Willow trees for sale

[Steve Mann]

​Pink Pussy Willow

 Folks,
 The University of Kentucky Extension  estimates that:

"An acre of well-managed willow could produce 4 to 5 tons of marketable [willow] rods. Retail market

prices for basketry willow can range from $6.50 to $10 per pound for natural rods."

Willows are  one of many ecological important woody perennial crops for smallholder economic sustainability.

 Here is the latest catalog from Urban Ecological Growers featuring over 20 species of willows.

Steve Mann

 

[Cary Skelton Pitman]

Hi Steve.

Do you have any left? I live in Smithville.

Craig Volland shared you live in NKCMO.

Thank you.

Cary

Cary Skelton Pitman 

MS, RDN, LD, ACSM EP-C, CHC

(816)914-6288

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[Jeff Neel]

I'm interested in willows!  How soon could we get them?  And is there a window that if we miss, we need to wait until fall?

I'm working on some projects that will need willow stock.  But the timing is an issue for me because $$ are tied to the timing.

Thanks for the note and best, Jeff

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 Jeff Neel

Applied Research, Restoration and Monitoring Program Director

Kansas Alliance for Wetlands & Streams

KAWS: 785-410-0040

Toll-Free KAWS: 844-410-0040

jn...@kaws.org

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[Pete Gasper]

I've seen those big profitability claims before. But is there a ready
market for them? If I had a ton of basket willow rods today, who would
take them?

Pete

> --

[Steve Mann]

Surly a business person would research the market opportunities for any enterprise they are considering before committing resources

 Willows are a multifunctional species, not just for baskets and I've got some outstanding beautiful varieties for landscaping, building, erosion control and  yes basket rods..

 

 Steve Mann

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In Service to Life and Justice

[Jeff Neel]

Nebraska has a growers group/ coop for woody ornamentals.  If I can find a link, I will post.  We are working on a small grant to evaluate niche retail and wholesale markets and on-line coop opportunities for specialty crop products like ornamental willow, elderberry, cedar oil etc.  The idea is to identify the opportunities for growers to market and sell.  

We do have some on-line auction/ market software that could be used to put together an on-line coop for KS.  We could just collectively list products like these for sale, but would need to build an audience.  Hasn't been promoted yet. We'd also evaluate cross-links back to such a thing so we'd build on whatever already exists out there for these ventures.  Also have to decide if folks would pay a membership fee to sell via on-line cooperative.  

The on-line cooperative software can be viewed at: http://www.kan-pic.org/.  But this could be re-appropriated and re-designed to support an on-line Kansas cooperative with membership and democratic rules/ fees designed by the collective.  We thought proceeds could be used to hire part-time coordinator and support "slow-money" no interest loans for permaculturists, agroforesters, artisans, artists and the like.  My first thought for a name for it would be Good Earth Cooperative but could be something else.

Thanks for all you do and happy to discuss with interested parties.  Very open to ideas, suggestions and recommendations.

Best, Jeff

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 12:45 PM, Pete Gasper <far...@gasperfarm.com> wrote:

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[Jeff Neel]

Here's a link to Nebraska Woody Ornamental cooperative: http://nebraskawoodyflorals.com/wp/contact-us/

[Pete Gasper]

Ya online marketing is like throwing a stone in an ocean. Without some marketing effort you get lost in the noise. Sometimes, in some niche's, you get lucky and people just find you or it goes viral. But usually there was several years of hard work behind that 'overnight' viral success.

A lot depends on how much pent up demand there is.

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[Laura Odell]

Is there anyway you guys can reply just to each other instead of everyone?

I thought this was supposed to be fixed!

Thanks,

L

[Jeff Neel]

Thanks Pete.  I'm not suggesting so much on-line marketing as a link to on-line marketplace and auction house to sell your products.  The marketing would be through grass roots and boots on the ground and cooperative folks simply telling folks where to buy the products on-line and that would help everyone selling in the cooperative marketplace/ auctionhouse.

If a membership fee was charged to list/ sell the products then that money could be used to hire a PR person/ coordinator.  That's not me but may be someone on this listserv??

In the end, a democratic cooperative model could develop the rules/ fees etc and hire the PR person/coordinator if there was any interest in the concept.  This could be tied to all kinds of Kansas products if folks wanted.  Just a few thoughts on it...

[Pete Gasper]

Give me a break. If you're going to make big claims back it up don't just spout smoke. We're seen all sorts of get rich pitches like this, they rarely come to fruition.

Are you selling willow rods for basketweaving? What kind of buyers and what kind of volume? Or is there no real market, meaning one has to just sell seedling stock to the next guy with promises of riches like some pyramid scheme?

Pete

[Nathan]

Laura,

I personally enjoy reading everyone's reply on topics such as these. It provides new insights that would have otherwise been marginalized if the discussion had been suppressed. I do agree other topics such as for sale items can be individual replies. Just a thought.

All the best,

Nathan.

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[Bill]

I am enjoying this discussion on willow and its marketability. If we limit these conversations we as a community may miss an opportunity to learn how others are succeeding, or not and how we may learn to market our own goods or those of others. Already I am sensing our community needs some workshops on how to market. I will add this to my to do list.

Bill
Greenman Farm

[Steve Mann]

Peter,

 I apologize for not including the link to the UofK Extension Bulletin. I quoted.

 I have attached a pdf of it and that link..

 I believe this is an opportunity that should be considered. I hope to sell my crop next winter to Mary Fraser to be used in her production of willow burial caskets. Then maybe she won't have to import the rods.

https://www.fraserbaskets.com/

 The world I see coming will have many hand woven willow baskets, fences and coffins, Instead of plastic and metal.

 

I still have some potted willows available http://www.prairietrading.com/willow/

Steve Mann

https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/willow.pdf

 From that document

Market Outlook

Currently there are very few commercial basketry willow growers in the U.S. Much of the willow used for this purpose is imported, generally from the British Isles. The now-retired owners of a commercial willow farm located in Kentucky know firsthand about the high demand for local basketry willow. During their years of operation they were unable to keep up with the increasing demand for domestically grown willow.

[Pete Gasper]

Oh I am considering it, thats why I bothered to probe for info. Thanks Steve!

The big questions will be: how much labor and cost are involved in getting to market, how big is the market, how hard is it to tap. I suspect the big limiting factors will be small order sizes from niche markets, high shipping costs, and large labor requirements.

I don't necessarily need to ship 40 acres of rods for this to be useful. But an acre or large fractional would be useful; especially on a plot that fits its niche.

I'm looking for ideas like this I can combine together, which have labor requirements at different times of year. So maybe I can't make a full living from willow rods. But an acre of rods here, an acre of garlic there, another of sweet corn; soon it all adds up.

Steve, what is the best ecological niche for willow? Broadacre plantings tend to be on flat land, which is likely to be prime and detract from use for grazing/crops. My current place is deep sand save 5 acres worth of cedar/alder/reed canary/cattail marsh (1-3' much over sand) of varying depths water and a stream bisecting a corner pasture. The marsh is the least used ground. Marsh edges could be an option but are good grazing. The stream borders, might be another good area. Close to water and sensitive to erosion. I have one portion of stream embankment thats bare sand due to previous tennant's grazing practices.

The KY document didn't discuss harvest. But Cornell says all winter; this is timing that works well for many broad acre and market farmers.

    http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2013/06/11/willow-a-new-old-crop/

Neither source mentions fertility. However biomass production guys say fertilization is needed after a certain point on short rotation coppice.

My thought is to wholesale rods, as KY suggests. Cornell brings up the possibility of selling basketry. However that will have the most labor and marketing time involved. But a small amount done in winter could complement a farm stand if you could hit upon a popular item or three.

Pete

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