Gilbert believes that the pine industry was given a bad name due to the questionable ethics of some of the early developers. Although it is different today, he believes that this poor reputation still persists with many people. In the early life of a pine plantation, the cost of tree management versus income received is closely related to your ability to sell the products of thinning operations. Thinning is required at several stages to produce straight trees with a good growth rate. Gilbert and Marilyn have seen a number of changes in the marketing of thinnings over the years.
Market changes The first thinning is at about eight years of age.
In the 1970s and 1980s there was no chip market for thinnings but a reasonable return could be made by selling posts. This return usually covered the cost of thinning operations. There was strong development in agriculture 20 to 25 years ago and the demand for fence posts was strong. Later, with less demand for posts, plantations were thinned to waste and the operation was an expense. Also, later, there was a market for wood chips.