Also, there is a whole grove of hybrid chestnuts off So. Great Rd. (Rt 117) near the Hannan farm. The American Chestnut Foundation volunteers maintain it, and I believe it's on a fourth generation of crosses with blight-resistant varieties.
> On Nov 8, 2025, at 11:51 AM, Donald seckler via Lincoln > <[email protected]> wrote: > > There is now growing on a portion of the field above the Flint Farm, an > experimental patch of chestnut trees which may have blight resistance. > > Thanks > > Don > Don Seckler > > Sent via cell > >> On Nov 8, 2025, at 11:14 AM, cmontie montie.net <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> At a recent Lincoln Historical Society event at Flint Farm, there were a >> couple really interesting talks about the history of this family farm and >> its buildings. With operations reaching back to the 1600’s, it’s remarkable >> to consider its history! To live in Lincoln and not get familiar with its >> history is really only to half-live here in a way—as I’m beginning to learn >> myself, by dipping into its past. >> >> I don’t remember the precise details from one of the Flint Farm talks, but I >> recall mention of a wood mill on the property at one time—and as the >> chestnut blight ravaged nearby forests in the early 1900’s, this mill >> salvaged the wood from the dying trees, before nothing was left. It was a >> resourceful response to a tragedy—to at least preserve this prized wood by >> milling it for furniture, cabinetry, etc… >> >> As I walk through the woods near my home, I regularly encounter American >> Chestnut Trees that sprout from old roots, only to wither—and while it >> saddens me to see them struggle, I continue to hold out hope for advances in >> science that may someday help them return to their former glory. Thoreau’s >> descriptions of “boundless chestnut woods” in Concord and Lincoln—trees >> growing over 100 feet tall and producing prodigious amounts of nuts—is mind >> blowing to imagine. How heartbreaking and scary it must have been to see >> these majestic giants succumb to disease. And: how good that the Flints >> and other locals salvaged what they could from the disaster by milling the >> wood—right here in Lincoln—into something more lasting. >> >> >>> Message: 36 >>> Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2025 18:23:05 -0500 >>> From: Sara Mattes <[email protected]> >>> To: Virginia Goodwin <[email protected]> >>> Cc: Sara Mattes <[email protected]>, Nick Gardner <[email protected]>, >>> Lincoln Talk <[email protected]>, Margaret Flint >>> <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Could this be a future for the fallen trees >>> of Lincoln? >>> Message-ID: <[email protected]> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" >>> >>> The limber mill at Red Rail was a beloved Lincoln institution. >>> It was a small, locally owned and operated business. >>> >>> Much downed wood was put to good use, through the work of that mill. >>> That wood lived to see another use?great recycling. >>> >>> My tree will live on and give further service for generations to come, >>> thanks to the mill at Red Rail. >>> >>> >>> >>>>> On Nov 7, 2025, at 8:40?AM, Virginia Goodwin <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>> Also, lumber milling is heavy industry, and it?s filthy, and it smells to >>>> high heaven. Where in the greater Boston area would anyone want that? The >>>> land is too valuable for residential properties to clear a whole swath for >>>> the lumber mill and its odor. Although for those interested in bringing >>>> down property values, it would be extremely effective? >>>>> On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 8:36?AM Nick Gardner <[email protected] >>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>> Not sure I'd say reference, but like most industry, wood processing has >>>>> gotten more consolidated over time, moving to larger, more automated >>>>> facilities. There aren't enough high quality trees chopped down in the >>>>> area to justify a larger sawmill. >>>>> -Nick >>>>>> On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 8:19?AM Donald seckler via Lincoln >>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>> Is there a reference explaining the disappearance of local sawmills? >>>>>> It?s such a shame to see trees tossed into a wood chipper for want of a >>>>>> nearby facility. >>>>>> Thanks. >>>>>> Don Seckler >>>>>> Sent via cell >>>>>>>> On Nov 7, 2025, at 8:05?AM, Greta Eckhardt via Lincoln >>>>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>> ? >>>>>>> Wonderful idea, Margaret! How can we make this happen? >>>>>>> Greta Eckhardt >>>>>>> From: Lincoln <[email protected] >>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> On Behalf Of Margaret Flint >>>>>>> Sent: Friday, November 7, 2025 7:37 AM >>>>>>> To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>>> Subject: [LincolnTalk] Could this be a future for the fallen trees of >>>>>>> Lincoln? >>>>>>> UPDATES >>>>>>> CAMPUS & BUILDINGS >>>>>>> NATURE / NATURAL RESOURCES >>>>>>> Coach Barn Stories: From Trees to Tables >>>>>>> <https://shelburnefarms.org/about/staff-and-board/holly-brough> >>>>>>> Posted by Holly Brough >>>>>>> <https://shelburnefarms.org/about/staff-and-board/holly-brough> >>>>>>> Director of Communications >>>>>>> November 6, 2025 >>>>>>> All of the tables in the new Coach Barn are made from wood harvested at >>>>>>> Shelburne Farms. Most of that wood is poplar. John Monks of Vermont >>>>>>> Tree Goods <https://treegoods.com/>, the man behind the tables, >>>>>>> explains why that?s the case, and what it means. Note: The interview >>>>>>> has been edited for length and clarity. >>>>>>> How did you become involved in making the tables for the Coach Barn? >>>>>>> Back in 2018, I learned that Shelburne Farms was taking down big trees >>>>>>> along Poplar Drive >>>>>>> <https://shelburnefarms.org/about/news-and-stories/farewell-poplar-drive> >>>>>>> because they were starting to die, and were a hazard. But the Farm >>>>>>> couldn?t find anybody to mill them, so they were going to be left to >>>>>>> rot in the woods. I called and met with Marshall Webb to look at the >>>>>>> trees. ?We could mill them,? I said. In his mind and in my mind, to cut >>>>>>> them and let them rot was wrong. >>>>>>> There were about 20 massive trees. We trucked them over to my shop, and >>>>>>> slowly milled them into big slabs with natural edges. We air-dried the >>>>>>> slabs for a couple of years, then kiln-dried them, then stacked and >>>>>>> stored them. >>>>>>> John Monks of Vermont Tree Goods among stacked slabs of Shelburne Farms >>>>>>> poplar in his workshop, and standing next to a commemorative slab >>>>>>> installed in the Coach Barn. >>>>>>> Marshall had commissioned a few Farm tables before he passed, but after >>>>>>> a few years, we started wondering, ?What are we going to do with all >>>>>>> this?? Then early in 2025, Shelburne Farms said, ?We have this project >>>>>>> at the Coach Barn, and we need lots of tables.? I said, ?Okay, we've >>>>>>> got lots of your wood!? >>>>>>> This summer we brought the wood slabs to Vermont Farm Table >>>>>>> <https://www.vermontfarmtable.com/> in Bristol, and as a production >>>>>>> shop, they built and assembled all the tables. >>>>>>> How were you able to mill such big trees? >>>>>>> I had built this huge sawmill that's effectively a huge electric >>>>>>> chainsaw. It's very unconventional. Most commercial sawmills don't want >>>>>>> trees over about 24 inches in diameter, and a lot of these poplars were >>>>>>> four feet or more wide?way beyond what any local commercial sawmills >>>>>>> can handle. >>>>>>> The poplar table in the Meeting Room of the Coach Barn. >>>>>>> How did you get involved in milling such big trees? >>>>>>> I was a house builder for many years, and started making some furniture >>>>>>> for family and friends. But in 2010 we had a fire and lost all our >>>>>>> belongings. (It was horrible, but thankfully nobody got hurt.) I set >>>>>>> out to replace some of the furniture that I had built, and I wanted to >>>>>>> make a large live-edge dining table. I couldn't really find the wood >>>>>>> that I wanted, so I went to a couple of tree service companies and >>>>>>> asked them what they did with the big trees they cut. One guy took me >>>>>>> behind their shop and pointed at this huge pile of big logs and said, >>>>>>> ?We'll just burn it all this winter to make it go away.? Right then I >>>>>>> knew what my mission was, because, to me, wasting all that wood was so >>>>>>> wrong. That day really was sort of a life changing moment for me. >>>>>>> Several coffee tables soon after their arrival at the Coach Barn. The >>>>>>> round ones are made of poplar. The tables with the dramatic notched >>>>>>> edges are made of horse chestnut trees also harvested at Shelburne >>>>>>> Farms. >>>>>>> Why was using the wood from Poplar Drive important to you? >>>>>>> Well, for a number of reasons. One is environmental. Wood is >>>>>>> approximately 50% carbon by weight, and a lot of people don't realize >>>>>>> that if you let a tree rot, over 90% of its carbon will become carbon >>>>>>> dioxide. There's this misconception that all the carbon just gets >>>>>>> reabsorbed into the dirt and that's not the case. I have no idea what >>>>>>> all those trees weighed--many, many tons?but they represented many, >>>>>>> many tons of carbon dioxide. >>>>>>> The other main reason for me is aesthetics. Even though cottonwood is >>>>>>> not considered high value in the lumber world, it's really quite >>>>>>> beautiful stuff, as you can see by the tables. To throw out such beauty >>>>>>> is like throwing out masterpieces. >>>>>>> And then there?s a spiritual side to it all. I read somewhere that we >>>>>>> share half our DNA with trees. So in a way, we're related to them. >>>>>>> We're descended from whoever they are descended from. We're all >>>>>>> Earthlings. >>>>>>> One of the round-top tables in the West Hall, all made of Shelburne >>>>>>> Farms poplar by Vermont Farm Table. "Some of these tables look like >>>>>>> Jupiter to me," chuckles John, referring to the dark whorls and >>>>>>> character marks in the wood. >>>>>>> How does this project fit into your overall approach to harvesting >>>>>>> trees? >>>>>>> The traditional forestry model is based on what they call a tree?s >>>>>>> ?financial maturity?: once a tree is big enough to make a profit on it, >>>>>>> you go in the woods and cut it. But I strongly believe that phrase >>>>>>> should be replaced with ?carbon maturity.? >>>>>>> Most trees die slowly. They may still be alive, but they're clearly at >>>>>>> that end point. We've all seen it?like a big old maple tree in your >>>>>>> yard losing one limb and then another. I call that point their peak >>>>>>> carbon maturity. To me, if you're going to harvest a tree, that's the >>>>>>> time to do it. >>>>>>> It turns out that many trees in our communities, whether they?re along >>>>>>> a roadside or in people?s yards, are peak carbon trees. And if you look >>>>>>> at their board footage, I believe that it's greater than the amount of >>>>>>> wood we're taking out of the forests. We're basically wasting the vast >>>>>>> majority of these ?carbon mature? trees, and at the same time, cutting >>>>>>> down relatively young trees in the forest. >>>>>>> I see us as finding homes for unwanted trees. The more homes we find, >>>>>>> the more trees we get to recycle. It's really a very simple concept. >>>>>>> That?s the motivation for me. >>>>>>> How do you hope people will experience or respond to these tables? >>>>>>> I don't think there's any one message. Hopefully, people will think, >>>>>>> ?Wow, these are beautiful. And isn't it wonderful that when those trees >>>>>>> had to come down they were preserved, and we can continue to see their >>>>>>> beauty, especially their interior beauty.? >>>>>>> When I started this business, I just wanted to make beautiful tables. >>>>>>> As time has gone on, my motivation has shifted. Now it's much more >>>>>>> about the environment and what we do with trees, especially trees >>>>>>> coming out of our communities. I'm hoping very much that the carbon >>>>>>> impact of recycling these trees is stressed. We shouldn't be viewing >>>>>>> them as just part of the waste stream. >>>>>>> John Monks beside one of the round poplar tables in the West Hall. >>>>>>> How does it feel to have these tables here as part of the Coach Barn? >>>>>>> For the wood to return to the Farm and be here for generations to come >>>>>>> is the best possible scenario. I'm honored that I played a role in it. >>>>>>> But in many ways, I see this really as Marshall's gift. When there >>>>>>> weren?t the resources to get the trees milled, he made it happen. We >>>>>>> were kindred spirits when it came to the trees. For me more than >>>>>>> anything, it's about Marshall. >>>>>>> Marshall Webb in 2018, counting the age rings of one of the recently >>>>>>> cut poplars. >>>>>>> Tags >>>>>>> Updates <https://shelburnefarms.org/taxonomy/term/41> >>>>>>> Campus & Buildings <https://shelburnefarms.org/taxonomy/term/6> >>>>>>> Nature / Natural Resources <https://shelburnefarms.org/taxonomy/term/8> >>>>>>> Comments >>>>>>> Submitted by Ken and Susie Mandelbaum on Thu , 11/6/2025 - 07:33 PM >>>>>>> A beautiful way to honor Marshall. We miss him. >>>>>>> Reply >>>>>>> <https://shelburnefarms.org/comment/reply/node/4120/field_comments/15754> >>>>>>> Submitted by Sue Louchheim on Thu , 11/6/2025 - 07:40 PM >>>>>>> AWESOME!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY!!! >>>>>>> Reply >>>>>>> <https://shelburnefarms.org/comment/reply/node/4120/field_comments/15755> >>>>>>> Submitted by Jacques-Paul Marton on Thu , 11/6/2025 - 07:47 PM >>>>>>> This is a beautiful and brilliant story. Expressed with Nature's >>>>>>> eloquence. So much of Marshall's spirit is embedded in the tables. >>>>>>> Those statuesque Poplars that once served as one Nature's ambassadors >>>>>>> to the Farm Barn have returned. >>>>>>> Thank you, Mr. Monks. Your knowledge, skill, and passion for your craft >>>>>>> is very >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>>>>> To post, send mail to [email protected] >>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>. >>>>>>> Browse the archives at >>>>>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>>>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>>>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>>>> -- >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected]. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
