Once a year, the Small Scale Logging Program showcases several pieces of small equipment available on the market that can be safely attached to a side-by-side ATV, farm tractor, or truck. These attachments lift the front of the log up off the ground reducing skidding impact to the ground and making skidding much safer and easier. The need for this program comes from small acreage properties, which are only sometimes economical for commercial loggers to harvest, requiring woodland owners and farmers to become more involved in gathering their property to achieve forest and land management objectives. The length and depth of material included in the show depends on the year, as the Kentucky Wood Expo occurs every two years, so we put on a shorter version, more of a small-scale logging equipment demo at the expo.

Anyone is welcome to attend, but primary audiences are woodland owners and farmers, as they own most of the woodlands in Kentucky. Most of these folks often already own a tractor, four-wheeler, side-by-side, or pickup truck, so it is an easier adoption process for using implements that help them move logs around the farm safely and efficiently. After attending this full-day program, someone without this equipment could know what equipment to get and be able to pencil out the economics. They often learn this is tough work, which they will not get rich doing, but it allows them to have more control over the management of their woodlands and be a more engaged woodland owner. People thinking about logging their woods or having a commercial harvest can benefit from the experience of others’ trial and error and come away with great respect for the hard work and value of using a good logging professional and a knowledgeable forester. Logging is the most dangerous profession in the United States; providing proper education can and will save lives.