material excerpted from an article by Sandy Benson, Sawmill & Woodlot Management Oct/Nov 2002 - Sprouting in the "Middle of Nowhere" The basic idea began over a decade ago when a group of ranchers and farmers, sawmill owners, loggers, foresters and small wood-product manufacturers and artisans began discussing the need for adding value to the native timer resource in North Central Nebraska. Timber species in this area include ponderosa pine, and Eastern red cedar, as well as some hardwoods - green ash, black walnut and bur oak. These same individuals then formally established the Niobrara Valley Wood Products in 1994, and its members began working in earnest toward the goal of adding value and creating an income flow from a plentiful but underutilized product. It was also an opportunity for social interaction and networking in this land of tremendous distances where people put in hours of "windshield time" just to conduct their day-to-day lives. "All of our members are very dedicated to preserving our natural forests and seeing that they are here for future generations to enjoy and utilize, " say Judy Newton, Niobrara Valley Wood Products' past president. Contact us for more information on becoming a member or ordering products. Products are currently marketed through trade shows, this web site and word of mouth.

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