In the summer of 2001 a forester from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation talked with us about the purposes of the farm, walked the woods, and wrote up a Forest Stewardship Plan. About 106 acres of the farm is forested; some is red or white pine plantations, some old pasture has seeded to hardwood, and other areas have been wooded for many years but had not been logged since before Fr. McVey bought the property in 1976.
We repainted the marks on the boundary trees as the forester suggested. For a few years we were unable to do the recommended timber sale (see Organization). We cut firewood each year and also began to work on some trails, removing old barbed wire and putting stepping stones across the wet places.
We cut about 23 cords of firewood each year for heating our buildings. Firewood comes from fallen trees or from the thinning that is part of the forest management plan. The barn where we live is heated by a wood-burning boiler system which also provides the hot water for the building. In 2006 we began burning wood year round instead of switching to oil for the summer months. The house we use spring through fall is heated by an efficient wood stove. In 2007 Unity Acres installed an outdoor wood boiler that can burn the softwoods that we cannot in our smaller higher efficiency boiler.
We still have trees on the near side of the brook that were marked for the sale but not harvested. Thinning in the red pine plantations began in ’08 but still isn’t finished and there are other sections that are scheduled for thinning in the next few years. Income from the sawmill has increased each year as buyers purchase lumber for their small businesses, crafts, or building their homes. We learn about the local economy and they learn about the farm.
Late in 2007 we bought a sawmill. Hemlock logs cut and brought out to our mill as part of the timber sale provided lumber for the barn we built in 2008. A shed roof off the new barn then sheltered the mill. Since then Zach has sawn out softwood lumber for farm buildings, for decking our wagons, and for clapboards needed by Unity Acres. From the hardwoods we’ve made toys for refugees and furniture for the farm. We sell hardwood lumber, utility grade lumber cut to order for wagons, and softwood cut to order. When Zach has time he saws out logs brought by customers for a fee or a portion of the lumber.
Working with a consulting forester we made a timber sale that was harvested in 2008. Firewood was cut and brought out to near the woodshed for our use. That fall we found oyster mushrooms growing on stumps and brush in the harvest areas. The skid roads give us easier tractor access to different parts of the woods and paths for walking or skiing.
In 2008 we set 10 taps in sugar maples close to the road, producing 14 quarts of syrup. We’ve continued to make syrup each year, increasing the number of taps set and trying to catch the start of the run as the weather becomes more erratic. We use the syrup at the farm and give some away and have no plan to produce it for sale.
In 2010 we received permission from an adjacent landowner to access a stand on the far side of Trout Brook that had been marked for the timber harvest but not cut. We brought out a third to a half of the marked trees, mostly white pine and cherry, before weather prevented further access. When given access again in 2011 we were able to complete 80 to 90% of the harvest.
