What area does Walnut and Cherry grow most abundantly?

[Craig D Peltier]

Basically what area of country? Im looking for large mills in these areas or someone willing to sell an abundance of bd footage cheap.
Is it Indiana, Minnesota?

THANKS

[John Morrison60]

Most of the high quality cherry comes out of Pennsylvania, but there
are mills in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan that also put out pretty good stuff.

I am familiar with Cherry, not sure about Walnut, I have seen a
lot of Walnut growing in Indiana, though.

[Lee Schierer]

Your best bet for Cherry and Walnut is probably Pennsylvania, The only mill I've done business with would be Shetler Lumber in Waterford, PA. There are several lumber producers in Spartansburg, PA that furnish hardwoods. I know there are some big mills in eastern PA.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

My understanding is that the overwhelming majority of cherry comes from a private land trust (over 126K acres) in NW PA...it is owned and managed exclusively by Collins Co. and hardwoods are under the Kane Hardwoods subsidiary. http://www.collinsco.com/Locations/Kane/

On this web site there is a listing for three sales/brokerage contacts. I have no idea what the quantity required for direct sales are, but if you by cherry from a local mill or supplier...this is most likely where they are buying logs or rough milled stock.

[Chad Bender]

Central PA has fantastic (and inexpensive) cherry. For my current project, I bought all figured, because at $4/bf why not! I've seen regular, clear stuff for $2/bf rough. I use a small, local dryer who buys green wood locally. But there are many larger companies in PA who will ship to you.

[Charlie Barnes]

I live east of Cincinnati, but I cross the border to Indiana to buy all my rough cut hardwood. There are several mills and a couple of well known casket companies around Batesville which isn't a coincidence on either part. Both are there because of the availability of oak, cherry, walnut and other less common hardwoods. I buy from Wilhelm lumber myself, but I don't think they have a web site. They have a great selection and really good prices. Their phone number is (812) 576-3380. I don't know if you could work out something with them regarding shipping, but I'd at least give them a call and see.

[Brad Shipton]

Are you looking to buy by the Truckload or Container? If so, place an add on the Woodweb and you will get lots of quotes. The Wood Planet is another online location to find the mills looking to move large quantities. If you are looking for smaller quanitites than that, I doubt you will get lots of interest. PA is where the nicest stuff usually comes from.

Brad

[Matt Kestenbaum]

I think Brad raises the real question...when you you say an "an abundance of bd footage"...there is plenty of room for interpretation. Truckload or railroad car load (thousands of board feet) pricing changes are regularly reported on in Woodshop News magazine. Buying in hundreds of board feet may draw attention of some wholesalers, and larger retailer/consumer direct mills too. However, some of the smaller mills I have bought from in the Philadelphia area have said they actually don't like bigger orders hundreds of bd feet or more because they stress there inventory levels.

[Howard Acheson]

As already said, the better cherry comes from a band running along south of the NYS/Pennslyvania border. The band then continues out into Ohio and Indiana. Michigan also has some good cherry. I also find good cherry in western North Carolina.

Walnut tends to grow where you find cherry. But, IMO, areas in Iowa has some of the best figured and colored walnut.

As with all really good hardwood, the very best is used for veneer, or some is contracted to large lumber mills. It never hits the retail market.

[Craig D Peltier]

It really depends on cost, I may be interested in 4000bd feet if price were right. I think a shipping container is something like 1300cubic feet , thats too much.Thanks for tip on woodweb and woodplanet.

Are you looking to buy by the Truckload or Container? If so, place an add on the Woodweb and you will get lots of quotes. The Wood Planet is another online location to find the mills looking to move large quantities. If you are looking for smaller quanitites than that, I doubt you will get lots of interest. PA is where the nicest stuff usually comes from.

Brad

[Craig D Peltier]

Thanks, I bookmarked the link.

My understanding is that the overwhelming majority of cherry comes from a private land trust (over 126K acres) in NW PA...it is owned and managed exclusively by Collins Co. and hardwoods are under the Kane Hardwoods subsidiary. http://www.collinsco.com/Locations/Kane/

On this web site there is a listing for three sales/brokerage contacts. I have no idea what the quantity required for direct sales are, but if you by cherry from a local mill or supplier...this is most likely where they are buying logs or rough milled stock.

[Brad Shipton]

I looked into purhasing a few thousand bdft of Cherry from PA before. By the time I tacked on the shipping to my area, I can buy it in 500bdft quantities and forget about trying to warehouse the stuff. I think at that time I was buying it for $5.5/bdft from my supplier and the guy in PA was something like $4/bdft (both 8"+ FAS 4/4). Most wholesalers have a rail spur and ship full rail cars. They pay very little per bdft shipping this way. Unless you have your own shipper, I will be surprised if you save much. You have about the same problem as me. We are too far from the source.

I just noticed a few pallets of Cherry on the IRS Auctions site that went for around $2/bdft in 1,000bdft + quanitites. That is another good place to watch. There have been quite a few auctions during the recession.

I chatted with a guy years ago that used to buy mill run stock for less than $.5 /bdft. He bought from a mill somewhere in MI if I recall correctly. He bought something like 25,000bdft and he dried it too. That would be way too much work and space for me, but the price was right.

Good luck.

[Craig D Peltier]

Yes far from source.I would consider flying in and driving it out too , pending how much a rigger and shipping was. See here birch is $4 bd foot , I can get local birch from a very large mill for less than a buck. So you know these big mills will sell it cheap ( Cherry). As mill that deals in millions of bd feet.
I have seen on IRS as well and considered using a rigger.There always clear across the country and south as well. About furthest you could ask in shipping.
I think you would be paying massive import fees too.

I looked into purhasing a few thousand bdft of Cherry from PA before. By the time I tacked on the shipping to my area, I can buy it in 500bdft quantities and forget about trying to warehouse the stuff. I think at that time I was buying it for $5.5/bdft from my supplier and the guy in PA was something like $4/bdft (both 8"+ FAS 4/4). Most wholesalers have a rail spur and ship full rail cars. They pay very little per bdft shipping this way. Unless you have your own shipper, I will be surprised if you save much. You have about the same problem as me. We are too far from the source.

I just noticed a few pallets of Cherry on the IRS Auctions site that went for around $2/bdft in 1,000bdft + quanitites. That is another good place to watch. There have been quite a few auctions during the recession.

I chatted with a guy years ago that used to buy mill run stock for less than $.5 /bdft. He bought from a mill somewhere in MI if I recall correctly. He bought something like 25,000bdft and he dried it too. That would be way too much work and space for me, but the price was right.

Good luck.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Oregon has some good walnut too.

[Chris Padilla]

I'll tell where it is: NOT CLOSE TO ME! haha

California has Claro Walnut...still very nice, still very pretty...but certainly no Cherry out here.