Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Tuesday, November 4. 2008

Winter in New England #3: Wood and Pellet Stoves

This is the third in our Winter in New England series. First was Lamps and Lanterns, and the second was Jump Starters. More to come, each Tuesday come Hell or high water - until I run out of ideas.

A friend did the research on this topic for me, because we were both looking for something good, and we have tons of wood and hate paying our heating bills (I have oil heat and propane stoves).

My friend concluded that Harman makes the best products in that area: furnaces, fireplace inserts, free-standing, etc. I like the idea of something that works for wood, pellets, or coal. The "green" aspect has no importance to me, but I do like to have flames to look at to warm my spirit.

To warm a house and for cooking, there's still nothing better that a wood-burning cook stove to turn a house into a home. Here's a modern version that the Amish make:

 

Posted by The Barrister in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 12:20 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)
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A little OT: What does firewood cost to you all?

Here in Portland, rather near the trees that provide it all, the cost is $250 or so for a cord, split and delivered, of hardwood mix.

I realize that true farmers make their own firewood, but I am mere city dweller and coughing up a quarter kilobuck seems like a lot considering the mountains of cut wood they have for sale.

I am hoping for a good Craig's list find. "Estate sale remnants- come take it all" or something....
#1 Phil on 2008-11-04 14:40 (Reply)
At the farm I produce my own, but here you pay $0 for green and unsplit from the yard guys, $175/cord for aged, split and dumped off the truck in a pile.
#2 BD on 2008-11-04 14:47 (Reply)
My Italian grandmother cooked on a wood stove (I remember this from the 1960's, my early preteen to teen years) in Middlebury Connecticut. She was living above her daughter in a second floor flat. She had an iron pot and wooden paddle she used to stir polenta (my mother still has the pot and what's left of the paddle). She was a marvelous cook. She also never had any understanding about rambunctious boys who lover to explore in the junkyard and stalk in the woods.

She made marvelous meals on (and in the oven of) that wood stove. Meals I only dream about today. Such a different era.
#3 JoeC on 2008-11-04 19:06 (Reply)
What did she serve on the polenta?
#3.1 BD on 2008-11-04 19:24 (Reply)
I've had a Vermont-produced woodburning stove made of soapstone for 30 years and I swear by it. The stove holds a fire for 12 or more hours, hot coals for hours more, and radiates heat from the stone hours after the fire is out. Located in the basement, it provides heat for the whole house when the temp is below freezing. We'll have to order ahead for the Amish kitchen stove pictured in the post, since the 2008 production is sold out.

When I was younger, my chainsaw and I could get wood for free nearby after storms. The federal government has areas of national forests set aside for firewood, and you can apply for several cords, which you have to cut and haul yourself from designated areas. I bought prime aged red oak and hickory for $150 a cord here in northwest Georgia, but I had to haul it 10 miles from the gentleman's farm where it was split and stacked.
#4 twolaneflash on 2008-11-04 19:14 (Reply)
My son is marrying into the pellet stove business (and works there now), so thanks for the industry plug.
#5 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2008-11-04 21:11 (Reply)

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