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Welcome to your Latest from the Woods newsletter on Friday, December 20th.
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AS far as years go, 2024 was a stellar one for Forestry Journal.
Across the last 12 months, we have travelled to Slovenia, Finland, and Germany, witnessed the latest innovations in the industry first-hand, and heard inspiring stories that will stay with us forever.
With the year winding down, now feels like a good time to take stock and reflect on what has been.
So in no particular order, here are our top six features of 2024 as chosen by me and John McNee.
Alec Telfer came to forestry fairly late in life. Born into farming families, he and his wife Jane managed several sites before purchasing Broadmeadows, near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, in 1992.
Covering a total area of 577.21 hectares, this hill farm was in a rough condition when they took it on, but they worked hard to improve the land and infrastructure, while raising flocks of blackface sheep.
Their children, Kirsty and Euan, did not follow them into the farming life. That, combined with a health scare in 2017, prompted Alec to seek a transformative shift on the land that would create a lasting legacy for his family beyond agriculture.
THERE is a certain boxiness to the way it holds itself together â each body part clinging onto another â that oozes an endearing, sepia-tinted quality. One quick glance and itâs obvious this is not a machine of the 21st century, instead caught somewhere between the days of axes and fire lookout towers, and the modern worldâs drones, biofuel and instant, near-relentless feedback.
It is the middle of spring and Forestry Journal finds itself caked in mud and at the heart of a Storm Arwen-windblown site in Cumbria. A Ponsse Buffalo shifts logs in the distance while one of the manufacturerâs Ergo harvesters lies in wait, ready to spring into action at any moment.
But itâs a very different yellow machine thatâs the centre of attention today.
With its faded, blocky façade, it looks like it could have been torn straight out of grainy images of the Soviet Union of the 1970s, but this Slovakian-built LKT 120 skidder is just as key to the forestry operations of one firm as any bit of kit developed since the turn of the millennium.
AS announcements go, it was a long time coming. For years, contractors and operators across the industry have been aware that work was underway on the new H Series from John Deere Forestry. However, details of those new designs and features were kept a closely guarded secret â until last month.
The Aino Arena in Helsinki was the venue for the grand unveiling. Over 400 guests, including customers, dealers, industry representatives, influencers and press from countries including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, the US and Canada, made the long journey to get their first look at the machines in person.
WITH her positive posts about the firewood industry and women in forestry, she has built up a social media following that stretches into the tens of thousands, so itâs little wonder that when she is asked to introduce herself on camera, she says: âIâm Georgia Heard and Iâm a Lumberjill.â
WHAT do Nutella, the Ford Mustang and Brut aftershave have in common? They were all introduced in 1964 and celebrate their 60th anniversary this year. Joining that illustrious company is Dalbeattie-based forest machinery firm Jas P Wilson.
This one is slightly trickier as it's no one story, instead being our collective coverage from KWF 2024. As one of the world's largest forestry shows, it saw the likes of John Deere, Ponsse, and Rottne showing off the latest machines to thousands of visitors.
If I had to pick one story from the event that stood out, it would be Euromatic and its Silvatec-inspired 8230TH.
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY: BSW closes another sawmill with more than 40 employees made redundant
THE closure of a sawmill in Welshpool has made more than 40 employees redundant.
BSW Timber Solutions has made the job cuts at its site on the Severn Farm Industrial Estate in Welshpool, after a review of operations recommended ceasing operations at the Powys sawmill.
Most employees had their last working day at the site last week, while a few have reportedly been kept on to manage the transition of moving everything out of the site to another BSW location.
Notice of a consultation regarding the siteâs future was given to employees in November, as BSW Group said they were âchanging the way in which we operateâ, identifying that operating sites in both Welshpool and Melton in East Yorkshire âdoes not support customer requirementsâ.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
A 7ft Nordmann Fir has been delivered to the Scottish Government's offices in Edinburgh.
Sourced from Stirlingshire by RTS Forestry, it marks "another successful year for Scotlandâs forestry sector".
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