We are a young couple ambitiously pursuing a simpler way of life. How’s that for irony? Perhaps a more apt description is that we are pursuing an ‘alternative’ way of life from what has come to be accepted as the ‘norm’ in our current place and time. This pursuit has led us to radically alter the basic structures in our lives and embrace living in the present moment to the best of our ability. We
bring a variety of skillsets and teachings to the table and are trending towards a horticulturalist way of life. We live in one of the most pristine and dynamic places in the world; we (mostly I) like to call it “the shire”, for any of you die hard Lord of the Rings Fans. Nestled into a beautiful mountain valley called Slocan, it is here that we get to express our inner hobbit (i’m done now i promise…). The lifestyle that we are living is rugged, authentic and very dynamic. Creating a sustainable livelihood here takes a lot of hustle and willingness to embrace new challenges. Luckily, there is no shortage of hard working bad asses out here to keep inspiration flowing. Talk about a gift. Since moving to the valley, Jordan and I have spent time working at one of our local butcher shops through their grueling fall season and worked doing on farm humane animal slaughter services with our local ‘Killbillies’. We have also participated in the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOF’ing) under varying circumstances. These experiences and many more have given us so many teachings and opportunities to further develop our homesteading hobbit skills (i’m not sorry..). In searching for the right opportunity to support our dynamic lifestyle and allow us to pay bills, we became Tree Folk. Jordan spearheaded the creation of our firewood business and it has grown into a full time venture for both of us over the past year. The business allows us the freedom to be able to enjoy living in this amazing and pristine valley while creating meaningful connections with the people in our community and providing an essential service. Plus we are kind of good at it. We have developed and streamlined our firewood processing systems to ensure accurate cords that are well split for our customers. It isn’t always easy and there is a lot of sweating involved but we feel so grateful that we are able to work locally and that we get paid to split wood. Firewood isn’t where it ends though. Along with our firewood products, we also have beautiful high graded slab wood available for purchase. Instead of turning the big elder trees that show up in our logging trucks into firewood, we set them aside and have them milled into slabs. We then design and build one of a kind furniture pieces from them. This way, these big elders can share their legacy and be passed down from generation to generation. The forest gives everything of itself and asks for so little in return. We are very aware of the troubling nature of the industrial logging systems and are always striving to tread as lightly as possible. All of the wood that we purchase is ‘standing dead’ that is removed from the forests, which is an essential part of forest management if done properly. One of the purposes of our website is to share with you all of the different and dynamic things that we are up to out here in this beautiful land. From starting our own business, to purchasing our first piece of raw land, to building our very own modular tiny homes, to growing food and raising livestock, to navigating work trade relations, foraging wild food and everything between. We will share with you all of the knowledge that we have at our disposal as well as all of the trials and tribulations related to what it has taken for us to be able to live this life in hopes that we can inspire and be inspired.
