Forester John Weaver has seen demand for firewood soar since he started his business in 2007. In 2009 alone it has gone up by 40 per cent.
“It’s all gone full circle and everyone is moving back to wood-burning stoves,” says John, 48, whose business is based in Ludlow, Shropshire.
A Woodland Enterprise Grant (WEG) of over £3,000 means John has been able to invest in a firewood processor which now replaces the laborious job of splitting wood by hand. “It used to take an hour and a half to fill my trailer, now it takes just 20 minutes,” said John.
John has been a forester for more than 15 years and has all the necessary qualifications. He helps local owners manage their woodlands by felling and thinning their trees. He can also process the timber for them to sell on, or remove it and sell it on himself to local householders, farmers or timber businesses.
His work currently takes him to Wheaton Court Estate, Eaton Woodlands and Stokesay Court, better known as the filming location for Atonement with Kiera Knightley. And he hopes to expand now that he has extra capacity.
“I heard of the Heartwoods project through a friend and just went on from there,” said John. “My work has trebled thanks to getting the right machinery.”
John was processing 150 tonnes of logs a year in 2009 and expects to process at least 250 tonnes in 2010. Conservative estimates show he will put nearly 2,000 extra tonnes of wood into the supply chain over the 25-year life of the machine.
John received a Woodland Enterprise Grant under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) which was managed regionally by Advantage West Midlands (AWM).
The Heartwoods project, funded by AWM, worked with woodland owners and businesses like John’s to increase the supply of sustainable woodfuel as an alternative to fossil fuels. This cuts costs and reduces CO2 emissions, helping reach climate change targets.
Heartwoods project manager Nick Maskery said: “John is a great example of the work we are trying to do to improve the woodfuel supply chain in the region. It means he is clearing woodland to provide a better environment and supplying much-needed fuel to encourage the move away from fossil fuels .
“John already had the skills to do the job, but we also run events and give advice to people who want to start up businesses or learn how to better manage their woodlands. I would encourage people to get in touch with us to see how we can help with support and advice, as well as pointing them in the right direction for grant funding.”