South Carolina residents Walt and Barbara McPhail were recently named the National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year by the American Tree Farm System. They have invested in hundreds of thousands of trees and grow them on their 2,800 acres of land.
Many experts say trees are one of the safest investments you can make with your land. “Studies have shown that you can approach 10-13% rate of return from land which beats just about anything you can put your money in,” South Carolina State Forester and NASF Forest Markets Chair Gene Kodama.
When you buy the seedlings, the trees are sometimes just a few feet high. But in 40 years the trees could be 100 feet high. Experts say if you have the available land, it’s worth the wait. So trees are a good investment, but also a long-term one. “When you make an investment in forestry, you’ve got a lot of things going for you,” said Kodama.