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About Us
Read on to find out more about Boards by Joel's
Story ,
Board Facts, and
Made in Minnesota.
The Boards by Joel Story - How We Started
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Boards by joel was started over thirty years ago when my father, Joel, was
cutting up some birch firewood for our summer cabin. He noticed an unusual
pattern in the heartwood of a log. The dark center looked like a bear-paw print,
so he cut off a few slices and put them away to dry. He later sanded them and
was so captivated by their natural beauty that he decided to leave his
profession and pursue a life-long dream, working with wood.
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Circular sections of wood have a reputation for cracking, so Joel called the
University of Minnesota Forestry department to find out more about this. He
was told that it was "impossible to dry cross-cut sections of wood. This
could not be done." Joel decided not to take their word for it, and after much experimentation, found a way to slowly cure the wood to prevent cracking. He was able to successfully dry, sand, and finish Ash, Butternut, Maple and Hickory into beautiful and durable boards. After twenty-five years in his family-owned business, Joel passed the business to son-in-law, Tom.
We are still a family-owned business, with Tom doing most of the work himself
-- from hauling logs out of the woods to the final sanding and finishing. We
are a small business and intend to remain so, producing only as much as we
are able. Our aim is to provide consistent high quality products at a
reasonable price and to have these products readily available to our customers. We
guarantee complete satisfaction or we will replace the piece or refund your money.
You can count on us for superior quality and dependability.
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Board Facts
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For centuries
butchers have demanded end-grain wood in their butcher blocks because it is the
most durable surface, which will not dull knives. Our boards come in a variety of woods and offer the same end-grain durability, with several advantages.
Our's are one piece, just the way nature grew them, with no glue joints to
seperate. Ours are sealed with a tough, penetrating, moisture resistant finish,
which is safe for food, and which brings out the natural wood grain. They make
great trivets, and will not show moisture rings and stains. Clean up is done
with ordinary soap and water and no oiling or special treatment is needed.
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Made in Minnesota
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Boards by joel are cross-grain slices of several varieties of hardwood trees,
all of which are native to Minnesota. The Butternut, Hickory, Ash, and Maple
trees are harvested from the hills and valleys surrounding Red Wing, Lake
City, and Cannon Falls. These trees are then transported to Prior Lake,
Minnesota, where they are carefully dried, sanded, and sealed with a food-safe mineral oil.
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