Many a wise farmer has reminded us that “wood warms you twice!”
We’re learning that, year after year!
As we clear new wooded pastures for the sheep, we’ve been providing fuel for our winters. The past two weeks have seen us loading and emptying trailers near the splitter, splitting and stacking cord after cord of wood.
“What is a cord of wood?” some may ask…
Cord (unit)
A cord of wood
The cord is a unit of measure of dry volume used in Canada, the United States and New Zealand to measure firewood and pulpwood. A cord is the amount of wood that, when “ranked and well stowed” (arranged so pieces are aligned, parallel, touching and compact), occupies a volume of 128 cubic feet (3.62 m3).[1] This corresponds to a well stacked woodpile 4 feet (122 cm) high, 8 feet (244 cm) long, and 4 feet (122 cm) deep; or any other arrangement of linear measurements that yields the same volume.
The name cord probably comes from the use of a cord or string to measure it.[2]
Because we never stack this perfectly, we’re never quite sure of how many cords we use each year, but we can usually eyeball an amount that we start with, and depending on the severity of the winter, we usually end up with some left over.
So, as we load the wood and split and stack the wood, we definitely get warmed at least a couple of times! And of course, when we burn it over the winter, we will warm ourselves in a much more pleasant fashion — in my case, hopefully with my spinning wheel in front of me!
Here sits an innocent pile of wood, blissfully unaware of what is about to become of it…
“Hey, Woody.”
“Yeah, Chip?”
“What the heck is that over there that I see in the distance? I can’t quite make it out.”
“Oh, ,wait…it’s becoming a bit more clear to me now…”
“OHHHH NOOOOO!!”
Yep, sorry Woody and Chip – you are about to be divided and conquered by the infamous “Wood(y) Splitter!” Say your prayers, boys!
Morning Star Meadows Farm 
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