Not a typical question but I'm hoping to mine the experience pool. Tree surgeon work is about the only thing making any money with a saw. Right of way, road lifting, deadfalls, homeowners, Ash tree death are keeping crews busy. What to do with the wood? Wood stoves are banned for new construction, and years of cheap natural gas retired the bulk of stoves that insurance premiums missed. Environmental burning bans stopped a lot of people from even having a campfire at home. The days of leave it on the ground and then they will cut it up are gone. Hauling it home and making firewood isn't really an option either. Mulch market is terrible. Fuel for grinding is a blackhole. Additionally there's always those trees full of metal or concrete. I started working with an arborist company to dispose of those big old nuisance pieces a long time ago. "Fill that old hole in. Trim my hedgerow." Built a relationship and I'm eyeballing the potential supply of wood for a large industrial burner or biochar. There's probably more money to be made in buying a property with an old gravel pit to fill up. Europe used to buy chips but it was before containers went $$$? I've heard of "beehive" burners but other than old pictures don't know much. There's got to be things I'm unaware of to use this. Ideas?
If you can find somewhere to stockpile it then several options for future use come into play. Putting it through a grinder gives you the option of composting and selling as topsoil or mulch. The market will come back, fuel prices will come down. The 64 dollar question is when but you're still earning so hope you can ride out the current storm.
Stockpiling ground tends to heat. If going down the burning route, prefer on my own schedule and terms. Pre WW2 there were locals that made charcoal for cooking fuel as a cash crop. Make a pile 50'+ in diameter and cover with dirt, adding a few vents in the top and carefully placed channels underneath for air. Had to have someone tend it for a week or more continuously. Maybe a much thicker layer of dirt would make the snuffing stage less labor intensive?