Two Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association program meetings were hosted by University of Kentucky Forestry Extension personnel within this timeframe.

One meeting was held in London, KY in the fall of 2022. This was our last meeting with UK forestry and wood products associate Bobby Ammerman as he sadly passed away shortly afterward from unrelated causes. The meeting was held at the Hampton Inn conference center and tours included BPM Sawmill and Robinson Stave and Cumberland Cooperage. This meeting was focused on stave drying for cooperage industry.  The technical seminar presentations included; Chad Niman, University of Kentucky Forestry Extension: “UK Barrel Stave Study on Moisture Loss and Degrade”; Adam Taylor, University of Tennessee Sustainable Biomaterials: “Tyloses: How they affect lumber drying and whiskey drinking  “ and  “Legal Developments from the Southland: DIY Structural Lumber in Tennessee and Carbon Credits for Wood Buildings”; Gene Wengert, Wood Dr Rx.: "What drying practices for white oak staves have to be different than normal hardwood drying?". UK Forestry Extension personnel planned and facilitated the meeting. The spring meeting was held on November 9^th and 10th, 2022. This meeting provided information and technical assistance to hardwood industry people trying to improve their drying facilities yields and production. A total for those attending the meeting was 48 participants, representing 31 different companies.

Impacts: The meeting attendees increased their knowledge of drying hardwood lumber by 4.9% and $5,163,700 dollars were saved or earned throughout the region as a result of the meeting.  

The Fall meeting was held in Marietta, Ohio in the spring of 2023.  The meeting was held at the Lafayette Hotel conference room and tours included Northwest Hardwoods, Haessly Hardwoods and Eagle Machinery. The technical seminar presentations included: Chad Niman, University of Kentucky Forestry Extension: “Regional Wood Market Update” and “Kentucky ForestryWorks Training Program”; Henry Quesada, Purdue Wood Products Extension; Hardwood Cross-laminated Timber Market Development; Gene Wengert, Wood Dr Rx: “Drying Thick Sawn Oak” and “Determining Moisture Content”. UK Forestry Extension personnel planned and facilitated the meeting. The spring meeting was held on April 26 and 27th, 2023. This meeting provided information and technical assistance to hardwood industry people trying to improve their drying facilities yields and production. A total for those attending the meeting was 53 participants, representing 32 different companies. Participants were from throughout the region including Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Participant industries combined kiln capacity was self-reported at 8.8 million board feet. The turnover time for each operation is different with some companies starting a new kiln charge every week up to 2 weeks, depending upon products and thickness.

Impacts: The meeting attendees increased their knowledge of drying hardwood lumber by 5.2% and $6,372,400 dollars were saved or earned throughout the region as a result of the meeting.