basically, timber has performed better than stocks. Less volatile, if you don't like the current price, your asset grows & becomes worth more (pests & blights aside) it's renewable & it's highly unlikely the land will be worth less in 5 - 10 years.
No one is predicted the Dow will hit 14,000 again in that time frame, espescilly in 5 years. (8% per year on average will take more than than that, seeing an 8% gain may not happen this year either, down so far.....)