One
of my favorite homestead assets is our woodstove. There is nothing
quite like the heat of a woodstove on a cold winter’s night. Knowing
that we can make the house as warm as we want without having to worry
about creating some huge electric bill makes the experience seem
almost mischievous.
I
used to be the kind of dad who was constantly reminding the kids to
close the front door to the house so as not to “let any of the bought
air out!” Now that we heat primarily with our woodstove our kids no
longer have to worry when lingering at the front door on a cold
morning. To tell the truth, that little bit of fresh, cold air can be
quite welcome at times.
Knowing that I provided the firewood through my own efforts makes the
experience of a woodstove all the more enjoyable. I can look at that
fire and know that I cut that wood; I split and stacked that wood, and
I… well I get to clean the ash pan later. My point is that the cold
winter’s night is a reminder of the hard work we put in during the
early spring to have our wood split and seasoning all summer long so
that it would burn just like it is now. It is the work of the ant,
endeavoring to prepare while others frolic and play, that is now
enjoyed with great satisfaction.
Our
family time is centered around the woodstove in our living room. I
find that my wife and I share our best conversation while watching the
flickering flames through the glass front door of the woodstove. We
can dream up plans for future homestead projects while enjoying the
comforts that this homestead project provides. This is more than a
subtle reminder of just how much a self-sufficiency project can affect
our lives for the better.
The
installation of the woodstove was quite a project for my wife and I.
We (that means she) picked out the porcelain tile that would match the
décor of our house. We installed plywood and cement board over the
sub-flooring before tiling. We installed cement board over the
existing sheetrock walls and then tiled and grouted. We then had a
professional install the stove and stovepipe. While all that might
have been summed up in a few sentences, I can tell you that this
project took over a week because we were only able to work a few hours
per day. This was a lot of work but one that we are happy to enjoy
for many years to come.
Where
you can get your firewood
The
task of providing firewood is one that I personally enjoy. As we
began transforming our property into a homestead, a handful of trees
had to be cut down. I take some pride in knowing that those trees
were not simply left to rot, but rather, were put to great use in
heating our home and providing ash for our gardens. We will be
replanting other trees in our effort to be good stewards of this land
we call home.
We
will need to thin out some of the old growth trees to allow for new
trees to grow. Much of our land was ravaged by the previous owner who
logged many of the trees and left many more to rot. We have been able
to save most of these for use as firewood, but some will be cleared to
one section of the property where they can compost and provide housing
for whatever animal(s) should choose it.
We
want to keep a good bit of our three and a half acres wooded while affording us the
room to garden and house ourselves and our animals. So far we are
quite pleased with the process and blending of these different
environments. As I cull some trees to make room for others I will
turn them into firewood. As some trees are damaged by storms I will
turn them into firewood. This sized lot will provide some of our wood
but may not provide all that we will need in the future. This leaves
me with the same question many urban homesteaders face, “Where do I
get my firewood?”
