Part of my ongoing experiment here is to develop high quality, low cost furniture from local materials for a local market. I recently paid a visit to Berry’s Sawmill near Cazadero to check out their operation and inventory and was delighted to find an authentic, family-run mill cutting sustainable yield redwood and Douglas fir from within a twenty mile radius. The mill has been in continual operation since 1949 and is currently overseen by Bruce Berry, whose brother Jim specializes in forest management. I was impressed by the quality and breadth of their stock and their willingness to mill to order. I was equally impressed by the sheer beauty of their location, the professionalism of their yard staff and how their old-fashioned pragmatism extends into their yard maintenance.
Scraps from milling and off-cut are burned in this massive, homemade stove, which also keeps staff and clients warm on chilly mornings.
The rambling yard is chock full of elegant, handmade gizmos, each one a clever exercise in functional frugality and recycling. I look forward to working with a mill that so clearly demonstrates its values.