NTFP Series: Rake in the Profits with Pine Straw

October 9, 2014

Tired of raking those hardwood leaves in your yard? Maybe you should consider raking pine straw from your forest instead! Pine straw is a non-timber forest product that is produced when southern pine trees such as longleaf, slash, or loblolly pines drop their needles in the fall. The resulting pine straw can be raked by hand or harvested using a mechanical raking machine and turned into bales. Landowners can manage their forest to harvest and then sell the straw on a per-acre or per-bale basis for a nice profit. These bales are purchased by retailers, landscape contractors, or homeowners to use as landscape mulch. But pine straw is not the only profit potential in your forest. Management opportunities for other non-timber forest products abound including - nuts, fruits, specialty wood products, floral and decorative items, and dietary supplements.