University of Georgia’s David Dickens and National Land Realty forester-agent Steve Chapman break down how pine straw turns timberland into a cash-flowing asset before the first thinning. For longleaf stands, raking can often start around age 12–15 and run 5–10 seasons, commonly paying about $150–$250 per acre on cutover sites and $250–$400 per acre on old-field sites, with first-year old-field rakes sometimes higher. At 100 acres and $300 per acre, that is roughly $30,000 a year and up to $300,000 before a first cut. They cover species fit (longleaf leads, slash limited, loblolly has no straw value), contract traps to avoid, CRP limits, and how herbicide, spacing, and canopy closure drive straw yield.

Episode takeaways:

Longleaf pine is the primary straw species; raking usually begins at age 12–15 once canopy closure suppresses understory, then repeats annually for 5–10 years.

Typical annual payments: about $150–$250 per acre on cutover sites and $250–$400 per acre on old-field sites; an example 100-acre tract at $300 per acre yields about $30,000 per year pre-thinning.

Sell straw by the acre, not by the bale; define terms if you must do bale pricing and expect year-to-year yield swings.

Manage for clean floors and tree health: foliar-only herbicide every few years, avoid excessive raking in arid areas, watch nutrient export and moisture loss that can invite beetles on marginal sands.

Thinning resets raking in Georgia; most contractors prefer thinned stands, so plan to harvest straw before the first thinning window.

CRP wildlife contracts generally prohibit raking during the term; prescribed fire is fine but schedule it 2–3 years ahead of the first rake.

Dr. David Dickens

https://warnell.uga.edu/directory/people/dr-david-dickens

Talk to Steve Chapman about your land!

https://nationalland.com/real-estate-agent/steve-chapman 

National Land Realty

https://www.nationalland.com