Ohio Woodlands produces kiln-dried and planed wood pieces for home, business, and hobbyist use. The pieces are one-step away from the finished product and sustainably sourced from the Coldwell family tree farm. Jared Coldwell is currently seeking a conservation easement on the property through the Forest Legacy Program to ensure the 10,000 trees and property itself will never be developed in the future.
Carved Spoon by David Hurwitz featured in “History of Woodworking in Vermont”
Sustainable Woods member David Hurwitz is included in a special exhibit entitled, “History of Woodworking in Vermont, 1791 – Today.” The exhibit will be displayed around Vermont and New England.
Welcome Rugged Traditions Log & Timberframes to SWN!
Caleb Larson, Craftsman and Owner at Rugged Traditions joins Sustainable Woods! Caleb specializes in hand-crafted timberframe joinery and log building, and is passionate about time-honored craftsmanship. Caleb also discusses being involved with his favorite local timberframe project: the Silver Park Bench Shelter Project. Read more!
Join Our “Buy American Made” Holiday Shopping Challenge
Vermont Woods Studios is promoting a “Buy American Made” challenge for this holiday season! Did you know 10,000 jobs could be generated if everyone spent just $3.33 on American made goods? Check out where the folks at Vermont Woods Studios began their holiday shopping and their advice.
Savor the taste of fresh, American Pine Nuts this Holiday season
Penny Frazier, owner of Pinenut.com and Goods from the Woods, discusses why she first began harvesting pine nuts on American public lands. In addition, Penny and her family harvest wild botanical extracts in the Missouri Ozarks. She describes how she hopes to demonstrate a better use of natural resources and conservation.
Relax and Just Lean Back with Nikita Indoor Outdoor Convertibles
Nikita Grigoriev, designer of the first patented futon, tells about his new line of indoor/outdoor convertible furniture. All the furniture is hand-made out of 100% solid hardwoods and sold at prices competitive with imports. Nikita also describes his ultra-efficient production process and the minimal waste produced.
North Slope Sustainable Wood contributes to school seeking LEED certification
North Slope Sustainable Wood provides regionally-sourced and sustainable building materials. Some of their products were recently used by a local school in Missoula, Montana seeking LEED certification for their new building. Whitney Schwab, LEED AP and Certified Green Professional discusses the benefits of using sustainable and natural products during the building process.
Yarrow Harvest on a family wild crops farm in the Missouri Ozarks
A big thank you to Penny Frazier at www.organicwitchhazel.com for the following post. It was originally published on her blog, Pine Nut, on June 7, 2011. In addition to sustainably harvested botanicals, Penny also harvests Pinyon Nuts. Look for a future post about Pine Nut.
Early June is our second busiest time on the Ozarks farm. A lot of people don’t know that wild harvests are not like growing green beans or tomatoes. There is a short window for harvest – about 10 days of most non-tree products. We don’t yarrow harvest in the rain or in the afternoon. Herbs that are distilled here must be harvested right after the dew has lifted during their peak. As an artisan distiller, the quality of our product starts with a perfectly ripened flower top, full – almost oozing its oil. The first flowers to appear on the yarrow plant are those we harvest. The first flower top will be replaced by two side flowers, which are left for seed. As wild harvesters, we leave our seeds – it is one of our 10 commandments of wild harvesting and one I emphasized when providing comments to the USDA on wild crops certification. We also know when the flowers are perfect, you can almost squeeze the oil out of the tops. Finally, we need perfect conditions, (which) also cuts the harvest window as well – early in the day after the dew has left.
Eco Friendly Furniture: Why North American Hardwood Is The Best Raw Material
A big thank you to Vermont Woods Studios Furniture for the following article. It originally appeared on the Vermont Woods Studios Furniture blog on August 5, 2011.
What’s the most eco-friendly raw material for furniture? I guess there are different opinions on this but you have to admit that wood is naturally green. It’s sustainable, biodegradable and renewable.
The National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) puts out a brochure periodically that reports statistics for the American hardwood industry. Are we harvesting our hardwoods sustainably in the USA?
Board by board, the Globe is coming down
Six million board feet. That’s how much lumber went into the building of the three Globe elevators.
Six million board feet. That’s how much is coming out of the old Globe — bit by bit, taking it apart, one centuries-old white pine board at a time. This most assuredly is not your conventional demo job.
Two to three thousand men were employed for more than two years to construct the three elevator buildings. Upon completion, in 1887, they had a capacity of five million bushels.
Originally built for The Duluth Elevator Company and bearing that name — even though the buildings stood indubitably in Superior — the elevator at the time was the largest in the world.