Lower Gade Farm – firewood

Lower Gade Farm: Burning Ambition Fuels Woodland Restoration

Little Gaddesden forester and firewood supplier Rod Wilson is now producing an extra 200 tonnes of firewood per year thanks to a LEADER programme grant.  Rod, who has been building his firewood business for more than 20 years, received an £18,000 leg-up from LEADER to invest in state-of-the-art processing machinery.

But it’s not just Rod’s business that benefits. “Most of our timber is cut from less than five miles away” Rod says “We carry out a lot of conservation work for the National Trust on its Ashridge Estate. The demand for firewood has soared recently and we just could not keep up with demand with our old equipment. This new equipment means that we can bring much more of the Trust’s woodland back into productive management – protecting wildlife, providing fuel for the growing market and improving public access.”

Rod puts the high demand for his wood down to the cold winter, high oil and gas prices and a boom in wood burning stoves in the Chilterns. The timber is stored to season it before preparing it for firewood, making sure that Rod’s customers, who are mainly local to Tring and Berkamsted, get the best quality firewood.

Nick Phillips LEADER Programme Manager says; “By supporting Rod Wilson’s business LEADER is also supporting the management of Chiltern woodlands. It is a really good use of the LEADER grant. We are hoping to support many more rural businesses in the north of the Chilterns this year and would encourage any small rural business from around Tring and Berkhamsted to take advantage of the available grants.”

£5 million will be available between now and 2013 in the Chilterns and Aylesbury Vale and rural Milton Keynes areas. The funding is targeted to support farmers in diversification adding value to tourism, timber and exciting projects that will benefit local communities.  For those looking to find out about the LEADER fund please visit the LEADER Programme website.

What is the LEADER Programme?

LEADER is a scheme for delivering and exciting new source of funding for farmers, foresters, rural business and community organisations. The funding is part of the Rural Development Programme for England.  £5 million has been secured for allocation to local projects between now and 2013. The funding is targeted mainly to support farmers in diversification adding value to tourism, timber and exciting projects that will benefit local communities.  Projects have been supported in areas such as developing new farm businesses, community run shops, and equestrian businesses.