The World Tree

U.S. Eco-Tree Farming Program

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Free trees, support and training for growers

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

Receive 50% of profits from the sale of the lumber

Potential revenues to the grower for up to 70 years

1 year old tree, Texas

The Eco-Tree farming program

Opportunities to prosper and profit

World Tree partners with farmers and other landowners to plant and grow the incredibly fast-growing Empress Splendor tree. The World Tree Eco-Tree Farming Program model is simple: World Tree provides the trees, training and support; you plant the trees and care for them; World Tree harvests, mills and markets the lumber; together we share in the profits 50/50.

The Empress Splendor is one of the fastest-growing hardwood trees 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. Even better, it regrows from the stump multiple times, each time producing more timber for harvest.

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

If your land qualifies, you can grow Empress Splendor 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 harvest, mill and market the lumber.

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 currently has 5,000 acres under management, working with over 200 farmers in the US and Latin America. We are looking to expand our US program with farmers in select areas of 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 20 acres available, you could qualify for our program.

As a farmer, you will receive 50% of the profits from the sale of the lumber. Not bad, when you consider that Empress Splendor 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 and can produce multiple 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 Splendor, Alabama

Mature trees, South Carolina

Tissue to timber

What you get

The World Tree Farming 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 Splendor trees per acre, specially selected for your growing zone 
  • Up to 30 replacement trees per acre 
  • 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
  • 50% of the profits from the sale of the lumber
  • 100% ownership of the trees after the first harvest
The rewards

Yields and returns

Empress Splendor 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 Splendor 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.

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

What it takes

Planting and tree care

Empress Splendor 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 responsible for:

  • Land preparation
  • Planting
  • 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 Splendor 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 World Tree will replace losses that occur in the first two years while the trees get established.

How to apply

Find out if your land qualifies

We are interested in partnering with landowners in the growing areas highlighted on the map.

Optimal land qualifications:

  • At least 20 acres of qualifying, available land
  • Growing zones 7 to 9, below 2200 feet
  • pH level between 5.7 and 6.5
  • Warm, wet growing season
  • Well drained soil, preferably sandy loam
  • Water table below 6 to 8 feet

 

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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.