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Bauers Family Tree Farm News
Miramar Costa Rica 1/31/2019 Issue No. 20
Farm Update January 2019
The tree farm is now at 12 have had and great deal of are looking good and
years of growth and many gratitude for all those who benefiting from the annual
great things have been have helped us get to where leaf fall from the teak trees.
accomplished. An abandoned we are. We are hopeful for The leaves are quickly turned
cattle has been transformed continued success as we move into natural compost by the
back into a suitable habitat for forward. abundant humidity, insects
animals, insects and plants. and worms on the farm. The
The farm has helped to groundcover is growing like
revitalize a rural community The farm is in great shape we want it to as well. The
by bringing jobs and coming off the rainy season of ground cover is growing
opportunities to the area. 2018. All the trees on the farm enough to maintain the soil
There has been tremendous are healthily growing tall and from eroding, but not
growth of the teak trees that straight. Nearly all the trees growing so much that it will
were planted from seedlings are fully canopied out and are compete with the trees for
in the first part of 2007 to flowering and producing nutrients in the soils. There
large maturing trees by the seeds on an annual basis (a are several trees that are at a
end of 2018. We feel very good sign of maturity). Soils 15-inch diameter at the base
fortunate for the successes we and some of the trees are 70
feet tall. We continue to do logs to be processed in India. Getting back to some of the
annual pruning of the trees. Unfortunately, no one was indirect benefits of the farm.
This includes removing able to provide any economics We are very pleased with the
suckers that from the base of of the sale that occurred. reforestation of our 300 acres
teak trees as well as removing However, a positive sign is of land. Back in the 50s and
the lower 60s there was a
branches so the tremendous
trunks are long amount of
and straight. deforestation
taking place. The
An interesting
country was
development for
focused on
the farm this year
improving their
had to do with
economy through
our neighbor to
beef production
the east. Since we
and an alarming
purchased our
amount of forest
farm in late 2006
was being taken
the neighbor has
down to make
had teak planted.
way for cattle
Their property is
ranches. It is
significantly
estimated that
smaller than ours
during this time
totaling about 8
beef exports from
hectares of
Costa Rica
planted teak. The
increased some
property changed
500%. Some
ownership about
estimate to make
5 years back. The
way for these
new owner chose
cattle some 40%
to do a final
to 50% of the
harvest of all the
country’s forests
wood on the
were taken down
property.
to make way new
Though details are sparse we that they went on to replant
pastures. Costa Rica
understand that more than 50 the entire farm in teak again.
significantly changed their
container loads of wood were This give us a good indication
policies in the late 70s and 80s
taken out of the property. that they saw value in
and looked to conservation.
The buyers where a group out repeating the process.
In addition, Costa Rica looked
of India and the wood was
to reforestation to rebuild the
transported in the form of raw
forests of the country. As of
today, it is estimated that property, parrots fly from tree or to small surrounding
about 34% of the country is to tree, hummingbirds community. Since that time
protected by government sipping the nectar from electricity has come up the
through national parks, flowering plants/trees on the road providing a huge quality
wildlife refuges, and property and there are a of life improvement to all.
biological reserves. This is whole host of small reptiles Another transformation that
important to the wildlife as and mammals that are has occurred is with the
Costa Rica boasts the globe’s enjoying the newly supplied, family that has cared and
highest watched over our
biodiversity property for the
density, past twelve years.
providing a When we first met
home for the Briones family,
more than they were living
500,000 in a house with
species. dirt floors, no
Conservatio windows and no
n has also electricity. A
made small pipe
economic brought the only
sense for the running water
country as into the house and
Costa Rica cooking was done
has made over a fire. The
tourism and cover and food supply that family now lives
more specifically eco-tourism the farm provides. in a modern house with
as leading foreign exchange everything one would expect.
earner. We are proud to In addition to an increase in Windows, indoor plumbing,
contribute to Costa Rica’s flora and fauna thee has been floors and modern appliances.
success in their environmental a significant economic impact The Briones family have
transformation. on the farm and the raised 3 delightful girls
surrounding community. The (Nyudel, Kimberly and
On a micro scale adjusted to farm has provided a host of Franciney) and now have 2
our property, there has been a jobs to the local community. grandchildren as well
dramatic change from the Many people were hired for (Samantha and Tamara).
reforestation of the land. We the planting and caring for the
have seen a large increase in trees as well as taking care of We continue to be optimistic
animal life on the farm. Just the property. When we about the farm’s future
to name a few - howler purchased the property back including its economic
monkeys are seen traveling in 2006 there was no prospects and ecological
through the trees on the electricity coming to the farm /social benefits. We are still
planning a thinning 2 years continues to be the largest Natural teak sources continue
from now. Performing purchaser of Teak logs in to diminish. This especially
thinnings in larger chunks Costa Rica. Over the next true as Myanmar, the largest
rather than smaller ones years we will continue our exporter of teak, banned new
significantly reduces the market research to see if we exports several years ago.
harvesting and transportation can find better avenues to Plantation teak is hitting the
costs of removing logs from sales. As mentioned in earlier market more and more as
the farm. As thinning are newsletters younger less plantations that were planted
done heavy equipment and mature teak is more some time ago are having logs
trucks will be needed to challenging to sell than ready to be sold. This is
extract logs and we will need mature teak due to it its important and helps the
to do quite a bit a higher content of sapwood, market for plantation teak
maintenance on interior roads wider growth rings and less expand.
to accomplish this. anti weathering characteristics
that mature logs have.
We continue to explore the
best and most accessible Over all the market for teak
markets to sell logs into. continues to look good and
Currently it appears that India demand remains positive.
Harvard’s Timber Empire
Below we have copied an After suffering a huge drop in its amount of land is acquired,
excerpt from Harvard’s endowment in 2009, Harvard cleared, and planted with a
newspaper The Harvard Management Company, the monoculture of fast-growing
Crimson talking about subsidiary that manages trees like eucalyptus or pine.
Harvard’s expansion into Harvard’s $32 billion These trees are harvested in a
timber investing since 2009. endowment, has sought ways to rotating cycle and sold to make
“diversify” its holdings. In paper or wood products.
Brasil Timber Limited, Empresas
recent years, this has meant
Verdes Argentina, and Under the leadership of a few
purchasing and managing
Scolopax—these sound like the investment managers—in
dozens of timber plantations in
names of corporations you might particular, Managing Director
the developing world. Although
learn about in a course on and Head of Alternative Assets
these plantations have different
“Globalization and Agriculture.” Andrew Wiltshire—Harvard has
names, local managers, and
In fact, they’re all timber expanded its direct natural
business practices, many seem to
plantations that Harvard resource holdings. Wiltshire used
follow the same model. On each
University fully owns. to work for the New Zealand
timber plantation, a large
Forest Service, which, according Zealand, which generated $4.4 invested in “forests, farms, and
to a reporter from WealthDaily, million of income for HMC in other natural resources.” HMC’s
originally developed the massive 2011. Since then, Wiltshire has publicly filed IRS Form 990 lists
Kaingaroa Timberlands in that worked with HMC Chief over 270 companies as “Related
country. In 2003, two years after Executive Officer Jane Mendillo Organizations Taxable as a
he came to Harvard, Wilshire to build Harvard’s investments Corporation or Trust”—
orchestrated HMC’s purchase of in “alternative assets,” corporations of which Harvard
Kaingaroa. Though Harvard particularly timber. owns 50 percent or more—and
subsequently sold part of the dozens of those hold timberland.
Exactly how many timber
timberlands, it still made almost As well as New Zealand,
plantations does Harvard own?
$87 million from Kaingaroa in Harvard has large timber
Bloomberg News estimates that
2011. Wiltshire also oversaw holdings in Brazil, Romania,
over 10 percent of Harvard’s
HMC’s subsequent purchase of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and
endowment—over $3 billion—is
the Big Sky Dairy Farm in New Uruguay.
Promising Future
We look forward to the future
of the farm and the trees as
we start into the next phase,
transitioning from growth
and maintenance of the trees
to commercialization of the
logs and lumber coming out
of the farm.
Thank You,
Jake, Joe and Jaime
Bauers Family Tree Farm
Miramar Costa Rica
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