Harmony Cedar Furniture

Sustainability

The hardwoods used in our handcrafted furniture are a renewable, but limited resource. Rick and Erik (the owners and operators of Harmony Cedar) are both strong environmentalists, and have put thoughtful consideration into the impact of our business on the remaining Upper Midwestern forests. We have come to two conclusions:

Heirloom quality furniture will outlast the owner: Much of the furniture available today is created with laminates, pressed boards, plywood, and other engineered 'wood' that is apprently designed to be replaced every 5-10 years regardless of care and use. Assuring the planned obsolescence of your furniture may be a good way to make money, but it also leads to the accellerated depletion of hardwood and softwood forests. All of our furniture is created to last for generations if cared for properly -- which is longer than the time it takes for the renewable resource (hardwoods) to regrow.

We can minimize this impact through offsets on our own land: Rick has already placed large sections of his family's farmland into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and has planted over 5,500 trees on this land. The mix is 50% hardwoods (Red Oak, White Oak, Maple, and Walnut) and 50% softwood Pines. The trees help provide wildlife cover, prevent erosion on hills and slopes, improve water quality, and help to replenish the forests native to the Upper Midwest. We plan to do additional plantings in the next few years.