FSC stands for The Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization “established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.”  They are a non-governmental and not-for-profit created in 1993 to address global deforestation.  The following is the mission of FSC as found on their website, www.fsc.org:

The Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC) shall promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

• Environmentally appropriate forest management ensures that the production of timber, non-timber products and ecosystem services maintains the forest’s biodiversity, productivity, and ecological processes.
• Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term management plans.
• Economically viable forest management means that forest operations are structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resource, the ecosystem, or affected communities. The tension between the need to generate adequate financial returns and the principles of responsible forest operations can be reduced through efforts to market the full range of forest products and services for their best value.

Becoming FSC Certified is voluntary and those seeking certification must meet all the standards set forth before applying for certification.  It is considered to be the premier certification of sustainable forest practices.

“Under FSC certification, civil and indigenous rights are respected, areas of high social and environmental conservation value are maintained or enhanced, natural forests are not converted, highly hazardous pesticides and genetically modified trees are prohibited, and harvesting must meet national laws and international treaties.”

Support responsible forest management by shopping for products made from FSC Certified forests here on Sustainable Woods!

In addition to individual business, the Sustainable Woods Network has member organizations that represent several businesses as well.

Northwest Certified Forestry represents several small woodland owners throughout the Northwest.  Members meet FSC Pacific Coast Standards and provide a wide-range of products.  Thank you to Northwest Certified Forestry for contributing the following profile of one of their member businesses!  More examples of Northwest Certified Forestry member products can be found here on Sustainable Woods.

Evergreen Land Trust – Deming, WA

Evergreen Ecoforestry is a program of the Evergreen Land Trust.  ELT uses selective and low impact logging to limit ecosystem impacts while producing lumber and finished wood products.  We steward over 200 acres of second growth forest up-slope from the South Fork Nooksack River in Deming , WA .

Our forests are dominated by 50-80 year old hemlock, cedar and Douglas-fir interspersed with stands of mature alder and maple.  We focus our stewardship on maintaining slope stability, protecting riparian forests and stimulating the development of old forest conditions.

Wood products from Evergreen’s forests are found in projects across the Northwest and beyond.  Product examples include cedar boardwalks, fir decking, alder paneling, maple trim and hemlock framing. Evergreen Ecoforestry is a project of the ELT, a non-profit organization supporting sustainable land and community stewardship.  Larger custom orders are welcome.

Each is flexible enough to work part or full-time, according to the production needs of the week.  Until a year ago, Chris worked the entire business by himself, with his wife helping out where needed.

“This has been my best year in business since I started on my own (both) volume-wise and profitability.”

What’s the reason behind the success of Littlefield’s Wood Products in the past year?

Littlefield’s Wood Products manufactures mainly field stakes, paint paddles, feather strips, and slats.  Chris and his employees produce the products in Hartland, Maine, in an old barn that was restored by Chris into a manufacturing facility.  Other companies who manufacture the same products often do so overseas in countries such as China and ship them back to the United States.

In years past, it was much cheaper to manufacture overseas and ship back than to manufacture here, Chris said.  Current prices in China, however, have increased and are not staying consistent.  Today, there is only a difference of a few dollars.

“In the past, it was in my customers best interest to buy overseas in huge quantities.  The margin between what it costs to build those overseas and here are decreasing.  Opportunities are coming back to U.S. manufacturers, and that’s exciting and necessary, in my opinion.  It gives U.S. manufacturers the opportunity to get back into the game a little bit.”

A customer that left Chris in 2004 for the cheaper prices returned in 2011 due to the disappearing price discrepancy.  They are a part of Chris’s increase in volume and are located only an hour away from Littlefield’s Wood Products.  Another customer has increased their quantity of a specialty pallet because Chris is able to meet their specific needs and process their order quickly.

“I have the ability to do a small volume, quick changeovers, and a quick turnaround.”

The beginning of Littlefield’s Wood Products stemmed from Chris’s search near the end of 2000 to buy a business and be self-employed.  After several years of manufacturing experience, he bought a secondary wood manufacturing business off the internet and renovated an old barn on his parents’ land in to a workshop.  Chris said it was a family affair to begin the business and he worked many 14, 16, and 18-hour days.  His hard work paid off though as he purchased the business’s assets in May 2001 and was ready for production by July 2001, just before the beginning of the busy season in August.

Chris’s desire to build his own business came out of a dissatisfaction of his employment situation.  Prior to starting his business, Chris worked for a Fortune 500 company as a supervisor and foreman.  When he asked for a raise, he was promoted to a position thousands of miles away in California.

“Essentially, I worked seven days a week.  I resigned because I didn’t like my boss and decided if I had to work seven days a week, I could build a business for my family.  I made more money working for them, but my quality of life here in Maine and relationship with my two kids is far better than that.”

With the strong increase in volume and profit this year, Chris has begun to think about his future role in the business.  His long-term goal would be to become more of a manager and leader and not be as involved in the daily manufacturing process.  In order to do that, Chris would need to hire one or two more employees.  If the right opportunity presents itself, he believes he will continue to expand, as long as it is at his pace and fits the business.

Although Littlefield’s Wood Products has had a prosperous 2011, there are a few things Chris values above its success.  The two things he is most proud of is he can say he lives in the same town he grew up in and built his own business.

“I live in Maine, I built my house with my own two hands and built my business, and I am a part of the community.”

Littlefield’s Wood Products is a member of the Maine Wood Products Association and Chris is proud to say all of his products are “Made in Maine.”

Littlefield’s Wood Products can be found here on The Sustainable Woods Network.

Thank you to Sustainable Woods member Vermont Woods Studios for passing along their challenge for Earth Day 2012!  Good luck with the campaign!

If you had to give your workplace a grade for “greenliness” what would it be?  Most people I’ve talked to say they at least have recycling containers at work.  For paper that is.  Not many have recycling for cans or plastic though.  Not many have consistently emphasized programs for energy efficiency either (with a focus on turning computers and equipment off at night, turning lights out when not in use, replacing old incandescent bulbs with high-efficiency ones, etc.)

Come on now.  It’s 2012.  We’ve had 42 Earth Days come and go since the first one in 1970.  What seems to be the problem?  Don’t settle for a “D” on your report card.

At Vermont Woods Studios we’re trying to help make this year’s Earth Day (April 22, 2012) a little more successful in the workplace.  Manjula and Dennis cooked up a “Green Up Your Workplace Challenge”.  It’s a virtual Facebook event and we’re asking you to attend.  You can do so by liking us on our Facebook and then attending the “Green Up Your Workplace” event (a Facebook page where we’ll post photos, links, stories, tips and advice for how to get an A in ‘greenliness” for your workplace).

Give it a try!  Our goal is to get 400 people to attend the “Green Up Your Workplace Challenge” between now and Earth Day and we’re going to plant a tree for each person who attends.  How about giving us a hand?

Speaking of organic, did you know that Vermont is also famous for it’s organic furniture? Last count there were some 2000 small wood furniture makers scattered across Vermont. Although the styles and methods of craftsmanship are quite varied, these furniture makers have in common a deep respect for the forest where their wood furniture originates.

I haven’t been able to find a definition for organic furniture yet but I do think Vermont would logically be the place to start. Vermont woodworkers have a long history of sustainable woodworking, sourcing their wood from our local forests abundant in native hardwoods like maple, oak, ash, cherry and birch. And we avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in Vermont’s sustainable forests, relying instead on Mother Nature to regenerate after careful selective harvesting.

When it comes to applying a finish to Vermont’s furniture, you’ll be hard-pressed to find harsh chemicals with high levels of VOCs or formaldehyde. Instead, furniture makers use natural linseed oil finishes, clear non-toxic lacquers and even a natural coating made from whey (a recycled byproduct of our dairy industry).

Yesterday I wrote about organic food in terms of where it comes from and how it’s grown. The organic food movement has been around for over a century but has picked up more steam in the last 20 years as people become more aware of where their food comes from. I think the next step for the organic movement is into the world of organic furniture. And Vermont will lead the way.

Products from Vermont Woods Studios may be found here on The Sustainable Woods Network.

Although Beech Tree Building Company is based in Olympia, Wash., that has not stopped owner Nic James and his crew from hand-crafting their quality cabinets and built-ins throughout the Northwest.  With a few Portland area jobs under his belt, and a potential California job in the works, traveling over 300 miles to Spokane, Wash. for an installation did not intimidate Nic.

As Nic has learned through the years, word-of-mouth referrals is vital to new leads and jobs.  The project in Spokane came about through a casual conversation with friends-of-friends while on a trip out-of-town.  On the way back, he realized he could provide Beech Tree’s high-quality, hand-crafted work for the same price quoted by another company.  Customers Frank and Amy Burns were thrilled.

Nic flew to Spokane to look at the site, then returned and made the design.  The Burns had been talked out of the Shaker-style, white-painted cabinets they had originally wanted by their designer.  They returned to their original idea while working with Nic.

When the cabinets were finished, Nic and his team drove them from Olympia to Spokane and installed the cabinets over the course of three days.  Frank and Amy Burns put them up in their home and provided them with a food stipend, and everybody enjoyed working together.  Frank Burns comments on his experience working with Beech Tree Building Company:

“We live in Spokane, WA, so I was worried that they wouldn’t have that extra motivation to do a good job because it would be unlikely for them to get repeat business in such a distant place. That was not the case. They have a great deal of pride in their work-and they should! I can’t say enough about the attention to detail Nic and his team focus on.  I was proud to have them on the job site–I think they raised the bar for the other subcontractors.”

At Beech Tree, Nic and his fellow workers strive for excellence in three areas:

1. Customer Service
2. Choice of material
3. Construction details

According to Nic, customer service is what sets them apart. “We’re not going to stop till you’re satisfied,” he says.

When discussing work, he advises any potential client to think about what kind of experience they want to have.

“It’s a big investment and I tell them to get someone that you like and that is able to communicate timely and efficiently.”

He encourages contacting references and, if possible, to take a close, scrutinizing look at previous work first hand.  It is also important to be sure they are licensed and insured.  And most important, are the previous clients happy?

Secondly, the choice of materials used by Beech Tree reflects their commitment to sustainability and quality.

“These things are built to last generations.  We start with good, high-quality ingredients and beef them up.”

Their products are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council).  Most of the wood used is locally sourced from the Northwest and the hardware comes from a company that uses minimal packaging.  They use non-formaldehyde adhesives and a low-VOC finish.   In addition, Beech Tree is enrolled in Puget Sound Energy’s “Green Power Program.”  They are one of several businesses committed to using 100% green energy by enrolling at the Leadership Level. This level enables participants to buy green energy credits for the same amount of electricity they use each month.

“We make choices throughout the day that we hope make a difference.  We’re always looking for ways to improve sustainability.”

Nic began Beech Tree Building Company in 2001 as a sole proprietor.  Currently, there are two full-time and two-part time employees and each one takes pride in their work, even after a long day.

“We did two, 16-hour days on an install and driving back late at night, they’re still fretting over the details.  We’ve created this cool little group of artisans and we really care about what we do.  I have this great group of people I get to work with that do a wonderful job.”

At Ohio Woodlands, sustainability is a way of life.  Not only for the Coldwell family, but also through the business practices  of their family tree farm.  When Jared Coldwell looks at a section of his family’s tree farm, he thinks, “What can I do to improve this?  How can we have timber here in 80 years?”

“We look at everything as what is it going to be in the future?  That’s the definition of sustainable.”

All the trees on the farm are managed just as a farmer would manage crops.  Invasive species are removed and select trees are harvested to provide others room to grow.  Most of the trees taken are ones that are already down.  Some areas are left as they are to provide wildlife habitat. Between 3,000-5,000 new trees are planted every year on the farm, averaging 150 new trees per log taken.

The composition of tree species is also taken in to account when management decisions are made.  Big, overgrown trees are removed to introduce or increase room to grow for another species.  The tree is then culled and used for lumber. According to Jared Coldwell, many people simply think that a tree was cut down.  In reality, “when you release one tree, you let the younger trees increase due to allowing more sun and moisture in.”

Trees are also managed according to where they are in their growth cycle.  There are around 40 different species of trees on the property and each species of tree has its own growth cycle.  For example, Cherry has a growth cycle between 80-100 years, while the cycle for various types of Oak can range between 100-350 years.

“If you actually go in and harvest the mature trees, you can manage a forest very sustainably based on growth cycles.  It’s definitely a science.  We are making choices as to what’s best for the growth potential.”

The wood sold by Ohio Woodlands is kiln dried and planed.  It is only one-step away from the end product.  Essentially, all that is left to do by the buyer is to put legs on in order to make a table, for example.  Ninety percent of the wood for sale is from the tree farm, however, Jared does like to get a variety of species by occasionally looking at local mills.  All of the wood is domestic hardwood, no foreign species.

Jared built his own dry kiln to dry small batches of wood when he started Ohio Woodlands.   He pursued the entire business by taking small steps and learning along the way.

“My passion is what I’m doing with marketing product off the farm.”

Recently, Ohio Woodlands has seen an increase in sales to large interior design companies searching for a unique product for their clients.  The designers are usually looking for something unusual, a “talking piece” for their client’s home or business.

Jared is currently pursuing larger logs on the property for designers looking for unique pieces.  The logs must be cut in a certain manner and are used as conference or dining room tables.   They are much larger slabs of wood, ranging around ten feet in length and over four feet across.

“They are beautiful table tops.  It makes me feel glad to be able to supply it.  (They are) nothing that anyone sees on a regular basis.”

Even as Ohio Woodlands continues to grow in sales volume, Jared is seeking to secure the future of the land and trees.  He is currently seeking to make the entire tree farm an easement through the Forest Legacy Program.  The program creates legally-binding agreements with land owners to transfer property rights without removing property ownership.  The transfer of rights creates a conservation easement on the land, which normally requires sustainable forestry practices and restricts development.  Once the property achieves this status, it can never be developed, even if ownership changes in the future.  It was a family decision to pursue the easement.

“Myself, my mom and dad, and my brother are in it together…We’re just trying to preserve a green space.”

Thank you to David Hurwitz of David Hurwitz Originals for the following post.  Check out more of David’s features on his blog.

This past summer I had the honor to find out that my work was selected to be included in special informational panels used in an exhibit on the “History of Woodworking in Vermont, 1791 – Today”. The panels include a section on contemporary woodworkers. A photo of one of my carved cherry spoons is featured, along with a quote. The photo used in the panels is featured below. The exhibit is a project of the Vermont Wood Products Marketing Council, and will be displayed at special events throughout Vermont and New England. The council is the primary force behind the marketing and promotion of the “Vermont Quality Wood Products” tree logo, which is the seal of quality for wood products made in Vermont.

I make all of my spoons from sustainably harvested Vermont cherry, and finish them with a non-toxic, food-safe, paste wax finish that I make frommineral oil and local Vermont bees wax. Click the highlighted text to see other examples of my carved wood spoons and cooking spatulas. I welcome special orders, and can make the spoons in any size from tiny to ladle size.

Meet our newest Sustainable Wood member and artisan, Caleb Larson! Caleb is a Craftsman and the Owner of Rugged Traditions Log & Timberframes in Missoula, Montana. Caleb has a passion for time-honored craftsmanship and sustainability, evident in every timberframe or log structure he makes with traditional wood joinery.

Caleb has been a woodsman for most of his life, growing up in a family logging business in Montana. After attending the Island School of Building Arts in Gabriola, British Columbia in 2005, Caleb formed Rugged Traditions, a company that specializes in traditional timberframe and log building techniques.

Rugged Traditions also specializes in custom saw milling. Caleb runs a circular sawmill and cuts custom dimensions up to 60 feet in length. To-date his largest client request was for 6 12×24 inch timbers, almost 30 feet in length. Often Caleb custom mills lumber from material harvested on-site.

Traditional timberframe techniques use wood on wood joinery, such as the mortise and tenon or dove tail. The joinery is held together with wooden pegs, eliminating the need for metallic pieces such as nails or bolts. Joinery is hand crafted, often using planes and chisels to fine tune pockets and joints. Timberframe construction also lends itself to a green build concept, by using renewable resources–often materials from the building site, or re-used materials, and local craftsman labor.

The structures are engineered to last hundreds of years, with examples still standing throughout the world from Japan to Scandinavia. Techniques of traditional joinery date back to the 13th and 14th century.

Caleb’s favorite local timberframe project is the Bench Shelter Project at Silver Park he participated in back in 2008, with local engineer Jennifer Anthony. Once known as the Champion Mill site, and now the Old Sawmill District, Silver Park is a 15-acre public park, along a portion of the southern banks of the Clark Fork river, in the heart of Missoula.

The project was inspired by a similar project in Salem, Oregon, and features three timberframe bench shelters. The shelters were constructed along the riverfront trail, using 95% recycled and re-used materials. The three shelters featured different techniques, with one log structure, using pine sinker logs from another old mill 10 miles away, a shelter with many small re-sawn pieces from a nearby site, and a shelter using scribe techniques, allowing the timbers from the original mill building to be rebuilt in place while keeping them in the aged, irregular sizes.

Caleb was largely involved in the project behind the scenes, doing a lot of timberframe joinery pre-cutting, and re-sawing some of the material on his circular sawmill. “The thing I enjoy most about this type of work is getting involved with other craftsmen, and sharing new techniques and culture with other people just as excited about green building and traditional structures as me,” Caleb said. “The hardest thing about what I do is that I am often working by myself, so it’s good to have a larger, strong community where I can share ideas and stay inspired.”

Visit artisan Caleb Larson & Rugged Traditions’ listing on SWN at: http://sustainablewoods.com/Galleries/Artisan.php?Business=00084

Interested in seeing more about the Silver Park Bench Shelter Project? View an 11 minute multimedia piece by Krista Miller Larson at http://montanaphotojournalist.com

I’m really not an early Christmas shopper. In fact I’m not a shopper at all. When the kids were little they used to like to holiday shop at the local craft fair…that was fun.  But the boys are teenagers now and I can’t imagine getting them to do that anymore.   A couple times in recent years, I was able to convince Ken and the boys to make an overnight holiday shopping trip to Boston where we wandered around downtown and at the Wrentham Mall picking up a few gifts.  I enjoyed that but the kids seem to have outgrown any kind of activity that involves parents.

Anyway…yesterday in the office, Dennis floated the idea of buying only American made things for Christmas presents.  Pretty cool idea, don’t you think?

But the thing is, this is shopping we can’t leave till the last minute.  It will take a bit of research and planning.   Isn’t it ironic that many American made gifts would have to be purchased online and shipped here from across the country, whereas imports are available anytime, in every store in town, at a moment’s notice?

So at Vermont Woods Studios we’ll plan to start our shopping now and share our research with you as we go.

Saturday I tagged along with Annette at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market. That’s probably a reasonable place to start…maple syrup, handmade pottery, wooden bowls.

Why not join us in our “Buy American Made” Holiday Gifts Challenge?  If you have gift suggestions, pass them along in the comment section below or send photos and links and we’ll post here or on our Facebook page.

They say that if each of us in the USA spent just $3.33 on American made goods, that would generate 10,000 jobs…a pretty decent Christmas present in itself, I say.

Vermont Woods Studios

100% American Made Furniture