belong entirely to you and you can reap the benefit of all future harvests.

4 year old Empress, Alabama

Mature trees, South Carolina

Tissue to timber

What you get

The World Tree Farmer Program provides exclusive Empress Splendor varieties that have a proven track record for timber production. We train you how to plant, grow and prune the trees to maximize the quality of wood produced. 

World Tree provides you with the trees at no cost – and most importantly we also provide a buyer for the lumber.

  • 110 Empress trees per acre, specially selected for your growing zone 
  • Up to 30 replacement trees per acre 
  • 50% of the profits from the sale of the lumber
  • Support to ensure successful growth, including in person site visits
  • Access to our ‘Growers Guides’ and online support materials
  • A buyer for the lumber from the first harvest
  • 100% ownership of the trees after the first harvest
The rewards

Yields and returns

Empress trees produce blonde, straight-grained lumber with the highest strength-weight ratio of any commercial wood. It is water, rot, warp and termite resistant making it a very attractive product for furniture, veneers, building finishes, marine applications and musical instruments.

How much money we can make from Empress lumber depends on three factors: yield, quality and price. The price is largely determined by the quality of lumber produced. Trees that have been well cared for and pruned to produce wide, knot free logs will fetch the highest prices. In the current market, the lumber sells for between $3 and $14 per board foot depending on quality.

A well-managed tree farm can produce between 20,000 to 30,000 BF of lumber per acre.

The table below shows a potential return to the farmer per acre based on various pricing and yield scenarios. Returns shown are 50% of the total (i.e. the farmer’s share). Note: actual results may vary, and future market conditions are unknown.

Join a webinar to learn more about potential costs and profits.

Empress has the highest strength-weight ratio of any wood
and fetches $3-$14 / board foot

What it takes

Planting and tree care

Empress tree farming has the potential to be highly profitable. Success is largely dependent on good planting, maintenance and pruning in the first four years of the tree’s life. You need to be willing to invest sweat and effort into those early years to maximize the potential of the tree. You also need to be willing to listen and learn from the World Tree experts on best practices.

Here are the main things that you can expect to be included:

  • Land preparation
  • Planting the Empress trees
  • Care of the trees, including weeding, fertilizing, irrigation (as required)
  • Coppicing of the trees at 12 months (if required)
  • Pruning of the trees as needed

Pests, fire and other risks

Empress trees have few natural predators and you are unlikely to run into any issues with insects. Some farmers have issues with deer but the leaves are relatively bitter and not tasty, so good land management will prevent significant deer issues. The trees are also relatively fire resistant.

We do expect some tree losses due to natural events and the World Tree Farmer Program will replace losses that occur in the first two years while the trees get established.

What they're saying

“With this program, the financial risk is minimal and the potential gain is great. We extensively researched World Tree as a company and Empress Splendor as a tree, and ended up with only one question, Why Not?
Simply put, we’ve never experienced the kindness, pleasantness, knowledge, and professional support with working with any other company as we have with World Tree.”

Will JohnsonFlorida

“At first I did have some concerns about whether the tree would grow in poor soil and in my climate. But I discovered they have outstanding growth for this area and will do amazingly well if properly cared for.
I want to say to new farmers that World Tree has been super, very helpful and informative and nice friendly people to work with… give it a try. You’ll love the results!”

David SmithMississippi

“There’s only two things you can grow in Alabama, that’s rocks and trees. I figured I might as well plant some trees. It was something new and different.
The best part is my newest field. Seeing the trees growing, all about the same height. You look out across the field and every hole is full and green. It’s just amazing.”

Eugene MartensAlabama

“With World Tree there are not a lot of upfront costs and with the potential for great returns after 10 years, it seemed worth taking a chance. I tell everybody who comes by…. It’s been a good experience for us.”

Scott LandreauAlabama

“... So, when I found out about World Tree it really made sense. Not only are we planting something that draws down carbon and releases oxygen, we are also planting the trees just one time, but knowing the tree will be around for multiple harvests (since they regrow from the stump).
This is appealing for me because now we can leave something behind for our grandchildren.”

David ChangMississippi

“We have just found everybody at World Tree to be more than helpful. Answering any questions that myself or my wife or Jordan has had. I can speak highly of the company. They are responsive. We believe this is a good opportunity for us as a family to offset our personal carbon footprint. If we can do that, work together and have a great investment as well. It is a win, win.”

Jason HumphriesAlabama

“Every farmer that desires to sustain his life and the life of the land that he loves, needs to consider planting the Empress Splendor tree. If it does even one tenth of what it is claimed to do they will be very happy campers at the end of the day.”

Grover PlunkettAlabama

Join a Webinar

Join us for an introductory webinar to learn more about what's involved, the costs and benefits and current information on the Empress lumber market.

Webinar Registration

Get our Brochure

Download our brochure for more information, details, and answers to the most commonly asked questions.

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If you are interested

We are looking
for farmers with...

  • Farmland in zones 7 through 11

  • At least 10-20 acres of available land

  • Clay sandy loam soil or better

  • Elevation less than 2200 feet

  • A great attitude

Potentially suitable growing area

Highly suitable growing areas

Interested in becoming an Empress Tree farmer?

Find out if you qualify

Use the form below to send us your geo-coordinates
and quickly find out if your land is suitable for growing Empress trees.
This step does not commit you to the program.

Disclosure

This above discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations, whose actual outcomes involve risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements can often be identified by words such as “will,” “can,” “potential,” “intends,” “predicts,” and similar expressions and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the viability, profitability and success of our Empress Splendor tree growing programs. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those stated in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Offering Circular.