HARDWOOD LOGS & FIREWOOD
THE SUSTAINABLE JOURNEY FROM FOREST TO FIRE
Your load of logs from Forest to Fire has been sourced from mixed native hardwoods managed on a very long crop rotation. They are thinned every 5-8 years removing the smaller trees and leaving the rest to continue growing. The coppicing cycle has traditionally been carried out in the UK for hundreds of years.
We plant and grow species in cycles that can take as much as 150 years to complete. Tree varieties include Beech, Ash, Birch, Field Maple, Sycamore and Oak. Each time we thin a compartment the same volume of wood per hectare is removed. The remaining trees grow to fill the gaps in the canopy and new trees are planted.
Coppicing creates woodland that can provide a consistent yield for decades whilst retaining a viable canopy that allows continued timber growth. The process ultimately results in fewer, larger trees which are not only valuable for their timber, but which also provide an invaluable and diverse range of habitats to thrive, increasing biodiversity within the woodland for invertebrate and vertebrate species.
THE FOREST TO FIRE TIMELINE
1. The Process Begins
The journey from Forest to Fire begins when a seedling sprouts into the light or a new tree is planted. In March of each year our workforce is out in the woods planting thousands of tiny sapling trees.
At our parent company, MJO Forestry, we take pride in the fact that we have planted more than one million trees in the last thirty years creating sustainable woodland and the variety of habitats synonymous with young plantations. It will take another thirty years until this year’s plantation of hardwood, such as Beech, are thinned for the first time creating a product that can be seasoned and used as firewood.
2. Wood Harvesting
Thinning takes place throughout the year and by carefully choosing which tree to remove from the crop the remaining trees are left in a healthy position to grow taller and add girth, eventually becoming timber for furniture after many cycles of thinning.
Once felled the wood is stacked in the woods and left to season naturally for at least a year before being hauled back to the Pickle Yard for processing and further drying in our wood crates.
3. Processing The Wood
The Wood harvested is brought back to our yard for processing. A firewood processor splits the logs and enables us to produce a standardised product. Our logs are from Ash, Beech and Sycamore trees and provide a hardwood mix which are suitable for both on open fires and in Log Burners.
We can split your logs to your specification with the standard 20cm log being the most popular. Our logs are from the many hardwood species growing in our extremely varied woodlands, but all are suitable for open fires as well as log burners. The mixed hardwood species include; Beech, Ash, Sycamore, Field Maple, Norway maple, Alder, Birch and Hazel. Oak can be ordered separately when supplies allow.
The photo above shows one of the conveyor belts filling up our wood crates.
4. Seasoning The Logs
We finish seasoning our logs in crates through the summer months to ensure that our logs for the coming winter are available for prompt delivery to our customers when they place their orders.
Our firewood business has grown fast and in 2017 and we have introduced new processes to enable us meet the high demand for firewood. The round wood that has been seasoning for least a year is now processed. Once the wood has been split it is then left to finish drying in our custom-built wood crates which are made by us using our own softwood and milled in our sawmill. This system ensures that we have adequate seasoned wood stored and ready for delivery.
5. We Take Your Orders
At Forest to Fire we want the whole ordering process to be as easy as possible for you. We can take your logs orders over the phone on 01243 811806 and will take the details about your order, including:
1. The volume of wood you require,
2. The log length required
3. A convenient delivery time, and
4. Instructions about where you would like our driver to tip the load (this is usually onto your driveway or similar).
We also make bespoke log stores, designed to store your wood at home exactly where you need it to be.
If you wish to purchase a bespoke Garden Log Store from us just let us know when you place your logs order. We will arrange for our driver to take the appropriate measurements when he comes to deliver your logs and advise you of your options when it comes to shape, the volume of wood to be stored and even whether you would like a bird box attached!
6. We Deliver Your Logs
We run a free delivery service within fifteen miles of our yard, if you live outside our free delivery zone we will give you a delivery price when you call to place your order.
Our brand new tipper truck can deliver one, two, three or as much as four cubic metres (pictured) of split logs at a time depending on your needs. Tipped directly onto your drive way or anywhere within reason we will always arrive on the date agreed to provide you with a first-rate product. All the logs are certified as ‘Ready to Burn’ and may be purchased in the following sized loads:-