I see a lot of people mention the 3 year plan. I tried searching for it but so many posts mention it that I get every post on the forums in my search. Does anyone have a link to the original 3 year plan post?
Sav's article certainly is very good and I encourage everyone to read it. Simply put the 3 year plan means to continue to cut, split and stack until you are 3 years ahead on your burning needs. If you burn 3 cords per year you need need 9 cords with the first 3 cords to have been cut at least 3 years ago so you are always burning wood that has been stacked and split for 3 years. It takes some work to get there but it is then a joy to have wood that takes right off when it hits the stove (no burning the water out before it gives heat) along with a clean flue. Now of course you should probably have 12 cords with this scenario, just in case the winter will not let go until May, but I think you get the drift. It is also easy once you have reached this point because you just have to cut a normal winter's worth of wood each year to replenish your stacks. You can sort of work up to this by gathering wood that drys quickly once stacked, like soft maple, cherry, ash, etc.....sort of work on the 2 year plan and build up to the 3 year plan.
At first I didn't know if this post was serious or not, didn't know there was an actual article written on the subject. That is a great read for someone just getting into wood burning, very comprehensive from start to finish in regards of the fuel. I don't know if there is anything in particular about 3 years though, other than you're for certain going to have dry wood and be ahead. You could also do a 4 year plan or 5 year plan... I was never able to get more than a year ahead, usually falling short of that even. Just due to time since I cut on the families farm and only went there once a month or so, and was cutting by myself in remote area not accessible by vehicles where I also had to lug along a garden tractor and cart, and bring the wood loads back 20 minute trips per cart load. I'd cut winter and spring and get about enough for the next winter, sometimes I'd have to buy a couple truckloads. I was lucky that most of what I cut would be dry, even if only borderline. Mostly cherry and standing dead black locust, with a bit of soft maple in there. I never got more than a year ahead until 2 years back, when I replaced one stove with a pellet burner (cutting my demand in half), tried Eco bricks (3 tons of those offset a lot of wood usage), scored 13 standing dead ash trees, and the following year put in the Ideal Steel stove which further lessened my wood consumption (a great performing stove). I'm still working on that pile from 3 years ago, including a small amount of Eco bricks left, and have only cut a cord or so of spruce since then. Though I have plenty to get through this year I think I will not have enough hardwoods for next year, so hope I can come across some more scrounges soon. It was really nice to be a few years ahead for a while. Next year I plan to get serious about finding some property for my 'dream home'. I want to have the little homestead I've long wanted, and with enough woods to be self sustaining for firewood, hunt, and maybe cut some of my own lumber. It would be several years before I'd actually build the house and move (once my son is old enough and on his own, 8-10 years?), so I'd get a chance from land clearing and whatnot to get quite a bit ahead I hope. With a well built small home, designed with efficiency in mind down to the layout for single stove heating and a very efficient stove, I hope to lessen my heating demands significantly, like 1/3 of what they are now in the big old drafty place. I think I'm going to call this my 10 year plan.
My favorite part about the 3 year plan is that it works. Always plenty of dry wood. Easy to start fires to get the house warm fast. Very little creosote build up in the flu which means less cleaning and confidence that my wood burning is safe. Like what was mentioned before once you get 3 years ahead then maintaining the stacks is not difficult.
When you get far enough ahead you cut wood when you want to...not when you have to. That makes the process a lot more enjoyable.
& the 3 year plan gives all your wood at least 2 years to season Most all wood will be dry enough to get the BTU content into your house , not up the stack
Most of the wood for next year (Ash and some Beech) was stacked early this year, so 2 summers of drying. There's also about 1.5 cords of Oak that's been stacked for about 2 years that won't get burned until year 3. Wood for year 3 is still being delivered and stacked, but should have close to 2.5 years to dry. Should be mostly Ash, with some Beech and Maple. Really depends on the type of wood, but as Dennis has said many times, it's not just about getting the wood dry. If some life event occurs that keeps you from acquiring firewood for a few months, you'll still be in good shape on the 3 year plan. Couple years ago, I had to have a fairly serious (didn't know that until afterward) hernia surgery. It slowed me down for a while and I won't ever fully recover from it. Not whining, just using myself as an example. Point being, get ahead.......it makes a difference.
Thank you everyone for the kind words on the Primer. We put a little thought into making that one. If memory serves me correct, I started on a wood forum about 9-10 years ago. At first I only went to the main or first forum there. Then I noticed there was one on wood cutting and stacking etc. However, what I noticed most when I started on the forum was that most people knew very little about running a wood stove then I also learned that most folks were not aware of the need to dry their wood properly. In time, someone prompted me and I think I may have posted some pictures of some of our wood stacks which amounted to around 21 cord at that time. Folks were amazed and never dreamed someone would put up that much wood ahead of time and especially me, who burned only around 3 cord per winter. So I started telling folks the benefits of getting ahead and about drying their wood. Quite naturally in time the drying of oak was brought up. I made the comment that around our place we would not try to burn oak until it had been split and stacked for 3 years. It went on from there and evolved into the 3 year plan and I am proud to be one of the authors of it. My hope is that everyone will get on this plan. No, indeed one does not have to stop after getting 3 years ahead! It will probably turn into a hobby and that is great. You may also find yourself in a position to help out someone who may be in need. You might even sell a little bit on the side if you so choose. Just keep having fun at it and keep on smiling too! Someone asked me not too long ago if this could keep being fun for a long time. I guess so. I just turned 74 and still love it. Pulled a couple loads of wood out of the woods just today and enjoyed every minute of it. Now I'm enjoying the heat from some tree I cut probably 5 years ago. Yes, the wood is dry.
I like the three year plan. Been following it for many years. Clean my chimney every year and it is hardly dirty. Wood always burns well.
One eye opener I had with dry wood: species of wood that are known to not burn worth a flip, burn fine when dry. The wet ones... Sycamore, Persimmon, Cottonwood, etc. Some are higher BTU than others but they dry out just as dry as any other wood. And burn fine.
Like said, a lot of good reasons to be three years ahead and if you have oak in your Stacks,, the slowest drying wood, you know it will be ready to go in three years
Backwoods Savage wrote a great primer on woodburning, and it will continue to be a great read for generations to come. After meeting him quite a while ago, I myself started hoarding BIG TIME. Now I'm sitting on 47 cord, most of it is oak, locust, hickory and hard maple...... It's a great feeling to now be over 5yrs ahead.....
Over 5 Years ahead .......>>>. That is an understatement Betting some wood in there left over from building the "Ark" Lol Time for you to post some pics of your stacks lots of new members Have not seen your " Hoard"
