Locally Grown
Our native oak, cherry and walnut hardwoods are grown on our own woodlot just south of Pleasant Lake here in Washtenaw County. The property has been in Bob Miller’s family since 1943. His father began planting trees here in the 1940s, and Bob has continued that tradition, planting thousands of trees since the early '70s.
Sustainably Managed
Our business is based on the land ethic of conservationist Aldo Leopold. We seek to use the land for “wood, water, wildlife and recreation.” Our careful wood lot management actively promotes the Leopold land ethic of preserving “the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community.”
The trees that we harvest are selected based on a comprehensive woodlot management plan. The factors we consider include:
More recently the plantings have included white and red oak, walnut and sugar maple. These are cared for with the next generation in mind. When you come out to purchase the hardwood you need for that special project you have in mind, we invite you to walk through our woods and see for yourself what inspires us to embrace this ethic of sustainability and land use. Responsibly Harvested
Our harvesting of trees is very low impact. We cut trees mainly in the late fall and winter. Using a small tractor we carry logs out of the woods one at a time on established trails. When a sufficient number of logs are ready we hire a local sawyer to cut our lumber to our specifications. Finally, our boards are carefully stacked and air dried in our barn.
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Logs in the yard, ready for the sawyer
A grove of walnut trees
Carrying logs out of the woods
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