WinonaRail's Wood Yard

I finally got back into the neighbor's woods over the weekend to pick up more of the rounds that I had cut a couple weeks ago. This load was from one tree. I have one more load of ash to pick up and then I'll go back and cut again.

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Nice work, Gary. Staying busy. Looking good

 

You know how it is. There's always work to be done!

 

I got to the last of the rounds picked up from my neighbor's woods this morning. I will get it split sometime today and probably go back this weekend for another round of cutting. Happy Thanksgiving hoarders!

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Hope ya'll have a Happy Thanksgiving Day

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Miz Carol!

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Delivered 30 bundles to one of my local regulars this afternoon. Three others getting an order. 50 to one tomorrow, 100 on Sunday and 30 to another probably Tuesday. The newest store will need some within a week too.
Another heating customer getting his second half cord tomorrow too.

 

Nice looking bundles. They should sell themselves!

 

Busy, busy...that's a good thing.
Nice little shed/stand too, did you build it?

 

Yep. Few years back when he first took over managing this particular store. I need to fix the roof as it was recently vandalized.

 

Great looking bundles as always! Sounds like you're keeping busy.

We got some really nasty weather yesterday so I had a little extra business yesterday. A few customers came out in the snow storm to get some. Most of my loose stacks are gone now but I'll wait until weather improves to restock. I need to clean out the driveway (again) first.

 

Off while back I ran across something on YouTube that caught my attention. A fellow made a limb wood cutting rack from pallets. I liked the idea, particularly because it was mounted to a pallet as a base and easy to move with pallet forks.

I built my version a bit wider, at 18 inches between the vertical pallet boards. I tested it out over the weekend and it actually works quite well. I have quite a bit of small diameter limbs that I need to cut up and will be using this.

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This weekend marked my first production in 2 weeks. The weather has not been cooperative, but finally is turning around. I got a head start on my softwood inventory for next spring. I split blue spruce that has been cut and stacked on pallets for about 2 years. It is already dry and ready to burn. I sell this to campers during the summer.

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Had my first smoker sale this year. Multi repeat customer. Bought eight bundles...one of each flavor. Im offering beech now.

Tally for 2025 was 2300+ bundles and over 225 bundles smoker wood. Probably more on smoker as some was bulk loose wood. I don't track cordage wood sales.

How was 2025 for you Gary?

 

Is Connecticut the new Nashville? Sounds like you had a strong year! You're definitely the undisputed bundle king. Are you seeing demand for beech? I don't believe I've ever cut any.

My campfire bundle sales were down at 284 along with 101 mini bundles. For smoking wood, I sold 67 bags and 72 loose stacks. Regarding loose mixed hardwoods, I sold 91 2'X2' stacks, 14 2'X3' stacks and 86 2'X4' stacks as well as 7 1/6 cord stacks of mixed softwoods. Rounding out the list, there were 64 bags and 30 bundles of kindling along with 26 individual fire starters. Finally there were 15 1/4 or 1/3 cord stacks, about half of which were delivered. It was a decent year and about as much as I could keep up with.

 

Not expecting to do better bundle wise this year as I'm very low on dry inventory. One of my new accounts has gone through over 300 since Halloween. I was expecting 1/3 that. I might drop the 100 bundle at a time account.

Im more than likely going to make some sort of kiln or use a small solar generator to power a couple fans to dry bundle wood. My own fault for not keeping up with restocking.

I was chatting with one of my smoker regulars who spotted my stacks and I mentioned they were beech. Turns out it can be used for such based on my research. I saved several of the nicer splits for bundles and another regular bought up one.

So I'm ahead in 2026 with beech and pear bundle sales!