WinonaRail's Wood Yard

Working my score yesterday when a guy stops by asking about the wood. Turns out he lived a block away and wanted some for his smoker. I struck up a conversation and turns out he is a very active member on a smoking forum. Gave him my number so hopefully this will lead to some sales.

 

Got a response this morning for my smoker wood on FBM. Guy wanted 3 cherry, 3 apple and 4 oak. He drove 45 minutes as we met up at noon at a commuter lot less than five minutes from storage. Easy sale. Good money in these sales! My oak is getting low. Is red oak heartwood just as good as white oak for smoking? My intent was more for pizza ovens.

 

Well done getting another smoking wood customer! Red oak is my biggest seller, followed by cherry. I tend to mix red and white oak (honestly I put out what is dry) and most of what I get locally is red oak. People seem to like it. The majority of what I sell is barkless heartwood (for smoking) regardless of species. The less pretty stuff is part of bulk mixed hardwoods.

 

Ill have to remember that. Thanks for the tip.

My bundle wood is almost gone here at my house. Rather than refill I'm thinking of doing just the smoker woods here. Kind of a PITA to run to storage to grab a few and meet for a sale. I have room for four cord of bundle wood here and with the addition going on the shed it will hold 12 cord now so it will pretty much be the area for wholesale bundles. With little bits of smoker wood here and there it will be a bit easier to store and assemble here. (I hope) Always a work in progress.

Have you ever sold any rounds/blocks/splits to carvers or turners Gary?

 

Apparently there aren't any carvers in this area. I've sold rounds for seating. That's probably the only non-firewood use I can think of.

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I did some spring cleaning tonight. I have 2 beds in the front yard with 3 river birch trees each. They're really pretty trees but extremely dirty. They drop branches if you just look at them.

I hauled 2 loads of branches back to my burn pit. Probably 6-7 more loads to go. And I found another use for the Harbor Freight bed unloader.

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Ugh, wish I never planted River Birch!!

 

And the wood from it isn't that great. Kinda on my do not take list.

 

I have 6 total. I learned my lesson. They're really pretty trees but I won't be planting more.

 

Got another order for smoker bundles. He wanted nuggets but only had pear. Asked him if 8" long pieces would work. He said yes. So the 241 cut four 16" bundles in half. Never tried it before and it worked like a charm. One bundle the exhaust melted the wrapper a bit. Whatever it takes to keep a customer happy.
He'll pick up at my place Monday. No meet up. I'm liking that. View attachment 448092

 

That's great, yall. Our restaurant wants some bark on their wood.

 

The heartwood doenst seem to get any borers on the cherry or hickory so I try to use it. Haven't seen any borers on the mulberry so bark stays.

I ask when they buy and most don't care, but they like the cleaner barkless wood.

 

Well the guy came through. Great communication. Turns out he works in my town so convenient.
Im thinking/hoping smoking wood sales will be steady through the warm weather. Ill slowly start bringing it here. I cleaned up a stacking area and have some hickory stacked already. Just a matter of keeping a dry wood inventory going.

27 bundles sold in a months time. Nothing compared to you guys im sure. Wouldn't mind that every month on top of other wood sales.

 

Picked up another load of large splits from my farmer buddy to supplement my inventory, make bundle wood and to add to a bulk delivery. The roadside stand is getting busy so I need to keep it full.

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You might get used to the luxury of selling from home. It's a big time saver!

 

Looks great

 

I was also thinking of reducing the number of bundles they have to buy. As of now five is the minimum order. Thought of making it three. She wasn't keen on having folks come here.

 

2 or 3 is a nice number. I sell quite a few in that range. However, if management isn't happy about the arrangement...

 

I brought home another load of mostly black walnut with a little cherry. I don't have access to the skid steer for the next few months so I'm adjusting to finding other ways to move wood around.

I have a tote to the left of the splitter for bulk wood. It won't be moving but is staged so I can pull from it to fill the roadside stand. The nicer splits went on the cart to store in my barn until I need to make bundles. It isn't ideal but I'll keep perfecting the method.

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Yep, we do what we have to...
Nice work, my friend