 |
|
|
Some of the many things that make Lumber Jill Firewood different are the techniques we use to harvest trees.
In a nutshell, Lumber Jill collaborates with local landowners, tree removal companies, and log buyers after these operations are complete. The "commercially valuable timber" is removed and traditionally the rest was left. The rest is the entire canopy of the tree and the "valuable timber" is the main stem from the ground to first limb set.
If you can visualize a magnificient Oak tree, stand under the tree with me and look up. I see a reflection of mine and your history. This tree is 150 plus years old and was possibly witness to the Civil War, provided shade, food for wildlife and oxygen for us all. The decision has been made for this noble tree to be harvested and begin a new journey as furniture for families. So, the machines come in and harvest the tree, the "valuable timber" goes to the mill. What happens to the rest?
Most often, this canopy is left on the ground to rot, or ground up as chips in urban applications. This hurts me deeply and seems so disrespectful. Removing this canopy provides heat for you, but it also allows those baby seedlings and acorns in the ground a chance to compete for light resources. If left on the ground to rot, the red maple and poplar would out compete and choke out the oak stand. Maple and poplar stands do not produce food for wildlife which is in part why we lost many our native carnivores and Elk. These poor forestry practices lead to the decline of our native turkey, deer and bear in the area and made the current reintroduction procedures necessary.
This is a brief description of forest management. By removing this canopy for firewood we, together, have given the Oak stand an oportunity to regenerate. Let's work together and harvest available wood resources in this manner! Is is more difficult to process, yes. Is it harder on my equipment to handle the knots and twists in the limbs, definetly. It makes ecological sense and just seems like the right thing to do. However, it is more expensive the gleen wood this way, all of the wood is crooked and more difficult to handle. We at Lumber Jill Firewood appreciate all of you that stood under the tree with us just now and understand, and support what we do and how it is done.
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
