The Orchardman is your friend


 
Pete Z

Pete Z

TVWBB Super Fan
Check out these stocking stuffers that I made up in December. I talked to the owner of the orchard last August asking if they ever had any prunings that I could have. Better than that, he said, was that he was pulling out a field of older trees to make way for a new planting. I went back after Thanksgiving and cut as much as I wanted. The variety was Winesap, which is one of my favorites
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, but I know that he still has plenty of Stayman Winesaps so I am happy about getting all of this wood
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.

So, how much wood did I get? I quit cutting when my arm could hardly lift the chainsaw (OK, I work in an office
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). Here is a picture of my loaded truck:

truckload

I then chunked up a bunch using my miter saw and hatchet. Yes, I still have as many fingers as I started out with (they are not all as long as they used to be, but that is a whole 'nother story...). Here is my final product:

final product

Note the demon child to the left - it is really creepy when she lights her eyes up red like that
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.

I took one bin up north with me over Christmas and left it with my little brother. What a lucky guy.
 
Nice find there Pete. A apple orchard here in town basically run me off a few months back saying I couldn't have anything. I am still working on it though.

I might need to make a trip that way before spring. I can't find any good wood around here anywhere without ordering and shipping.

Good looking kids there too,,,my daughter is 14 and that demon look gets worse with age, trust me!!

Randy
 
Nice score on the wood source. I've been pondering visiting a few local growers to see if I can raid their slash piles in the spring.
 
Great job. Yes it is nice to know an orchard owner. My father-in-law went to a local orchard and grabbed me a good armful of wood. I think it is apple and pear. Free wood is the best wood.

I would recommend that you go back and get one (or more) of the trunks. Those big pieces of wood are great. My father-in-law got me a trunk when his neighbor cut down an apple tree. It was about 3 feet long and about 6" thick. He cut it into 4-6 inch sections and now I just whack off a chunk with my hatchet when I need some for cooking. Makes for some nice chunks.

Did I say my father-in-law is a pretty good guy? Well he is and he likes my cookin' so when I told him I needed some wood, he got on it. I'll cook him some ribs anytime.
 
I would be a little concerned that the trees may have been sprayed with pesticides. Being a telephone repairman, I always keep an eye out for fruit trees when working in someones backyard. With permission, I will usually snip a branch or two. I always have a supply of apple, cherry, and pear. Free wood makes me happy.
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I have two apple trees and two cherry trees in my backyard that require regular pruning (and pruning for the apples). In pre-WSM days, I would save out some of the larger limbs for anyone who wanted them. More often than not, they would sit unclaimed for several months and eventually ended up at the local yardwaste/brush dropoff. It seemed like such a waste. It won't be anymore!
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While I am thinking about it -- Since I have everything from twigs to bigger limbs when I prune, how small is too small to use?

Mike
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bruce Bissonnette:
Nice score on the wood Pete, now perhaps with the money you saved on shipping you can get the kids some shoes.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dude, I live in Tennessee...shoes optional and not always expected. Too warm this year for shoes, anyway.

Pesticides...yes, I have thought of this and I will remove the bark as I use the chunks. My uncle (who also owns an orchard) is adament that I remove all bark from orchard trees before using in the smoker.
 
Pete,

Don't the pesticides that the orchards use have a short effectiveness due to the fact that they are sprayed on a food product? I haven't actually used any of the wood I got from the orchard yet, but I wasn't thinking of taking off the bark. That sounds like too much work for a lazy bbqin guy like me. If there is any residual, I just won't be using the wood. Could you or your uncle please elaborate?
 
Jerry,

I'm not an expert and I didn't get a detailed explanation from my uncle. I do know that the spray that they use now is some sort of insect hormone/pheromone(??) that confuses the little beasts rather than just outright killing them. This spray will wash off and is not to be worried about according to my uncle. The sprays that were used in the past might not be so benign, I guess. I'm not that concerned, but I am also somewhat ignorant (ignorant is bliss ?
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). Maybe I'll post a question on the orchard forum and see what those folks say...
 
Why take the chance with trees treated with pesticides? They may say the spray is not harmful, but they also said cigarette smoking was not harmful.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K_Jordan:
Why take the chance with trees treated with pesticides? They may say the spray is not harmful, but they also said cigarette smoking was not harmful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

What choice do you have? You don't think there's any apple wood that you buy that hasn't been treated - do you? I don't think anyone is growing apple trees for smoke wood use. The only way to ensure there's not pesticides is to cut down a tree you know was never sprayed - like one in your own back yard.
 
Jerry-

Yes I agree that it is difficult,for most people, to obtain untreated fruit woods. In my previous post in this thread, I stated during my workday I frequently come across fruit trees. I also have an apple tree in my backyard. I am merely stating that I would be concerned of the health effects of using wood that is known to be sprayed with pesticides no matter how safe the grower claims them to be.
 
Some orchards are organic. Best chances of getting untreated wood. Our fruit wood on the farm is grown organic and natural.

Aloha,

greg
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Greg Kemp:
Pete, if you ever want to do that for a living I got a job for you here in Hawaii!
Aloha,
Greg
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, thanks. If I ever make it to Hawaii, I won't be chunking up wood
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