Alternative to cutting your own cord wood

[Elizabeth Keokosky]

If you are one of those people who now harvest their wood lot for winter heating  - and are getting older and just tired of doing so or have a wife who is encouraging you not to – then you may be interested to learn about new developments in New York State. Developments that contribute to local jobs, use local sustainable resources, supply alternative energy, maintain a market for low-value trees, and keep forested land from being lost to development.  

New York State has given a Southern Tier Cleaner, Greener Communities grant to a public/private partnership of Tompkins County Cooperative Extension, Ehrhart Energy in Trumansburg, New England Wood Pellets in Deposit, and Mesa Reduction in Auburn.

The idea is to encourage fuel oil and propane dealers to offer the additional option of bulk wood pellet delivery while expanding the market.  The businesses above, plus others in NY, have already started delivering wood pellets and offering installation of modern, efficient pellet boilers (wood pellet evaporators for maple syrup are also available through the usual evaporator sources).   The use of pneumatic trucks, storage, and automatic feed systems to replace lugging 40 lb sacks of pellets puts wood pellet heating in a whole new convenience category.  

Since plentiful incentives are out there, now is the time to plan and buy.  Go to state and federal incentives, grants, and loans for a complete listing, both for residential and commercial stoves and boilers, but especially for rural commercial properties.  Click here or contact Guillermo Metz directly at Cornell Cooperative Extension 607-272-2292 for more information on the Southern Tier program.