Canadians should take special note, with a shortage of wood pellets for stoves looming. Several mills and other companies not in the business of buying wood waste for pellets are beginning to engage the business. We have been cautioned in Nova Scotia to stock up for the winter, as mill waste is already in short supply. Our co-op has a good supply now, but we should be cautious about having what we need in advance, as the government is giving rebates for wood pellet stoves and there is already a shortage of fuel.
Can you substitute ground corn cob or are they pelletizing that too. I had heard that there was an amish stove that used corn cob pellets.
I think the issue is with wood-based pellets. Of course you can also use things like peat moss for chickens, and other things. I like the wood shavings though, probably because of the pine scent. Our co-op has obtained a winter supply but they're not sure if they can replace what they have when it's gone. This is largely a Canadian problem, I'm sure you don't have to worry. Our federal government has been giving rebates to those switching from oil to wood pellet stoves. The response was huge and now there's a fuel shortage.
I could see that this situation could include the New England states, too. The wood supply is all the same - Maine, Quebec, Canada, other northern forest states (NH, VT, northern NY). I am burning wood pellets from Quebec in my pellet stove which were all preordered for the season. It is probably worth an inquiry to your pine shavings supplier. We did not get rebates for switching to pellet stoves but many people did anyhow, with the cost of oil over the summer!
One reason I did not put in a pellet stove: you face the possibility of a 'hostage' situation on price and availability of a product you must buy. Worse, it is a factory made product and that means it takes a lot more energy just to make it than to cut wood. I have a normal wood stove, one made locally here in Vermont (it is called a Vermont Elm). In fact the maker lives just a few miles from me (Moretown). I have a few acres and cut and manage my own woods. Vermont is HEAVILY forested yet the cost of a cord of wood is astronomical compared to the mid west. Wood shavings for bedding are also quite expensive compared to other states. vermontgal, I like your signature line but I doubt Montpelier residents see you as weird! There are so many hippies and true oddballs walking around it is truly a colorful place. Well off to split some wood!
You know, it should have occurred to me that New Englanders might be affected by the shortage. Good point! I notice the stack of bales at the co-op is dwindling *gasp*...we're expecting another storm, probably you are there too, so we grocery shopped, even made a trip to order out turkey for Christmas and to get some meat at the local butcher shop. I always get into hoarding mode after the first storm!
This is really interesting to me for a couple reasons. Last year we had a really hard time getting bedding for the horses. Our local Coop was the only place who regularly had it and they were getting it from Canada! On the wood stove issue, we just bought one. We briefly considered a pellet stove, but I did not want to risk not having a fuel source. (as someone said "being held hostage") Anyway, it's not put in yet. They are waiting for us to finish the hearth. Building our own rather than buying a prefabed thing.
You can't get a long-handled bbq fork with a kosher dog on it into a pellet stove for that campfire-roasted flavor like you can with a woodstove!! We eat mostly whole foods but sometimes you just gotta have a hotdog! And you can also burn papers when your shredder conks out...
I raked leaves from the shelterbelt of trees around the yard and used them as floor covering in the coop. The birds loved it. Also I am using wheat straw that we baled. I thought of raking the "corn trash" from behind the combine when we harvested our corn. The chickens sure loved it when we parked the combine in the yard. The next morning, we had chickens on the combine and header .
