Obtaining Firewood

I have an old boiler in my home and I am interested in obtaining some firewood to help subsidize heating costs this winter. Now I don’t have a ton of money to throw at this so im looking at cheap options. One of those options is that there are people that offer felled trees for free quite regularly. Naturally I would prefer to pay nothing and just chop and split the wood up myself. The problem is I don’t know about trees – I cannot identify them aside from a handful and I am not the most well read person on trees, but I am conscious of the fact that there are diseases that get spread through firewood and I don’t want to contribute to that! The MDA states that I should only buy wood from certified MDA dealers. That’s all well and good but, although I haven’t seen the prices, no doubt they are on the higher end plus there are only a handful of dealers around (according to the website).

How can I responsibly obtain firewood for cheap without spreading disease? If the answer is buy from MDA dealers I will do that. If I am able to positively identify a type of wood and can be certain it is pest free i would prefer to do that. My guess is the answer will be that you cannot be certain that pests are not in trees but i want to know if there are cheaper options for me than to pay top dollar for MDA wood. Also, I realize that the transportation of firewood is illegal across some counties so if this subject is taboo i meant no harm i am simply ignorant and wanting to warm my house as cheaply as i can, so if you can educate me i would gladly take that.

find old pallets, alot of places will let you haul away for free, plus they are mostly hardwood

I’ve got a boxelder tree in the yard that you can have if you come take it down!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I’ve got a boxelder tree in the yard that you can have if you come take it down!

thats just mean

The problem with cutting your own firewood is that you have to be thinking a year ahead. Any trees you’d cut up and split now wouldn’t (unless they had been dead for some time already) be dry enough to burn for at least a year.

If you have the ability to haul it, I know several cities and counties have firewood sales. They save the trees cut up from parks and public property and put it on sale. I believe Ramsey County’s is in the fall. But you have to be able to load and haul it and most sales are 1 day so you have to have the hauling equipment to get whatever you want in 1 day.

Grouse

Put an ad on Craig’s list and you will have all the wood ( I would guess) to cut and move you want. Many with storm damage and the like will gladly have someone cut and take it away for no charge. Some just want some land cleared…for free and trade the wood for the work.

That said, it most likely will not be dry ( if cut and split this year) and burning it greenish in the house wood stove is not a good idea. Outside wood burner/boiler no problem. The kind of wood you get for “free” might be a mix of everything as well –again no big deal in an outside boiler.

There are people who allow cutting up/free wood for “shares”. You cut and split the wood and they get half or ?? Put a feeler ad in the “general” or “farm and garden” section of Craig’s…nothing to lose!

Or…you can buy a wood cutting permit from the DNR and get it off state land. A few bucks for a few cords…using their rules and guidelines.

Feel free to call me for some “heating with wood” mentoring.

Grouse is right about the putting up of the wood in advance for it to season properly. I don’t know if there are any orchards in your area but every few years the trees are pulled out. Fruit and nut trees are considered a hardwood and great burning.

Steve touched on a DNR cutting permit. William Obrien state park for $20 you could go in and cut up wood that has been felled by the STS crews. I dont know if they still do this anymore with the tranporting insects/disease issues but a call to your closest park might be beneficial.

If your near a bigger city call the tree trimming guys, here they will deliver it to your house so they don’t have to pay a tonnage fee at the recycle landfill, semi loads if you want it…

For $10/day or $50/month and close to Ft. McCoy, you can cut wood on the base. No limit on the amount, but no heavy equipment allowed to assist. It is near Sparta, WI

One sure fire way to save on heating is plastic wrap everything!!

Our first house had old doors and windows, went one winter without doing it and regretted it. Cuts costs by over half for us. Even the stupid lil glass windows in the door got covered, huge huge differences in drafts.

I’ve got plenty of oak trees in my backyard. I know nothing about lumberjacking. Probably I only have to let the city know I’m chopping my trees I think. Well I chop up whatever little branches that falls.

I don’t know how you go about doing it, but some lumber Mills around here sell you loads of their end cut wood for cheap. It is kiln dried hardwood.

I think you are overthinking the Tree “AIS” a bit…
Don’t let the DNR get to ya.
Every Tom, Dick and Harry has been cutting and burning wood for years and now they come out with all these scare tactics to get more money in their pockets but selling “certified” wood.

A-men Mark. Ive been burning wood all my life. 66 years. Sure I live in the country but I have farmers calling me to clean up downed trees. Have to turn better than half down, more than I can use.