TREE OWNERS NEWS
April 1993
Thanks to the wonderful
support of all of our fellow tree owners, Tropical American Tree Farms is growing. Last
year we planted all of the available flat areas on Campo Real with teak - and we are sold
out.
This year we will plant
several thousand more teak trees on the flat areas of the new neighboring farm we were
able to add to Campo Real, thanks to all of your support.
Tree owners who visited
Campo Real in February saw how well their trees are doing, and bought all of the 1993 teak
to be planted on this new neighboring farm - sold out again.
One of our tree owners in a field of 8 month old
teak trees
on Campo Real
Last fall Sherry and I
began a search for even more flat land. It was a significant challenge. In the area of
Costa Rica where the climate is ideal for teak, most of the terrain is very steep. There
is flat land, but it is in much demand for other uses.
Everyone on our team was
dedicated to the search. We finally found a wonderful farm in March.
This new plantation, named
Santo Domingo, is about fifteen miles north of Campo Real and six miles inland from the
Pacific.
Santo Domingo has 300 acres
of flat land along the Savegre River that is ideal for teak, enough for about 100,000
trees. That may sound like a lot, but all of Campo Real's space for nearly 50,000 teak
trees is full. At our present rate of growth, all of the teak space at Santo Domingo may
be gone this year.
We are now in the process
of preparing flat land on Santo Domingo to fill additional orders for 1993 teak. If you
have thought about owning more teak trees, now would be a good time to order. This year's
planting season begins shortly and we can't be sure that we will be as fortunate in
finding more flat land when Santo Domingo is full.
We had the opportunity to
buy just the flat part of Santo Domingo, and the flat area is wonderful. The rest of the
farm has about 200 acres of cleared sloping pastures, enough to plant about 80,000 native
species. But Santo Domingo's real treasure is an area of 600 to 700 acres of virgin
tropical rainforest.
Sherry and I have not had
time to explore much of this wonderful forest, but in the little time we did have, we saw
birds and plants we had never seen before and some of the largest trees either of us has
ever seen. As we walked through this forest, words like "magnificent" and
"incredible" kept coming to mind.
As Sherry and I walked the
boundaries of this beautiful forest, we came to several areas where neighboring farmers
have completely removed every tree from their land, and burned right up to the property
line. In some places stumps were still smoldering.
To walk out of the cool,
moist lushness of the rainforest and into this hot, parched destruction literally brought
tears to our eyes. Experiencing this devastation first-hand has made us ever more
determined to plant as many trees as we can and protect as much rainforest as we can.
A neighbor has told us that
the Santo Domingo forest is home to a few families of squirrel monkeys. These tiny monkeys
are in danger of extinction because their natural habitat is so rapidly being destroyed.
A worker stands beside a magnificent tree
we are protecting in the
Santo Domingo rainforest.
Wanting to protect this
virgin treasure, and knowing the joy we have
seen in the eyes of our tree owners who have been in the smaller forest at Campo Real, we
bought the complete Santo Domingo farm, 1,200 acres in all.
We are also working to
figure out how to protect an additional 1,500 acres of neighboring forest that is
connected to Santo Domingo.
We will carefully make
several miles of horse trails through the Santo Domingo rainforest and along the banks of
the Savegre River. When you come to Costa Rica to visit your trees, you can spend hours
riding or walking in the private solitude of Santo Domingo. As a tree owner, you now have
two wonderful farms to enjoy.
The growth of our teak on
Campo Real is ahead of our projections and has confirmed that flat or gently sloping land
is the best for teak.
We had projected that our
teak trees would be an average of six feet tall by the end of their first year.
The teak trees we planted
at the end of the last planting season are now only seven months old, and they are already
six feet tall.
And even more exciting -
some of the nine month old teak trees, which enjoyed several more weeks of rain, are now
more than 20 feet tall - several times our first-year projections.
Sherry has enclosed a photo
sheet showing the phenomenal growth.
It is difficult to describe
the feeling of walking through fields that a year ago were virtually treeless and are now
full of rows of thriving tropical hardwood trees.
You have probably read
recently about how lumber prices are going up. We haven't had the time to survey the
wholesale export/import prices, but if the retail price of teak is any indication, it
appears that tropical hardwood prices are also going up. A board foot of teak (a piece
1'x1'x1") that sold for $12.95 a year ago, now sells for $15.95 - a 23% increase in
price in one year.
On another interesting
note, a retail lumber price list we recently received includes various sizes of teak
dowels. A teak dowel 4 feet long and 1 inch in diameter (about the size of a broomstick -
or a small branch) sells for $13.84.
Most people put money in
their IRA and forget it, hoping that it will grow for their retirement. The IRA custodian
often then buys money market mutual funds with your money. These money markets are now
earning about 3%, or about $300 per year on each $10,000 invested - not much.
Quite a few of our tree
owners now own trees in their IRA. How much more productive, and how much more fun,
watching your IRA rapidly grow, literally, in both size and value.
If your present IRA is not
achieving your objectives, consider switching part of it to tropical hardwood trees. It's
easy and rewarding. If you have any questions about about owning trees in your IRA,
just give us a call.
A group of tree owners enjoy an evening together
Imagine sitting on the
porch of your cabina overlooking the sun- drenched blue Pacific, with a cool sea breeze
touching your face. Or walking along the river bank listening to the water bubbling over
the rocks and enjoying the coolness of the shade from the draping trees overhead. Or
looking up at a 100 foot waterfall cascading into a small pool below.
Imagine riding horseback
through the rainforest. As you enter the forest, your senses change - your eyes adjust to
the filtered sunlight and your ears tune in to the new sounds. There is lush tropical
greenery with splashes of colorful flowers and beauty everywhere! You may even look up to
see monkeys, a toucan or a sloth.
Imagine walking or riding
through neat rows of fast-growing tropical hardwood trees and knowing they belong to you.
Sherry and I just had the
wonderful pleasure of showing many of our fellow tree owners the beauty of Campo Real and
the amazing growth of their trees.
In the evenings, over
candlelit dinners of fresh fish and lobster, we shared stories of the adventures of the
day. We talked about finding that new waterfall in the forest and about seeing a toucan
for the first time.
Everyone commented that
although the Tropical American Tree Farms video is beautiful, it doesn't come close to conveying the real
experience of visiting Campo Real and their trees. Many of us realized during this time
together that owning trees is almost secondary to having the opportunity to experience
this unique beauty and tranquility.
To all of our tree owners
who joined us on this trip, thank you. For all of you who haven't yet seen your trees, we
encourage you to come to Costa Rica and enjoy Campo Real and Santo Domingo.
This opportunity is an
extraordinary aspect of being part of this wonderful project. Please call us if you have
any questions.
Also, one of our fellow
tree owners, David Schooler, just returned from a trip to visit his trees. He is the owner
of Town and Country Travel here in Columbus and has booked most of my trips to Costa Rica
over the past twenty years. Dave would be happy to help in planning and booking your trip,
or answering questions about what else to do and see in Costa Rica. You can call him at
614-228-3366 or 1-800-326-0002.
Sherry and I have a special
weekend coming up. On April 30, we will be traveling to Nebraska City, Nebraska, to
receive the National Arbor Day Foundation's 1993 Good Steward Award at their gala 21st
annual National Arbor Day Awards Banquet.
It all started in August,
when we received a letter congratulating us for being nominated for the National Arbor Day
Foundation's 1993 National Awards Competition for our project in Costa Rica. We submitted
an extensive written entry, and included a photo scrapbook and copy of our video. Thinking
that these awards may be only for non-profit efforts, we were careful to fully disclose
that we are planting trees for harvest, for profit, both for ourselves and for you, our
fellow tree owners.
In November we were
notified that we have been chosen to receive the 1993 Good Steward Award ...for work on
private property. The National Awards Competition brochure explains the Good Steward Award
eloquently. "There is nobility in stewardship - and for thousands of years good
stewards have labored for the benefit of generations to come. They have used what has been
entrusted to them to make the world a better place.
"To care beyond
tomorrows which we may never see is a true test of stewardship. The Foundation's Good
Steward Award is given annually to individuals whose outlook and accomplishments meet that
test."
This award is especially
meaningful because Sherry and I have felt from the very beginning of this project that we
are "stewards" of this beautiful land in Costa Rica.
Thank you all for helping
to make this award possible. Because you have joined our efforts, we have been able to
plant many more trees than if we had been working alone. You all will be with us as we are
on the podium accepting this award. Thank you all very much!
Several international
environmental organizations, in their efforts to slow the destruction of the world's
remaining rainforests, are working to educate consumers and promote the demand for
tropical hardwoods that are "certified" as coming from sustainable-yield sources
(rather than destructive logging of the natural rainforest).
Studies show that
environmentally aware consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that support
environmental goals. It has been our intention when we are nearer our first harvest, to
apply for this "certification" so that we, and you, can benefit from this
potential price premium.
The Rainforest Alliance,
one of the most respected conservation organizations and originators of the "Smart
Wood" certification program, contacted us to ask more about our project (we are
members of the Alliance). After learning about our program of planting new trees for
harvest and protecting the existing rainforest, they sent a letter strongly supporting our
approach. They are very interested in having us participate in their Smart Wood program as
a "model to be emulated".
Richard Donovan, the
Rainforest Alliance's director of the Smart Wood certification program, is going to Costa
Rica later this month and is scheduled to visit both Campo Real and Santo Domingo.
While it is by no means
assured that we will receive the Smart Wood certification at this early stage, if we do,
our project will become a member of an exclusive group. To date, only five tropical
hardwood sources in the world have received the Smart Wood certification.
As a thank you to our
current tree owners, if you order 1993 trees prior to May 31, the beginning of this
planting season, you may include the number of trees you currently own in determining the
quantity discount price for your order. We have enclosed a Spring 1993 Tree Order Form for
your convenience. Please call if you have any questions.
If you are thinking about
having us plant more trees for you, don't overlook the native species. Although their
growth is not as spectacular as teak, they are growing well. And some of the native
hardwoods are more valuable than teak. Our lower price for native species reflects the
greater availability and lower cost of the hillside land where they are planted.
Many of you know that I
have owned Brunner Realtors for the past 17 years. When Sherry and I started Tropical
American Tree Farms nearly two years ago, we divided our time and energies between the two
businesses.
We have found that planting
and raising tropical hardwood trees for harvest and working to protect the rainforest, and
sharing these experiences with our tree owners, so rewarding and fulfilling that we have
decided to devote the rest of our lives to this project.
We have just sold Brunner
Realtors so we can dedicate our full time and resources to Tropical American Tree Farms.
Sherry and I want to again
thank every one of you for your continued enthusiasm and support, especially those of you
who believed in us when Tropical American Tree Farms was mostly a vision. With your help
we have together accomplished much more than Sherry and I could have on our own.
We want to get as many
trees planted as possible and there is much more we would like to do. So, please continue
to share this unique opportunity with your friends and neighbors. And please let us know
any suggestions you may have.
Sherry and I promise to
work hard so that you can be proud to be part of Tropical American Tree Farms.
Thank you all again for
being such an important part of this unique project. |
