There’s a mainline hiding under there somewhere!

Many Ohio producers experienced damage – some slight and others major – during the derecho that sliced through our state overnight on June 13th.  At the Ohio State Mansfield sugarbush, we thankfully escaped what I would call major damage, but the storm did knock down 30 or 40 trees throughout our woods.

As temperatures start to cool in another month, I hope to get most of the clean-up work done before the crunch of late fall turns into New Year’s panic with the 2023 season breathing down our neck.  For woods like ours, 2 or 3 days of cutting should clear most of the damage.  For others however, hard decisions are being made as the devastation was on a tragic scale.  I recently spent a couple hours in the historic Malabar Farms sugar woods and could not believe my eyes.  Unfortunately, their scenario is not an isolated one.

Whatever your circumstance, be safe out there as you tackle storm damage.  Downed and twisted trees are unpredictable.  If in doubt, don’t.  Don’t be afraid to hire an expert.  Always work with a partner.  Always wear your PPE.  Work with sharp saws.  Document your losses, you may find that damages can be leveraged as a tax reduction claim.

And most of all – BE SAFE!!