Finding Firewood (getting started)

[C7W]

Hello Everyone,
I have started cutting firewood for the church firewood ministry but I am not aware of how to find it. What are some ways that you all find firewood? I have no property to cut from, but it seems like some of the others around here never seem to run out of fire wood to sell. I appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

[BSD]

call up some tree service companys and see if they have free wood they want to get rid of. if they're not selling firewood, then its a burden for them most likely.

Otherwise, we have lots of scroungers here, they pick stuff up along the roadside after storms.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

Scrounge

Top ways to get free firewood if you don't own your own woodlot. Right about scrounging--Be ready to take roadside cuts. Carry saw, work clothes and gloves in your truck. :

1. Call arborists: a large part of their job is removing cut wood.

2. Get to know developers clearing lots.

3. Highway depts.

4. Line crews.

5. Kindling and hardwood scraps from building site, cabinetmakers.

6. Millers.

and way last---

7. Federal and state forests. Unfortunately the restrictions and "permissions" are a fat PITA . They don't believe who they work for. ( big job creator for bureaucrats).

 

[Arbonaut]

The fattest cow for a scrounger is bulldoze piles. You gotta know how to approach that safely, however. Always consider which way the pressure lies. Good upright dealing with land owners and communication plus hard work = I have never run out of wood. With your church ministry in mind, post some bulletins at gas stations and the bank, cafe...etc. The other good way is call in on your local AM trading post or swap shop program and fully explain your situation. Somebody will call.

 

[Encore]

Post on Craigslist that you remove downed trees. I used to get a ton of wood off that

 

[mga]

what is a "church firewood ministry"????

sounds like some kind of government office.

you guys need firewood in Sacramento? i mean, how could could it get there?

besides, did;t the state just take down something like 600 trees to move that damn space shuttle around there?

 

[C7W]

True, I think Los Angeles dropped a ton of trees to get the shuttle through town and I was thinking about that wood when they did it. But that is probably 6-8 hours away from where I am by car. I honestly don't think I could move enough wood to make it worth anything at this point with the equipment available in terms of trailer, etc.

I am actually more towards the foothills to the east of Sacramento (but no one has ever heard of some of the small towns where I am).

The firewood ministry is collecting firewood and then giving it to people who need it to stay warm for free on behalf of the church (Calvary Chapel Amador). There are no strings attached, just a way to keep some people in need warm and as somewhat of an outreach without force.

I work as a firefighter/paramedic in Sacramento and have just found that I really like running a chainsaw and cutting wood and I figured that would be a great way to help out our church and community. I'm still just getting started, but with the ideas posted here, I don't suspect I will ever run out of wood. AS is awesome! I think I may have more wood than I can handle with these ideas. It might soon be time to start buying more saws and stuff. !:msp_biggrin:

 

[runBy-B]

I'm kind of just starting, too. I've started looking at trees much differently - what species is that, does it make good firewood, etc...? So now when I'm driving around I notice standing dead trees or trees that have fallen over. In these cases sometimes the property owners don't mind if you remove the tree.

I've also learned a few things - check any downed tree before agreeing to cut it up. Danger factors important but also the level of work involved. For example, in my area I can go cut lodgepole pine in the US Forest - basically straight, with few limbs and dry/dead. This is easy. Second example, 2 firs trees down, craigslist - "free, you cut up." I'm thinking fir-pine can't be so different. I went and started working on these trees and wish I hadn't. The limbs were extensive and many of them under pressure. The trees are green and heavy. The area around the trees is hard to work in. Why didn't I just go into the forest and get dry lodgepole pine?

Free wood doesn't always mean easy wood. I'm learning. Good luck.

 

[Big_Al]

Easiest thing around here if you don't have property is permits from national forest, state land, wildlife area etc. Cheap and usually not too tough to find good wood. Might need some cable & a snatchblock but lots of nice dry wood out there. Don't know how California is but the officials up here are usually easy to work with.

 

[H 2 H]

I went to school down in Cali (just below Sacramento) during the 70's and were I got most of my wood was from walnut orchards they were taking out; they use to post in local newspapers that they were taking out orchards

 

[Gologit]

I went to school down in Cali (just below Sacramento) during the 70's and were I got most of my wood was from walnut orchards they were taking out; they use to post in local newspapers that they were taking out orchards

Those were the good old days. Now the orchardists contract the whole thing out to chippers. The chip outfits come in, take the whole orchard out and leave a nice neat dirt field ready for replanting. No muss, no fuss, nobody suing the landowner if they cut their leg off.

There's still a couple of places I can score almond wood but the old days of whole orchards available to firewood cutters are just about gone.

 

[Gologit]

True, I think Los Angeles dropped a ton of trees to get the shuttle through town and I was thinking about that wood when they did it. But that is probably 6-8 hours away from where I am by car. I honestly don't think I could move enough wood to make it worth anything at this point with the equipment available in terms of trailer, etc.

I am actually more towards the foothills to the east of Sacramento (but no one has ever heard of some of the small towns where I am).

The firewood ministry is collecting firewood and then giving it to people who need it to stay warm for free on behalf of the church (Calvary Chapel Amador). There are no strings attached, just a way to keep some people in need warm and as somewhat of an outreach without force.

I work as a firefighter/paramedic in Sacramento and have just found that I really like running a chainsaw and cutting wood and I figured that would be a great way to help out our church and community. I'm still just getting started, but with the ideas posted here, I don't suspect I will ever run out of wood. AS is awesome! I think I may have more wood than I can handle with these ideas. It might soon be time to start buying more saws and stuff. !:msp_biggrin:

Would you be interested in some pine? There should be some ready up here after the first of the year...if the weather cooperates. It would be small stuff from a thinning, already decked.

 

[Bob95065]

I have done the same thing you are doing for about 10 years. It started out with my friend Steve and I cutting wood to heat our home. We now cut to heat 4 homes and extra for people in need. We help two pastors at our church. They aren't woodsmen but can move brush, stack wood, etc. It's good honest work. We don't cut a lot of wood - about 10 cords for this year. As you know in California we don't need a lot of wood for heat.

We had a nasty fire about 4 years ago that would up centering around the home of one of the elders at our church. We have pulled eucalyptus out of there ever since. The beginning of this year I got access to 900 acres from another member of our church that I got to know through service work I do. He is in charge of the benevolence ministry. In addition to giving me access to his property he gave me 4 saws that I got running. They will go to the two guys that work with us that don’t have equipment.

I got 4+ cords from a highway widening project in our county last summer. The rest of the 10 cords came from the other two sources. I also get referrals from word of mouth through our church. I feel like I am running a small logging crew. People know I like firewood and they know to ask me if they have a downed tree. We respond quickly and don't leave a mess. That's how you get a good reputation and referrals. Not only that the people know what we are doing with the firewood.

I have yet to pay for firewood and I know we are blessed to have it. If you are meant to do this ministry the wood will be provided, just do your part. Not many people find jobs by just sitting on the couch praying. If you put the word out and do your part by getting the word out and looking the wood will come to you. He knows what you need and He is faithful to provide.

 

[C7W]

RunBy-B, I am starting to experience that free wood is not always easy wood !


Big Al, I have already been in the El Dorado NF picking up some pine and a little oak after getting some permits for firewood gathering. You’re right, it is pretty easy to get, but it takes a fair amount of driving and sometimes the snow and the mountain roads make it a little difficult trek, but I am engaging that idea already some.

Gologit, I am interested in almost anything at this point and may be able to spend a few days in the Grass Valley area to get some pine. I live in Rancho Murieta which is in between Jackson and Sacramento on Hwy 16 so it would be a little drive, but a chance to run the saw is awesome!

Bob95065, I have found your last sentence to be very true. He showed me AS and also put me in the right spot to pick up a really large Oak and some pines. What He has showed me in other circumstances is a much larger discussion. It is nice to hear your experiences in your firewood ministry and it reminds me of God’s power, presence, strength and comfort. The guy that really heads up our firewood ministry told me the exact same thing. He told me that he hasn’t ever run out of wood since the program’s inception years ago.

I am so pleased with the series of suggestions and information. There are plenty of ideas I wasn’t aware of and some ideas that have now been verified as viable. Thanks to everyone!
:msp_smile:

 

[H 2 H]

Those were the good old days. Now the orchardists contract the whole thing out to chippers. The chip outfits come in, take the whole orchard out and leave a nice neat dirt field ready for replanting. No muss, no fuss, nobody suing the landowner if they cut their leg off.

There's still a couple of places I can score almond wood but the old days of whole orchards available to firewood cutters are just about gone.

Bummer; that was the easiest fire wood I every got just pull in the orchard (on perfect flat ground) and start cutting in the 5 plus years I was there I couldn't tell ya how many cords I cut and burned

 

[Arbonaut]

I went to school down in Cali (just below Sacramento) during the 70's and were I got most of my wood was from walnut orchards they were taking out; they use to post in local newspapers that they were taking out orchards

If California is like it looks on TV, you could get wood just walking down the street.

 

[haveawoody]

A good place to get some real nice firewood is an apple/plum/peach/cherry etc orchard.
Approach the owner and tell him you are collecting it for the church.

All of the fruit woods are wonderful for firewood.
If you keep things clean before leaving you will have a yearly supply of some of the best smelling highest btu wood.

Fruit wood is 1 year to cure but most orchards have a giant pile of pruned wood already so you will get cured wood on each orchard you visit.

A side benifit of burning fruit wood is it will smell a little like heaven around the church for blocks.

 

[WadePatton]

i've done a little dozier-pile scrounging. It is very dangerous when whole trees are pushed up. It's best to pull and cut whenever you don't have to cut first to get wood out.

Pulling butts and culls is what i'm doing now-from logging "wastes".

When logging isn't going on near me, I get all i need from blowdowns-but i has woodlot.

The guy who sells the most wood 'round here gets his stock from the tree services. The next most productive firewooders follow the logging crews taking tops, butts, and "by catch".

 

[C7W]

Thank you both. The is for the churches ministry. So it actually is for those in real need of firewood to stay warm. I will definitely check out these possiblities! Thank you!

 

[Garmins dad]

Good luck in your search for heat.. PLEASE wear chaps and all the other gear while running your saws...