When summer rolls around our part of the Ozarks, the rivers and parks teem with weekend adventurers. And like theEchinaceaplants that dot the roadsides, signs start to spring up selling firewood for campers — at prices that make my head spin.
当你只需要一堆风景如画的篝火来烤热狗和棉花糖时,我想花10美元买一堆木头是这种体验不可或缺的一部分。它确实保护了森林露营地免受一波又一波的觅食露营者的侵袭。
But if you heat your home with wood, as many homesteaders do, you have to think about wood in terms of cords, not bitty bundles. Stocking the woodpile for the winter months is an important annual endeavor, and finding the wood to fill it may be a challenge in your area.
In most parts of the country, the forest and its endless supply of free firewood is now only the stuff of history and Laura Ingalls Wilder novels. No need to despair, though! There is plenty of free firewood still out there in this modern age — you only need to know where to look and who to ask.
Places To Find Free Firewood
Whether you live on a 100-acre homestead or a post stamp of a city lot, it is completely possible to heat your home with a wood stove and not have to fork out a single dollar for the fuel. If you’re willing to put in the legwork, that is. Here are our homestead tips for where to find free firewood safely, legally, and thoughtfully.
Craigslist
我很确定没有比你当地的Craigslist网站更好的免费柴火资源了。虽然你会经常看到劈开的柴火被卖掉,但你也会看到一些人只是想把枯树从院子里搬走,如果有人拿走了它,他们会松一口气。看看“免费”标签。通常,可以在那里找到木材的清单。
以你的时间和旅行的代价,你可以很容易地收集到你想要的木材。养成每天或至少每周查看当地商品清单的习惯。
Another method is to place a “Wanted” ad offering to remove a dead or fallen tree. Someone may take you up on it. We’ve never had a negative experience with our Craigslist pickups, but take a friend you trust along with you in case you feel uneasy about meeting strangers.
Your Own Woodlot
If you have the acreage for it, you can source all of your firewood needs from your own forested property. Managing a woodlot isn’t simply cutting down trees indiscriminately. It’s a multifaceted effort that, when done well, results in a healthy forest, a pleasant place for humans and wildlife alike, a constant source of fuel and building timber, and even an opportunity to make side-income for the homestead.
Though it may sound counter-intuitive, cutting down trees can make a better forest. It’s a balance of removing diseased and dangerous trees, pruning up-and-coming saplings to take their place, leaving the odd snag or two for owls and woodpeckers to nest, opening up the forest floor so fewer plants have to fight for sunlight and nutrients, and truly enjoying the peace of your own private forest.
If you’re interested in learning the art of woodland stewardship, I heartily recommendThe Woodland Stewardby James R. Fazio. It’s a great resource for both understanding and caring for the forest on your property, and goes into far more detail than I can neatly summarize in this brief article.
National Forests (Almost Free)
You may not know it, but many of the wild forests of the United States are still available as a source of firewood to heat your home.For a very small fee per cord— sometimes as little as $5, though the rates vary per state — you can be licensed to harvest firewood from a specific tract of National Forest.
Look through this listto find the National Forest nearest you. Thencheck out this blog postwhich details the process succinctly if you want more information.
Please note that although they are both public lands, National Forests are NOT the same as national parks. National parks are run by the National Park Service (not the Department of the Interior) andcutting down trees there is considered poaching.
此外,仅仅因为可以从国家森林中合法采伐木柴并不意味着你可以在没有经过注册和许可程序的情况下帮助自己。如果你这么做,至少要罚款300美元。
Wood Pallets
Wood pallets make very serviceable firewood. Most of them are made out of untreated hardwoods (you want to make sure younever burn treated wood), and merely need to be pried apart and cut to fit the firebox. And finding free wood pallets is like a treasure hunt, too!
I would recommend saving yourself the hassle of trying to remove every screw and staple from the wood before using them as fuel. Be careful to avoid them when you’re cutting the boards to size, and then burn them without worry. When it’s time to clean the firebox, simply sift the ashes through a screen before you send them to the compost or garden.
ChipDrop
ChipDropis another little-known way you can score some free wood for the woodpile. Basically, you can sign up to be put on a list for arborists to deposit wood chips or logs at your home with free delivery. Even though you can’t schedule the drop-off or specify how much, it’s a pretty sweet deal for the low price of signing up online.
Places Where Land Is Being Cleared
建筑区域通常是破坏性的,但你可以从中获得一些好处。如果你看到一片森林被夷为平地,找一个建筑公司的工人或领班,问他是否可以帮自己拿一些倒下的木材。在我们这个地区,我们经常看到成山的树枝被清理出来用于施工。
You can also benefit from a property being logged. If you live in an area where this is common, you may be able to gather firewood from the discarded crowns and branches of the harvested trees. Loggers are usually after the trunks. But as ever, you’ll need to ask permission from the landowner.
Related Post:Best Log Splitter
Our homestead had been logged by the previous owners before we bought it, and though it was left an absolute mess, it was a mess of branches that we have repurposed or burned ever since.
Brush Cleanup In The City
在早春或秋天,市政部门通常会安排一天来收集枯枝、落叶和其他天然草坪废弃物。找出你所在地区或最近城镇的日期,然后开车去看看是否有人在路边堆了一堆有用的树枝。
虽然树枝的直径可能很小,但它们仍然是很好的木柴。在春天采集会给你整个夏天和秋天,让它们及时干燥,为它们的冬季服务。
Whenever You See A Tree Being Cut
Though this situation can’t be planned in advance, you can sometimes happen upon free firewood just by driving your daily route. Keep an eye out for folks cutting down trees — especially after windstorms. Chances are (especially if you’re not in a rural area) they don’t want the wood, and having someone get it off their property would be a boon.
Just make sure you introduce yourself to the property owner and ask permission before venturing onto private property.
Basics On Harvesting Free Firewood
In most instances, free firewood is free in terms of monetary exchange only. It will still cost you something in effort, time, and skills.
As such, you’ll need to be equipped to gather this resource. Specifically, you’ll probably need a pickup truck and some gloves. And if you’re harvesting the trees yourself, add a chainsaw, safety equipment, felling wedges, and enough experience with felling trees to do it safely.
Related Post:Chopping Wood: A Beginner’s Guide
But don’t be intimidated. The vast majority of the time, especially if you live in a more suburban or urban area, you won’t need to cut down a tree to get firewood. Most of what you need is the gumption to knock on someone’s door and ask (and do remember to ALWAYS ask — even if it’s in a pile at the side of the road). After that, all you need is a splitting maul and a place to stack and cure your future winter heat.
Felling Trees For Firewood
Of course, being able to fell a tree may give you more opportunities, but it comes with significantly more risk. So I write this as earnestly as I can: Do not attempt to fell a tree — especially a tree on someone else’s property–unless you know what you’re doing.
砍伐树木本身就很危险。YouTube上充斥着电锯狂人制造混乱、毁坏房屋、伤害自己的视频。没必要加入他们不体面的行列。
虽然砍伐树木没什么可怕的,但这是一种通过经验学习的技能,而不是拿起一把锯子就希望得到最好的结果。当你是新手时,从小树开始,总是作为一个团队走出去。让一个人看着树,在你切割的时候给你视觉线索。
Also, if you’re blessed to have them accessible, seek advice and guidance from someone who has experience cutting down trees — whether a logger, a knowledgeable neighbor, or a fellow homesteader.
If you’re going to make felling trees for firewood a regular part of your annual routine, learn how to do it as safely as possible. Don’t do it alone, don’t cut a tree that exceeds your skill or tools, and don’t cut on windy days!
When To Gather Free Firewood
The best time of year to gather firewood for the coming winter is during the prior winter. Ideally, you’d want a full year for the split wood to season/dry so that it can burn as cleanly and efficiently as possible. Green wood is full of moisture, and that makes for a low-burning fire that quickly builds up dangerous creosote in the chimney.
Of course, you can’t schedule free firewood opportunities with people. You’ll need to keep an eye out for them year-round. As you gather wood, give yourself an early summer cutoff point for anything you plan to burn the coming winter. After that date, save all your fall and winter-collected wood for use a year later.
Hopefully, this list can help you stock your woodpiles well for next winter, and maybe give you a bit of an adventure, too! As in many situations, all you need to do is take some initiative, ask knowledgeable people some questions, and gather from the abundance that is out there.
你能在这个清单上加上什么免费的柴火技巧吗?你对勇敢的木炉使用者有什么建议?请在下面的评论中告诉我!
Janesays
As I read this alarm bells were going off in my head, while it`s great to get “free“ wood, it is important not to move wood from area to area. The devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle and the emerald ash borer to name just two has been immense. If you source wood, make it local.
Wren Everettsays
I appreciate your concern, Jane, but I must admit, I’m not sure what specifically is ringing your alarm bells. As it says in the title of the article, these are sources of firewood NEAR you–and you can’t get any more local than your own woodlot, your neighbor’s dead tree, the national forest adjoining your property, or your local arborist’s extra wood. Pallet wood shouldn’t be a problem either–it’s not made out of ash wood.https://www.1001pallets.com/what-kind-wood-are-pallet-made-of/并且没有树皮附着。
If it’s the Craigslist idea that’s bothering you, it’s worth mentioning that you can filter the results to show listings within 25 miles–but all the same, for those uninformed, here’s a list of quarantined counties, state-by-state.http://www.emeraldashborer.info/moving-firewood.php#sthash.0NgN8FIM.hXMJFxyr.dpbs
When you say “make it local,” what could possibly be more local than what’s been listed? If there’s an idea I’ve missed, please reply and let me know–I’d be happy to add it to the article.
Carolinesays
Hello Wren,
HS English teacher here..I just wanted to say I have shared your articles on “Insteading” with my students as a preface to reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I am fascinated by the tremendous lifestyle change you and your family have undertaken, and I love to read your articles. We are fascinated by your diligence.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us who are curious about something we have fleeting dreams about but may never try.
Wren Everettsays
As a former teacher myself, I’m bashfully honored! I hope your students have enjoyed the stories, and I hope they also know that we’re not particularly exceptional people–we simply decided to do and DID. I hope those fleeting dreams grow feet and end up landing somewhere real–it’s a journey that is VERY worth the taking.
Dan | Fire And Sawsays
I have one other semi-free idea… barter!
Swapping things you already have for firewood is fantastic in my experience. We have 3 acres of land that our neighbors graze their sheep on. In exchange, or just to say thanks, they give us firewood.
It’s a great deal because we don’t want the responsibility of animals right now, and the sheep are actually helping us out. The wood is a bonus!
But what could you trade for firewood? Excess fruit and veg, use of machinery, a few hours labor doing what you do best?