Local Wood

Labels for locally grown fruits and vegetables are commonplace now at the local supermarket. Buying local tomatoes supports the farmer and the community. But about that item you purchase only once and awhile, like a wooden spoon or dining room table? Do you check the label to see where the wood came from or if that's even mentioned? Felled trees are considered products of agriculture, just like tomatoes. We hope to extend the mindset that searches for the best tomatoes at the local market to also hold the same high standard to the wooden spoon. We seek to foster links between wood producers, artists and artisans and customers who would like to purchase a wooden spoon from a sugar maple tree or some other item that was manufactured from wood that was harvested from a sustainably managed forest in New England.

The UConn Forest Crew operates a small portable sawmill and at times when just a few trees might be harvested or logs might be salvaged we mill our own lumber to sell to the local community or to use for various projects. Much of our lumber is also dried in a student-designed-and-built solar-powered dry kiln. There is usually an assortment of boards available from various species such as oak, maple, ash, birch, hickory and pine, in various widths, lengths and thicknesses.

Lumber-making is always a learning experience! Because the logs are milled by a student crew, sometimes the boards do not come out entirely perfect. These misfits - the crooked, cracked, and slightly warped - can be found in the mix. We like to think these boards will be adopted by artists who will transform their imperfections into something beautiful.

Our lumber is priced beginning at $1.50 per board foot, regardless of species (Wider, higher grade boards, specialty boards with figure and full-width slabs are priced higher). Available species include black birch, red oak, white oak, red maple, sugar maple, American elm, white ash and white pine. Contact: Tom Worthley at thomas.worthley@uconn.edu. As with our firewood, every dollar we generate by selling our lumber goes to support UConn Forest management activities. Thank you.

The missions of the UConn forest often lead to forest management operations for research projects, for habitat improvement, for improvement of forest health or recreational opportunities, and other reasons. These operations often provide the opportunity to harvest, process, and use the locally grown wood. The UConn Forest Crew is trained in forest management operations and also participates in the use of this renewable resource through milling logs and woodcraft. They sometimes produce firewood or lumber available for sale to the public, and cutting boards, benches, and other specialty items may also be available at events where UConn Extension Forestry is present. Product availability is highlighted on @UConn_forest on twitter, or other CAHNR social media feeds.