“O, Christmas Tree
O, Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches”
09 Can Larch Make It?!
A small group of researchers and industry leaders are exploring the viability of hybrid larch in the Northeast by searching out long forgotten stands.
Benefits of Larch:
Grows in 20 to 30 year cycles, equivalent to Southern Yellow Pine and coastal Douglas Fir and has the potential to act as a nurse crop for oak and other hardwoods, not to mention other plants.
Grows well on marginal lands that fail to support other, more sensitive, species. Because it drops its needles every fall, and the nutrients from those needles are absorbed into the soil, hybrid larch improves the soil where it grows over time.
The species is especially strong, comparable to spruce. It doesn’t deteriorate easily, and so is ideal for use in decking and greenhouses.
Larch grows straight and the trees produce few branches when grown together. Because of this and because it sheds its needles in the fall, its propagation could play a role in what climate scientists call the “albedo effect”, a term that refers to the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere. Light surfaces reflect sunlight (good for the environment) and dark surfaces absorb it (bad for the environment.) In larch stands, the winter sun reflects on the snow, creating potentially positive effects from a climate change standpoint.
Music credit:
Bensound.com
French-Canadian fiddle tunes off the Alan Lomax recordings from the Library of Congress
A Note to Interested Advertisers:
As Northern Logger Podcast listenership is growing, we are opening up slots for interested advertisers. If you would like the logging industry to hear about your business, organization or even health PSA, please contact The Northern Logger Editor, Eileen@northernlogger.com.
08 A Veteran's Story: From the military to logging
In this mini episode of the Northern Logger, we talk with David Jarzab about his journey from a career in the military to Paul Smith’s to the exciting beginnings of his business. Enjoy!
Music credit:
Bensound.com
A Note to Interested Advertisers:
As Northern Logger Podcast listenership is growing, we are opening up slots for interested advertisers. If you would like the logging industry to hear about your business, organization or even health PSA, please contact The Northern Logger Editor, Eileen@northernlogger.com.
07 The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine and Beyond
This month we explore folklore that is more fact than lore by looking into the mysterious phenomena of the Jumping Frenchman of Maine. Your editor, Eileen Townsend, also brings you interviews from some of the youngest members of the industry and their thoughts on the future and safety.
Music credit:
Chainsaw Calligraphy by 16 Bit
French American Folk Music (MIWI) French-Canadian fiddle tunes from Library of Congress Lomax Collection
A Note to Interested Advertisers:
As Northern Logger Podcast listenership is growing, we are opening up slots for interested advertisers. If you would like the logging industry to hear about your business, organization or even health PSA, please contact The Northern Logger Editor, Eileen@northernlogger.com.
06 The Patchwork State of Workers' Comp
As anyone who works in this industry knows, workers’ compensation rates vary widely from state to state. While Maine and New York have high participation in workplace payouts, states like Vermont are struggling to keep insurance rates low due to the scale of the industry and low participation rates.
Experts in the forestry and insurance industry weigh-in on the successes and short comings of workers' comp in Maine, New York, and Vermont in this month's episode.
A Note to Interested Advertisers:
As Northern Logger Podcast listenership is growing, we are opening up slots for interested advertisers. If you would like the logging industry to hear about your business, organization or even health PSA, please contact The Northern Logger Editor, Eileen@northerlogger.com.
05 The Export Episode
This month we address a few different aspects of the lumber and log export business. We hear from a handful of Northeast wood product exporters. We learn how they broke into international trade, as well as about their successes and challenges.
As the phrase "trade war with China" haunts national headlines, it's hard not to think how this might affect the logging and timber industry. Several of our exporters also dive into the new inspection processes and tariffs that are having very real impacts on the industry.
04 Live from the Loggers Expo
The Logging Expo means two things, big iron and familiar faces. This month, Editor Eileen Townsend meanders through the Expo and speaks with many different parts of our industry. We hear again and again that the logging industry is a family.
03 Young People in Our Industry
This month on the Northern Logger Podcast, we are talking to the youngest members of our industry to find out more about their daily challenges and what the future of the industry holds. All of our guests this month are 29 year old and younger.
Many industry veterans will say that this is an aging industry. While there’s some truth to that, there are still plenty of passionate young timber harvesters pursuing a career. Many have figured out how to start their own businesses, whether they be fully mechanized or chainsaw and skidder operations.
References, Tips and Links from Young Professionals:
QuickBooks for small business owners
Paul Smith's College for Forestry
Applied Forestry Management at University of Maine Fort Kent
The Northeast Master Logger Certification Program
Steve Bick's Planning Analysis Timber Harvesting (PATH) spreadsheets
Free Workshops for Loggers Focus on Business Management from University of Vermont Extension
02 E-Logs: On every truckers' mind
It's hard to find a trucker or fleet owner that has a rose-colored view of new national E-Log requirements. We hear from both, as a USDOT official that reckons with this feedback.
Also, we hear a comparison between the United States and Canada's E-Log requirements. All this and MORE!
Music: Bensound.com // Prod: FREQ Flag Media
01 Harvest Notification in the Northeast
Harvest notification could seem like a small clerical task to some, but in this podcast we hear from industry and regulatory experts throughout the region that regulation on harvest notification can have a big impact.
A new harvest notification requirement is likely to pass in New York state as a part of the 2018 Governor Budget Proposal. For more information on the Empire Forest For the Future proposal, click here.
Along with the impending changes in New York, we address harvest notification in the region at large. Your community members speak on how their state handles notification and they answer such questions as: Is it nuisance or necessary? Do market industry statistics outweigh the paperwork? Does regulation benefit good actors or bad actors? All this and MORE.
Thank you for listening to the first ever Northern Logger Podcast! We at The Northern Logger and Timber Processor trade publication hope it can be just as useful as the print edition, and also allow you to hear the important trade news you need on-the-go. The podcast will often have entirely different information and stories than you can find in print.
If you or someone you know is new to podcasting, that's okay! Scroll down below for our in-house guide to enjoying podcasts like ours.
Thank you to Chris Casedei, Craig Jochum, Mallory Bussell, Robert Davies, and Sam Lincoln for all your help and important input.
Tune in next month!