On my trips up to northeastern Michigan, I have noticed huge lumber harvest along some of the routes I take. Many more than in past years. I was wondering if anyone who travels to the western part of Michigan has noticed this as well. It would seem that our lumber is worth a lot more after tariffs on imports. I also see many small Amish lumber mills turning the logs into lumber. They use big drafts horses to move the big logs. I really like seeing them working out there with simple machines and farm animals, in contrast to modern farms that are worked with huge, complicated machines growing corn or soybeans on thousand-acre fields.
Yes, there was an ice storm up there north of M-72 there are a lot of trees down, but these are lumber cutting operations, some are clear cuts, others leave some trees standing. It is startling to see the clear cuts for the first time. I travel in Gladwin County on our back roads trip up north, which is where you can a see more and more Amish farms. They usually have a large white farmhouse and big red barns. They raise a variety crops and animals, unlike most modern farms, and many run a small sawmill. For some reason they can use carissin to power the saws but move the lumber with horses. We often see a young boy behind the reins of a six-horse plow. All this while living among the modern farmers and small-town folks. They are expanding into Arenac, and Iosco counties, we see new farms starting up quite often. We get a quart of Maple Syrup for $6 dollars at our favorite stand.
Comments
I have not seen the Amish lumber mills with the draft horses, that is cool.