jeff joseph -- woodworker
handcrafted furniture from sustainably managed woodlands
Tag: Science
bats
Ten years ago, I started planting and tending a backyard orchard of about 50 fruit trees. From the outset I have been attempting to manage it organically, which in the northeastern U.S. is no small challenge, as there are a great many other life… Continue Reading “bats”
tree medicine
Just ran across this article, which describes a statistically significant correlation between the presence (or absence) of trees and human health. In urban areas of the upper midwest most heavily affected by the Emerald Ash Borer—which has in the past 10 years killed over… Continue Reading “tree medicine”
tree to tabletop
For a woodworker, one of the great advantages of milling your own lumber is that it allows for the design and construction of pieces of furniture with boards all sawn from the same log (or at least same tree), ensuring matching colors, grain patterns,… Continue Reading “tree to tabletop”
‘vernal’ pools
In 2011, I applied for and received grant funding to implement a number of conservation and habitat improvement measures on my land. The funding came from the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the… Continue Reading “‘vernal’ pools”
Tsuga canadensis part 1: the wood
Hemlock isn’t a glamorous wood. It is coarse, brittle, and full of splinters. It has no value as a furniture wood, it checks and warps significantly as it dries, often randomly splits apart where its growth rings meet, and its rock hard knots can… Continue Reading “Tsuga canadensis part 1: the wood”
pollination!!!
After a few nerve-wracking frosty nights in a row (down to 30 degrees or so), today is in the 70’s, sunny, and the pollinators are out! In addition to honey bees, there are bumble bees, flies, ants, and a number of other insects I… Continue Reading “pollination!!!”
Prunus persica
In my last post, I talked about grafting apple trees as a way to grow more or different varieties on an existing tree. One thing I didn’t fully address in that discussion is why pretty much all fruit trees you might purchase are topworked… Continue Reading “Prunus persica”
tree surgery
Tough thing when starting an orchard is deciding what varieties to choose from among the literally thousands available. If you’re lucky, there is a grower near you selling lots of different types that you can sample, or maybe at least a grocery that stocks… Continue Reading “tree surgery”
shinrin-yoku
“Go sit in the woods.” My friend Bobbie and I used to joke that if anyone ever complained to either of us about any type of malady or imbalance—physical, emotional, spiritual, whatever—that this would thereafter be our universal refrain and prescription, as we each… Continue Reading “shinrin-yoku”
crop trees
In the early years of owning my woodland, when out in the woods, I had a tendency to look at each of my trees in isolation—without the context of their immediate surroundings. “Here’s a Yellow birch, here’s a Sassafras, here’s a Red Maple”, etc….I… Continue Reading “crop trees”
jeff joseph -- woodworker 