Thoreau said when you heat with wood it will warm you twice, once when you cut it and again when you burn it. One acre of land can produce a face cord of fire wood a year indefinitely. We have read that four acres of land can produce enough wood to heat your home for a winter. It seems like a small amount of land for big returns. We buy the bulk of our wood but do cut a certain amount from our land each year to supplement our supply. Hubby tends to cut only old rotting trees and gathers any fallen limbs and branches that are large enough to be burnable.
This little hobby of his led us on the perfect chain saw search a couple years ago. For the record it turned out to be a Husqvarna.
A wood burning fire with its glowing embers and roiling flames is beautiful and mesmerizing. Our house feels warm and cosy, no matter what the weather outside when our wood stove is fired up. There are other benefits that come with heating with wood. The ashes themselves are remarkably useful. Just yesterday I used ashes on our icy walkway; sprinkled on the ice and snow they provide a wonderful gritty surface that enables you to safely walk. Wood ash is a wonderful addition to the garden. Mixed in with the soil, wood ash provides additional nutrients that help produce stronger, healthier plants. Since reading this a few years ago I have made sure all my flower and vegetable beds get a liberal sprinkling of ashes each spring.
I am a romantic about nature and wood is a bit of nature. The wood gathering, hauling and stacking bring us close to nature and is a reminder of trees and forests. Heating with wood is certainly a great choice for us living in the country...and lets not forget, our dogs would agree that beside the wood stove is their favorite place in the house to curl up.
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