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OWC 2022 Annual Meeting

7/1/2022

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About 30 members gathered on June 18 at Little Beaver Creek Tree Farm near Forest Grove, hosted by Richard & Anne Hanschu. It was the first in-person meeting for two years due to the pandemic. After a brief business meeting, there were several forestry demonstrations on site.

See photos from the event on OWC's Flickr photostream.
 
Mobile Sawmill Demonstration
Dallas Boge brought his new mobile mill, a Woodland Mills HM130 Max. He showed the process of milling lumber from an old cedar pole. His model of Woodland mill can produce dimensional lumber from logs up to 30” diameter. Although it’s made in Canada, there is a local warehouse in Portland so there are no long-distance freight charges. Fiona also took a turn running it.
 
“Clearwood Patch”
Richard Hanschu described the management of their “clearwood patch.” He and Anne planted the stand of Doug fir in 1988 at an initial tight spacing  of 480 tpa. He started pruning the trees in ’97, using the NZ ladder system to remove branches up to 22 ft. They established a 10th acre sample plot to measure growth. The objective, he explained is to grow tight-grain trees with more rings per inch (e.g. 11-12). Roy Anderson is working on thinning the stand to 290 tpa. “Will a mill pay extra for clear, tight-grain logs?,” Richard asked. “It will be up to our grandkids to harvest the stand at the best price,” he said.
 
Thinning and Log Skidding Demonstration
Roy Anderson discussed his work thinning stands at the Hanschu’s tree farm. In addition to his day job as a consulting forester, Roy has been producing and selling firewood through OWC for 11 years (dba Rip City Firewood). It’s a family affair, he explained, involving his wife Jenny and their four kids to help bundle. He sources wood from co-op members, and the family produces 1500-2000 bundles per year, averaging 40-50 per week. He demonstrated skidding a log with his ATV and a plastic skidding cone. The skidding cone helps keep logs from hitting obstacles or collecting brush will being dragged behind the ATV. It’s more maneuverable than an arch, Roy said, and can pull several small logs at a time.
 
SuperSplit Demonstration
Neil Schroeder, Chuck Price and the Hanschus demonstrated the operation of the SuperSplit log splitter which the Co-op sells to members at a discount. They discussed safety and shared tips on how to maintain it for better performance, e.g. lubrication.
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OWC Annual Meeting, June 18

4/25/2022

 
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OWC invites all members to attend our 2022 Annual Meeting on June 18. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we look forward to gathering in person once again. If you are not already a member, this is a great opportunity to learn more about our co-op.
 
Richard and Anne Hanschu will host the meeting at their tree farm near Forest Grove. Following a business meeting and potluck lunch, there will be three live demonstrations to view on the tree farm. Roy Anderson will discuss stand thinning and firewood processing under his small business, Rip City Firewood. Dallas Boge and Lyal Purinton will operate a Woodland Mills HM130 Max XL Woodlander mobile sawmill to produce dimensional lumber from logs up to 30” diameter. And Neil Schroeder and Chuck Price will show off the SuperSplit firewood splitter and the LogRite forestry tools that OWC sells to Co-op members at substantial discounts.
 
Please RSVP no later than June 15 to indicate how many will attend. We ask everyone to please bring a generous potluck dish to share (salads, sides or desserts). Ham will be provided as the main course for lunch. To get the schedule & directions, please RSVP by email to netvetrdh@gmail.com, or call either 503-539-5988 or 503-357-2551.
 
Please note that this will be an outdoor event, rain or shine, so wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.

OWC is moving forward!

4/28/2021

 
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​By Neil Schroeder
 
Our activities this year have set records in many ways.  We have a large increase in membership. Our sales of equipment are accelerating.  Bough sales have increased.  More younger folks are joining our organization. Interest in protecting the environment is much more obvious in the membership.  Bundled firewood sales have nearly doubled!
 
On a negative point several members suffered losses from the terrible fires of last Summer and Fall and the ice storm this winter created severe losses to the woodlands of an even greater number of farms in our membership. Our customers have agreed to help us help our people.  New Seasons stores will sell bundles of firewood obviously retrieved from the burned forest. The ice damaged trees will also be converted to bundles and our customers want to tell their clientele how they are assisting tree farmers in recovery. Rebuilding Oregon forests is high on the list of goals for our members and our business partners.
 
SuperSplit log splitters and Logrite forestry tools are selling faster than the factories can fill the orders. We have enhanced our profits and gained new members through sales of these outstanding products.
 
Our membership continues to change in such a positive way.  If you could just look at a list of the job titles and occupations of each OWC person, you would share my enthusiasm.  Enjoy a conversation with another salesman or a physician or a horse breeder or cut flower grower or a logger or forester or CPA or attorney or teacher or veterinarian or policeman or artist or engineer or videographer or government inspector. You can imagine the considerable skills and qualifications of all, yet the common ground is our beautiful forests and keeping them healthy and productive.
 
Our dedicated members are willing to provide their resources to enhance and build the organization. Through volunteer efforts new customers have been found for firewood boughs and equipment. Videos made by our members are helping us gain new members and new customers.  We have some very creative people in our organization!

April is Proclaimed as Arbor Month in Oregon

3/24/2021

 
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​By Karen Karger
 
As members of the Oregon Woodland Cooperative, we all appreciate the woodlands, forests and even individual trees. Now The Oregon Department of Forestry has announced that Gov. Kate Brown has declared April as Arbor Month, extending the time for communities to plant trees and to celebrate and recognize the importance of trees throughout the state. Quoted in a news release from the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Oregon State Forester Peter Daugherty explains, “There has long been a broad understanding of the economic and environmental benefits of our forestlands, but this proclamation helps highlight the equally vital social benefits that both rural and urban forests provide to the people of Oregon.”
 
Kristin Ramstad, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, says Arbor Month is the perfect time to reflect on the contribution trees make – to our physical, mental and emotional health, to the livability of our communities, to our safety, the quality and quantity of our air and water, and to our economy.
 
The month-long celebration comes at a time when many of our members, friends and neighbors are still recovering from the devastating wild fires last year and we recognize the need for vast tree-planting efforts.
The proclamation was the result of more than a year of collaboration between the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program and Oregon Community Trees, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy urban and community forests. The full text of the proclamation can be read here.

New Video Shows the Amazing SuperSplit Log Splitter in Action

11/9/2020

 
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By Karenga Ross
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OWC member, Roland Ross, is a videographer in the Portland metro area.  He records commercials and short films for small business in the area and recently completed a second set of videos for the OWC, showcasing the power and ease-of-use of the SuperSplit log splitter.  Roland joined OWC four years ago after purchasing a home in Unincorporated Washington County, Oregon on 36 acres of Douglas Fir with his wife and kids.  Our very own OWC member and Master Woodland Manager, Neil Schroeder, ventured to the Ross homestead to help them on their path to forest stewardship.  With a forest management plan in place, the Ross family began to care for their property and are now certified American Tree Farmers through the Oregon Tree Farm System (OTFS).

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This recent video shoot of the OWC distributed SuperSplit log spitter took place at OWC member, Lyal Purington’s farm where he used his SuperSplit J Model 5.5 HP Honda Gas Engine log spitter with extra wide production table, ergonomic handle, and heavy duty bearings to showcase how quickly and easily he cuts through large and small pieces of wood. Neil, once again, served as our voice-over talent to talk through the benefits and features of the SuperSplit.  Huge thank you to OWC member Karen Karger for creating the script!  Roland used a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone to record flying over the forest and into Lyal’s work area.  Then, Roland circled the drone around Lyal as he cut through large logs and chucked them right into the back of his truck and then smaller logs right into a wooden bin.  Roland then switched to his iPhone with BeastGrip case to record Neil’s OWC bundled wood shots.  The SuperSplit performed flawlessly every time and it was truly a team effort! ​See the new video on OWC's YouTube channel.

Innovative Methods of Firewood Production

10/27/2019

 
By Susan Schmidlin

Producers of firewood for the Oregon Woodland Co-op made their way to member Lyal Purinton's farm to see his innovative production techniques.

Lyal has built a specialty sawhorse that can hold several small 8 foot long logs in place at one time. The grooves are set so the chainsaw can slip between the top vee thereby holding the logs in place while cutting the logs into uniform 16 inch blocks. From the sawhorse, the blocks are placed on a staging table near the Super Splitter where Lyal can quickly split the blocks into sizes for the bundles, load cribs for storage and sort the wood out that is not of a high enough quality to be used in the bundles. The wood that gets rejected for bundles is graded during this process to determine if it can be sell-able in bulk, or if it stays on the farm to be used in the shop/ kiln as the heat source to dry the wood.

Lyal's shop is heated with a small earth stove. On the end of the building  by the stove, fans on the top racks push air one direction while fans on the lower deck push the air in the opposite direction creating a circular flow throughout the whole building. Dehumidifiers are used to extract the excess moisture and are hooked to hose bibs that take the water outside the building.

The interior building design, with the top 'floor' that can retract and extend, allows for 12 cribs of firewood to be placed easily with the front loader forks on the tractor. Kiln dried wood can be ready for sale in six weeks as opposed to naturally dried firewood taking a minimum of six months. Even the stacking technique for the finished product has been thought out. Lyal stacks the bundles on the pallets with the label side facing out rather than up.

This simple trick helps keep the smoother side edges as the ones for the base of the next row rather than the more bumpy label side. This allows for not only a more stable way to transport, but also makes each pallet easier to stack the rows six high rather than the usual four high for more efficient transport.

OWC offers members discounts on SuperSplit

10/7/2018

 
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By Neil Schroeder

We are now a dealership for Supersplitter Company.  They manufacture the fastest small log splitter on the market.  This wonderful machine is very well built, has almost no maintenance problems and is a pleasure to use.  Most of the folks presently involved in the OWC firewood program are now using them because it dramatically increases production and allows us to split the wood in the sizes needed to make exemplary bundles. It is possible for two folks to easily split a cord an hour with the Supersplit!
 
As a dealer we can now offer discounts to members. We believe we should pass on the benefits achieved from being a dealer to our members. If you own forestland in Oregon, you are welcome to apply for OWC membership.
        
Find further information here on all the SuperSplit models and options that are available to customize your machine.

For more information, price quotes and to order, contact owc@owco-op.com or (888) 800-1192

Annual Meeting a Success!

5/7/2018

 
PictureMike Howell demonstrates the Supersplit firewood splitter.
Over 50 OWC members and guests attended the 2018 Annual Meeting on April 28.  Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success.  Ken Nygren helped bring the group back to basics with his talk about poles and piling.  Mark Havel accomplished his usual super presentation on low impact logging using the arches and demonstrating good chainsaw technique.  I think many who were there were very impressed.

Mike Howell did an excellent job demonstrating the Supersplit machine and explaining the techniques of making our high quality firewood bundle. Thanks to Lynn and Barb who did a great job in presenting the financials during our business meeting. Greg Wildhaber and wife Caroline blew us away with the wonderful flavors and delicious pork roast. 

Neil is stepping down as President this year and was recognized for his many years of service to OWC. He and Ardis were most appreciative of the beautiful engraved wood gifts.  The Myrtlewood Pie display piece is spectacular and the Rosewood pen set is most appreciated.  Thank you all again for the great meeting and all of the work you did to get things done in time and cleaned up afterward. 

OWC 2018 Annual Meeting, April 28

3/30/2018

 
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Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm (doors open 7:30 am)
Kinton Grange, 19015 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Beaverton, OR

 
All OWC members and their families are invited to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting on April 28. Starting at 9:00 am, there will be a brief business meeting. President Neil Schroeder will report on the state of the Co-op, and members will vote on proposed Bylaws amendments and to elect new officers.
 
Program
Ken Nygren, a consulting forester and partner with White Oak Natural Resource Service near Hillsboro, will talk about the high-value utility pole market. Working with Bell Timber as the buyer, Ken will describe how landowners can manage select stands for poles. Large diameter Douglas fir and western redcedar poles sourced from the Northwest command top dollar and have no competition in the rest of the US.
 
Demonstrations
OWC is now the local distributor for the SuperSplit log splitter, a high-speed kinetic machine that out-performs hydraulic splitters. Our distribution agreement means that OWC can now offer a substantial discount on the most popular machines to its members. There will be demonstration set up to show the SuperSpit in action. Details on discount pricing and ordering will be provided.
 
OWC is also now a dealer for LogRite Tools. LogRite makes a wide variety of tools and equipment useful for working in the woods, including log arches, cant hooks, peaveys, axes, etc. Again, OWC will be able to pass along savings to its members. Some of the products will be on display, along with discount pricing and ordering info.
 
Potluck Lunch
We will share a potluck lunch, so please bring a generous salad, side dish or dessert. The main dish will be a delicious pork barbecue prepared by Greg Wildhaber.

We hope to see you there!

Custom Furniture Inspired by Oregon’s Forest

1/4/2018

 
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When not taking care of trees on their tree farms, several OWC members make custom furniture from trees sustainably harvested from native Oregon trees. We make several styles, including stump tables, tree ring tables and benches. They are sold through the Co-op’s ally, Oregon Heartwood.
 
Our Forest Furniture pieces are one-of-a-kind furnishings for modern living spaces. The stump tables are fashioned from native trees sustainably thinned from Arbor House Tree Farm in Oregon. Most of our stump tables are made from Douglas-fir but other native species such as madrone may be available. The bark is removed and the wood air-dried before the tops are hand-sanded.
 
We fashion each table as a custom order to the customer’s specifications, subject to stock on hand. We can apply a choice of durable finish to the tops and/or sides, and either adjustable feet or felt cushions on the bottoms.
 
Our tree ring tables are made from sustainably harvested Douglas-fir or Bigleaf Maple. Evenly-sliced tree "cookies" are carefully dried and seasoned to prevent splitting. Painted metal hairpin legs make a sturdy table. The tops can also be purchased separately, if you want to provide your own table legs, use it as a centerpiece on your dining table, or hang it on the wall.
 
For more information about ordering custom Forest Furniture, please visit Oregon Heartwood.

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  • Home
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