The moral concept behind Lumbery is based upon the CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY model championed by Yvonne Chouniard, founder of Patagonia. It asks a few basic questions; where did this item come from and what are the social, environmental and economical impacts associated with this item.
In the case of Patagonia it can relate to a shirt. Where was the cotton grown? Who picked it? Where was it processed? How are the workers treated and who benefits from the mill or factory? And how was it transported and from where?
In our case it relates to wood because at some point all the wood we sell was once a tree in a forest. (This is obvious but it seems important to say.) We ask the questions: Where was this tree located? Whose land was it on? Is the forest sustainable? Who cut the tree down? Who transported the tree and from where? Where is the mill, who owns and benefits from the mill, and what does the mill do with its waste (check out or partner mills)? And finally, how did the wood get to our store? (Coming soon: Our Choices We Make page where you will learn more about the lumber industry and Maine forestry.)
The practical concept behind Lumbery is based upon demand and “demand”, in our case, is a coming together of many factors:
