Reclaimed and Salvaged Wood: Responsibly Sourcing Materials

Reclaimed and Salvaged Wood

Here at Littlebranch Farm, our reclaimed wood furniture is crafted using lumber that is cut into live edge wood slabs, used in our natural wood countertops and rustic dining tables, and root and stump bases, used in our rustic vanities, are all reclaimed and salvaged wood. This wood has seen some initial use prior to becoming rustic furniture. Much of this wood has been lying around since before the 1960’s. Some of the wood that we use originated as dead and fallen trees and now have a second life as rustic furniture. We’ve worked hard to responsibly source the wood that we use in crafting our custom rustic furniture.

Responsibly sourcing wood slabs

What does that mean, responsibly sourcing? The ICC defines responsible sourcing as “a voluntary commitment by companies to take into account social and environmental considerations when managing their relationships with suppliers.” We like to think of responsible sourcing as caring about the community that we live in and caring about the consequences of our actions inside of that community.

 Sourcing reclaimed wood

Even though this is obviously not sustainable, many companies in the United States source their materials in this fashion. We do not do this. We have chosen to only use wood that is native to the United States, thereby putting our actions toward building & developing the responsible wood market on our home turf. Can a company care for the community in which it exists, be environmentally responsible, and be successful? We think it can. We see business as a function of the community, as an opportunity for cooperation that can positively affect everyone.

Reclaimed wood furniture

Littlebranch Farm loves working with reclaimed and salvaged wood and being the leading source of rustic furniture in Nashville, TN. Why do we work with live edge wood in our custom reclaimed wood furniture? In addition to the value of community responsibility and environmental consciousness. Salvaged and reclaimed wood is the best material to work with and the best material for achieving our aesthetic goals. The unique qualities of this material are unlike anything else. Each finished piece of rustic furniture is designed and handcrafted with the purpose of celebrating the amazingly unique qualities different in every tree slab, log, root, or stump. We recycle wood from the forest floor and transform it into dining tables, rustic fireplace mantels, rustic vanities, and natural wood countertops for your home.

Salvaged wood

Forest data in the United States shows that “About 30 percent of the 2.3 billion acres of land area (745 million acres) in the U.S. is forest today as compared to about one-half in 1630 (1.0 billion acres). 300 million acres of forest land have been converted to other uses since 1630. Predominantly because of agricultural uses in the East. The forest resources of the U.S. have continued to improve in general condition and quality. Measured by increased average size and volume of trees. This trend has been evident since the 1960s and before. The total forestland acreage has remained stable since 1900.”