Our Process:
Forces of Nature, Channeled
Into Stunning Wood Products
How we create our unique spalted wood veneer products
Whether we cut trees from our family’s 200 acres of forest or we buy them from other loggers, our wood follows the same path from young saplings to mature rulers of the Northern Forests and ultimately to sustainably harvested logs that are turned into stunning spalted maple products.
Spalted wood - wood that has been colored by fungi - has been prized by artisans and used in design for at least 400 years. Over time it has evolved from a mysterious and guarded guild secret to a scientific curiosity. More recently, woodworkers have learned to use fungal coloring to create small-scale artistic pieces.
The Process
Until now, finding a tree with the beautiful spalted designs occurring naturally has always been simply a matter of luck. Like a diver finding a milky white pearl in an oyster shell, a landowner or logger would fell a tree and only then discover the treasure hidden within.
But, at Vermont Wildwoods, we have unlocked the secrets of the woodland and created the world’s first production line of spalted maple veneer. Not through luck, magic, or serendipity but through years of research, respect for nature’s own processes, and some good ol’ fashioned Yankee Ingenuity.
Here are the elements of our process.
Vermont Forests
Vermont is home to some of the world's highest quality stands of sugar maple trees. These treasured giants are linked to Vermont’s very identity. In the fall they light up the hillsides with their orange foliage and in the spring their sweet sap gets turned into our world-famous maple syrup. They take 130 years to reach maturity and, soon after, opportunistic decomposers hasten their return to the soil - unknowingly leaving inky traces that create beautiful natural designs called spalting.
The Logs
We honor our wood through every step of our process - all the way from the forest to you. The trees are chosen with painstaking care and our cuts are made with precision. Each log is scaled for volume and is graded so that we know we are employing the highest quality wood for our custom spalting process.
The Spalting Process
Like a perfect loaf of sourdough bread, spalted wood is the result of an alchemical process of digestion and decay, which results in something beautiful. Our maple logs spend up to two years at our aging facility, going through a proprietary three steps cave aging process not unlike making a fine single malt scotch. Once fully spalted, they are ready to be sent to the mill.
The Mills
After two years of aging in our facility, the logs must pass yet another round of quality control testing before being milled. For our spalted veneer and plywood we use only the most beautifully spalted and highest-quality cuts of each log. This guarantees a one-of-a-kind end product.
Reforestation
Reverence for the natural environment and, most specifically, the forests of Vermont is at the heart of Vermont Wildwoods. We are committed to responsibly managing our woodlands. When we harvest and fell a mature tree, we make way for the next generation to grow and contribute to the sustainable and healthy cycles of the forests and the environment as a whole.