Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Very cool, would be interesting to hear how that works.

Agreed. That is a huge undertaking.

The Greene County Firewood Ministry arose out of two local churches discovering that they were both cutting firewood for the disadvantaged. I am not sure when they actually got together. I started helping them around 2008 or 2009. At the time, they were unincorporated and working on Saturdays out of the remains of an old practice bomb manufacturing plant. Much of the wood was scrounged; most of which was cut to firewood length in the field and brought to the woodlot on modified single and double axle landscape trailers. At the woodlot, the wood was split using a variety of hydraulic splitters. The wood was delivered using the same trailers. Recipients were pre-qualified through the local food bank. At the time approximately 300 trailer loads were delivered each season which ran from October through April. The intake pretty much matched the demand so there was little to no stockpiles (or time to season). In 2011, the ministry was incorporated.

As time progressed, many partners joined in the endeavor. Local churches provided breakfast and lunch, a local industry loaned a skid steer, the sheriff provided inmates, the city provided a roll-off for the worthless uglies, tree services dropped off wood, various business provided goods and services free or at a reduced cost, various groups brought in volunteers to work for a Saturday. It all meshed for mutual benefit. Inmates got fresh air and home cooked meals with some good folks, the government got a reduction in the wood load at the landfill, volunteer groups had a new project to gather around, tree services got a convenient in-town location to drop off wood, and lots of folks were kept warm. As the need began to grow, the ministry began to upgrade the landscape trailers to dump trailers. Among other things, this allowed folks in their 70s and 80s to deliver wood. It also saved labor on the intake end. A skid steer splitter attachment was acquired to splitter biger stuff in to quarters. Splitters were upgraded to SuperSplits with some initial assistance from the manufacturer. Additional skid steers were added with skeleton buckets. And the demand continued to grow.

Then came Covid - no more inmates, no home cooked meals and far fewer volunteers. The ministry responded to Covid by seeking additional funding sources and using the funds to further mechanize with a core group of volunteers working essentially full time year round – they are affectionately known as the Filthy Few. We now have 4 wood processors with conveyors, more skid steers, a Kubota compact tractor with forks, and a new facility lent to us. As of February, the ministry was serving 349 families and had delivered over 1800 loads in the 21/22 season. Due to the dangers and liability concerns, the ministry doesn’t fell trees. That task is usually offered to me. If I believe it is reasonable safe and productive, I try to accommodate the tree owner.

With Covid declining, a few more volunteers are appearing and some food is returning.

Ron

2012
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So I got a few days off now it's time to start in on some firewood. My circulator for the OWB finally died so heating hot water with propane 3 weeks earlier then usual. That leaves me with over 7 cord for this fall. Got the new Energy efficient circulator pump and a spare cartridge back up just incase it dies on a nice 5* night. Sharpened up 8 chains today to start with. .
Got 2 jerry cans last week. One diesel and one gas and they came with DOT and OSHA Compliant spouts. Got some real spouts from Great Britain, army surplus . The DOT and OSHA Compliant spouts take a few minutes to dispense now it's seconds. Got to love the cans, They seal well so I don't worry about spills or fumes in the car.
View attachment 981457
You think 8 chains will "cut it".
Link to the cans/spouts please :).
 
The Greene County Firewood Ministry arose out of two local churches discovering that they were both cutting firewood for the disadvantaged. I am not sure when they actually got together. I started helping them around 2008 or 2009. At the time, they were unincorporated and working on Saturdays out of the remains of an old practice bomb manufacturing plant. Much of the wood was scrounged; most of which was cut to firewood length in the field and brought to the woodlot on modified single and double axle landscape trailers. At the woodlot, the wood was split using a variety of hydraulic splitters. The wood was delivered using the same trailers. Recipients were pre-qualified through the local food bank. At the time approximately 300 trailer loads were delivered each season which ran from October through April. The intake pretty much matched the demand so there was little to no stockpiles (or time to season). In 2011, the ministry was incorporated.

As time progressed, many partners joined in the endeavor. Local churches provided breakfast and lunch, a local industry loaned a skid steer, the sheriff provided inmates, the city provided a roll-off for the worthless uglies, tree services dropped off wood, various business provided goods and services free or at a reduced cost, various groups brought in volunteers to work for a Saturday. It all meshed for mutual benefit. Inmates got fresh air and home cooked meals with some good folks, the government got a reduction in the wood load at the landfill, volunteer groups had a new project to gather around, tree services got a convenient in-town location to drop off wood, and lots of folks were kept warm. As the need began to grow, the ministry began to upgrade the landscape trailers to dump trailers. Among other things, this allowed folks in their 70s and 80s to deliver wood. It also saved labor on the intake end. A skid steer splitter attachment was acquired to splitter biger stuff in to quarters. Splitters were upgraded to SuperSplits with some initial assistance from the manufacturer. Additional skid steers were added with skeleton buckets. And the demand continued to grow.

Then came Covid - no more inmates, no home cooked meals and far fewer volunteers. The ministry responded to Covid by seeking additional funding sources and using the funds to further mechanize with a core group of volunteers working essentially full time year round – they are affectionately known as the Filthy Few. We now have 4 wood processors with conveyors, more skid steers, a Kubota compact tractor with forks, and a new facility lent to us. As of February, the ministry was serving 349 families and had delivered over 1800 loads in the 21/22 season. Due to the dangers and liability concerns, the ministry doesn’t fell trees. That task is usually offered to me. If I believe it is reasonable safe and productive, I try to accommodate the tree owner.

With Covid declining, a few more volunteers are appearing and some food is returning.

Ron

2012
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That's a lot of loads :oops:.
Surprised they let the uglys go, seems someone would want them for an OWB or something.
I see a wheelbarrow like mine(the blue one), and the splitter I currently have(Grey huskee hiding behind the supersplit).
 
That's what many folks do when you give them a little power, but don't give them the real power, they flex what little they have:muscle: ;). The ones with actual "power" control the hammer:dumb::lol:. I've never been bother by either myself :popcorn2:.
Saw this at the gas station, don't think I posted it here, forgive me if I did.
I wonder if I could repackage each piece and list them for more to sell for furniture making or bowls, looks to be HVBW, any thoughts 🤔.
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That's cheap compared to what they are getting around here. $9.99 for .75 C.F. of firewood and $7.99 for kindling. The kindling is scrap dimension lumber and trim!
 
Oh well I guess I can’t show ya this picture of todays smoking ...

You'd best not.
Mr.GQ may choose to delete it because it has nothing to do with the comradery of the scrounging brethren .

I found this smilie on this site :****you: , that's the finger that I squished years ago doing firewood .
 
Looked out the window yesterday and decided it was a good day for scrounging.

15th Apr 2.jpg

Went back out to the farm and put the first tank through Limby. I think it was 57 cuts.

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Again, almost as much rot and termite junk as good wood in these logs.

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I finally realised that splitting out the junk takes more time for less wood than just splitting solid rounds but the bits that are nice will be good burning.

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You'd best not.
Mr.GQ may choose to delete it because it has nothing to do with the comradery of the scrounging brethren .

I found this smilie on this site :****you: , that's the finger that I squished years ago doing firewood .

If we only had scrounging posts, this thread would only be about 6 pages long and 5 of those would be of @H-Ranch 's wheelbarrow.
 
Hey Neil !
You should grab a canoe and paddle across the pond .
The house lot that I'm clearing has a bunch of yellow birch and a bit of maple, mostly one split wood, the clients want it for firewood so I leave it behind .
I made the mistake of telling them that they best move here to Igloo and split it before it gets soft .
The project manager asked this week if I have time to CSS and how much .
I got call yesterday to go look at another house lot , the fella told me that 2 developers gave him my name .
He told me that he had a lot of real nice trees that he wanted to save and wanted to know what kind of machinery I used .
I told him that I was the machine lol
I'll meet with him after I wrap up this project .
The golfcourse gig starts soon, I'll make sure that you can get next years fuelwood :)
 
@rwoods Thanks for the share, that's an awesome project, kudo's to all involved.
Sent a couple bux to help out. https://www.mightycause.com/donate/Greene-County-Firewood-Ministry
Took my free CL find dolmar 111 out for the first time today.
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Cut from the neighbors woods, a "just" infected ash that was leaning towards my place. mebby 16" D
that's an 18" bar. Bore cut and it went well.
Found an about 24" DBH dead ash in my own woods the other day.
Going to be careful on that one it's already lost a lot of the bark and it's in a 40 year old pine plantation that's never been trimmed.
 
That's a lot of loads :oops:.
Surprised they let the uglys go, seems someone would want them for an OWB or something.
I see a wheelbarrow like mine(the blue one), and the splitter I currently have(Grey huskee hiding behind the supersplit).

Rwoods your a good man helping so many people. That's a huge undertaking. Much respect.

@rwoods Thanks for the share, that's an awesome project, kudo's to all involved.
Sent a couple bux to help out. https://www.mightycause.com/donate/Greene-County-Firewood-Ministry
Took my free CL find dolmar 111 out for the first time today.
View attachment 981523
Cut from the neighbors woods, a "just" infected ash that was leaning towards my place. mebby 16" D
that's an 18" bar. Bore cut and it went well.
Found an about 24" DBH dead ash in my own woods the other day.
Going to be careful on that one it's already lost a lot of the bark and it's in a 40 year old pine plantation that's never been trimmed.
Chipper1 - Uglies are usually from yard maples - 4 to 6 feet across at top where 4 or more 12” to 18” limbs sprout. Most everything else gets split.

JRM - I usually have enough fun that it is hard to say that I am doing it because I am a good guy. It is good exercise too. Some golf to relax; I cut wood. I have a full time job so my time spent is a drop in the bucket compared to the Filthy Few.

gggGary - much appreciated.

Ron
 

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