Welcome
to our Tree Farm, where we practice sustainable forestry.
ABOUT
US
My
mother's ancestors came to the Adirondacks in the end of 1700s. Her people were
farmers and loggers of Scottish and Irish decent, come up from Rhode Island. They
found Adirondack farming to be hardscrabble at best, due to thin topsoil, cold
weather and short growing seasons. But the logging! There were trees--lots of
them, coupled with abundant streams and creeks. Water-powered sawmills were soon
in use, the first one built on Mill Creek by one of my Reynolds ancestors. Before
long it was hard to find a body of running water in these parts that didn't power
at least one mill. The last water-powered sawmill in Thurman, owned by the Cameron
family, was still in use in the 1960s, when diesel power replaced the water wheel.
Here at Martins' Lumber we are still making sawdust, though in a more modern way,
and with some new challenges and insights.
We
are a small certified tree farm practicing silviculture to promote sustainable
forestry management, not only looking at what can be harvested today, but planning
and striving to ensure crops for future generations. We selectively cut our trees,
thinning and releasing, giving the healthiest room to grow and harvesting the
diseased or injured trees. The latter can yield some of the most unique pieces
of lumber on our portable band sawmill. We specialize in this unique lumber, creating
softwood slabs for counter tops or tables and seeking out hardwoods of various
grains and coloring from many varieties of trees. We feel privileged to discover
the beauty each new log holds. Crotch wood and knurly pieces, especially, have
grains and colors unique to each sawn board, just waiting to be turned into rare,
one-of-a-kind pieces. We also will custom saw your own logs, and have dimensional
lumber and Adirondack siding in stock.
We
believe that private property and good stewardship ensure healthy forests, and
we also realize that the fruits of our labors in the forest will belong to some
other generation. Our hope is that they not only will use the forest, but will
pass along to future generations vibrant, thriving woodlands. Humans schedule
events on day-planners; a forest's timeline stretches over many hundred years.
Private forests in New York now are under tremendous pressure from high taxes,
subdivisions and strict regulations, burdens all borne on the backs of landowners.
Our work here at Martins' Lumber is comprised of one part belief, one part learning,
mixed with generous amount of elbow grease and fun. We are glad to share with
you, and hope that in some small way you will know when you leave here that this
small part of the earth is being cared for and loved.