Game of Logging

I have had several "first" experiences since starting farm school last October 1. One of the hardest, most fun, and certainly the deadliest, was participating in a "Game of Logging" class which instructed us on how to use a chainsaw correctly. Farmers don't just drive around on their tractors all day looking cool. Sometimes they need to clear land, buck up wood for burning or just take out their frustration by rushing into the woods and felling some trees just for the heck of it. Best they should know how to do it safely and efficiently so they can get back to driving around on their tractors looking cool.

Our instructor, Bill (who fondly became known as Chainsaw Bill to the student farmers) started our first class on chainsawing by ensuring we student farmers understood how dangerous this tool can be. This guy is a bad-ass....I have no doubt that he juggles chainsaws, eats sawdust for lunch and cuts down trees with his bare hands. By the time he was finished with the detailed injury explanations, color photographs of the numerous people killed by logs and cautions about everything that can, and frequently does, go wrong, we were all sufficiently scared enough to never go near a chainsaw. That, however, was not an option, and we all suited up in the cool logging costumes and headed out into the woods for some hands-on instruction.

The Game of Logging classes are set up as a competition. You receive points during the class for knowing the parts of the saw, knowing basic saw maintenance, determining safety hazards, handling the saw and hitting your target when felling your first tree. Now, I'm not one for bragging but I took second on the first day and first on the second day. Our third class we decided not to keep score....I mean, I didn't want to show up all those 20 something year old student farmers. I won the helmet I'm wearing in the picture. I'm thinking of changing my name to Paula.....Paula Bunyon that is. You can call me PB for short.

For more information on Game of Logging click here:

http://www.gameoflogging.com/

If you ever have a chance to take the course don't pass it up. It's excellent!