# Is orchard wood safe?



## potatoc (Jan 15, 2008)

I am just finishing the construction of my wood fired smoker.  Here in norhtern Michigan all the farmers are trimming up their apple and cherry trees.  I would have an unlimited supply of this wood to use in my smoker this season.  However, I am not a farmer and don't know much because I am very new to all this stuff, so my question is, is the limbs/cutoffs of these trees safe for smoking????  The reason I ask is because I know farmers spray for bugs and disease, so I was wondering if that would affect this wood??  Thanks for any help as always!!!


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## ds7662 (Jan 15, 2008)

Sure its safe. Just let it season before using it. 
There are chemicals all around us and in the air we breathe everyday. 
Let the wood season outside an it will be fine.


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## geek with fire (Jan 15, 2008)

I use wood that comes out of my orchard, and I don't use chemicals; so I do nothing special.  However, if I was to get wood from an orchard that I knew used chemicals, I would remove the bark and season the wood for about 6 months.  At that point I would think you would be fine.


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## flash (Jan 15, 2008)

Lucky dog, start stacking that wood.


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## walking dude (Jan 15, 2008)

detritus from fruit and nut trees ROCK


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## bbq bubba (Jan 15, 2008)

You eat the apples that have the same chemical's on them, why not smoke with the wood???
Load up as much as you can, that's where i get mine also....
Any cherry trees in them orchard's???


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

Anything they use is gone in a couple months by design, if not sooner. ya eat the apples, right?  DDT type stuff is LOOONG gone. Season it and smoke it!


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## kookie (Jan 15, 2008)

I was thinking the samething bubba and richtee. If you can eat the fruit it bears then you should be safe burning the wood.

Kookie


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## white cloud (Jan 15, 2008)

There is such a thing as dormant oil spray which is only sprayed on the wood. Some do add pesticides to the oil. The oil alone is not toxic, at least the one I make. It smothers pests that overwinter in the bark. Another concern would be if they used an uptake pesticide, which is poured on the ground and the root system takes it up ( uptake) and it works it way from core to bark.


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

Hmmm...but I wonder if any of these survive the temps, or if they break down after wood is dead and seasoned. maybe I'll post a note to MSU's ag extension.


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## brianj517 (Jan 15, 2008)

Orchards in my area are my primary source of apple and pear wood that I've been using for years. Of course I make certain that it is well seasoned before using it...And have no problems or side effects...

Of course, there is the issue about having "eyes in the back of my head," which is an ever present source of consternation for my kids, but I never really considered this to be a bad thing...and probably wasn't caused by the wood anyway...

Cheers,
Brian


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

Hehe...it's caused by fatherhood. I got 'em too  :{):


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

Sent this to Michigan State's Ag Dep't:
_________
A question on woods for smoking meats Esp. orchard trimmings: Are there any worries about residual pesticides in commercial orchard trimmings? Will the seasoning of the wood reduce any if it is a concern? Or the burning of it?

Thank you for your time...
________


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## shellbellc (Jan 15, 2008)

Don't use that wood, it will be no good.  Take all that you have collected and send to me quickly. I will properly dispose of it...especially the cherry!!


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## bbq bubba (Jan 15, 2008)

Your alway's thinking safety!!


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## charles1056 (Jan 15, 2008)

I get my pecan straight off the tree, so I would think the others would be just as safe as long as they are seasoned.


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## packplantpath (Jan 15, 2008)

I wouldn't worry about it at all.  Where do you think the wood we buy comes from?  It sure ain't the forest unless you really pay out the nose for some organic smoking wood (is there such a thing?).  I've worked with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides for years.  By design, they all are not persistent in soil or tissue because the EPA wouldn't approve them.  Ask the growers what they sprayed and how long prior to the cutting it was.  If it was at least 60 days, I wouldn't worry at all.  If it had been 30 days or less, it would depend on the chemical used for me.

FYI:  dose for dose, caffeine is far more toxic than roundup, so as long as you are not sucking it out of the jug you are fine.  Of course this would not apply to some of the nematacides, a tsp can kill a 150lb man, but we don't have to worry about that in orchards i think.


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## walking dude (Jan 15, 2008)

since i have started visiting this site, and REALLY learned how to smoke meat, as i am sure with aLOT of folks here.......haven''t seen 150 lbs IN YEARS.........LOLOL


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## packplantpath (Jan 15, 2008)

Too true.  I guess it might take 1.5 tbs for  most of us I'm afraid.  I've always been fine with my weight, until recenltyI reasilzed I had broken that 210 mark.   For a guy under 5 ft 10 in, I was depressed.  So, I'm eating pretty much the same, just working out a bit the past few months.  I'm on the smoking weight loss plan.  You know, low and slow.


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## walking dude (Jan 15, 2008)

LMAO.............LOLOLOL...........gosh packin......you killing me here


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

I really don't expect a negative response from MSU, like ya said, ya can't buy ANY good stuff any more. Man, that Clorodane stuff WORKED   heh.


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## potatoc (Jan 15, 2008)

You know MI is the number one cherry producer in the US.  A guy up here in my neck of the woods should really look into taking all these trimmings and getting them to all the smokers out there.  You all should see it up here, piles of cherry and apple tree limbs 20' tall at every other farm that are just burned like bonfires because they have nothing else to do with the stuff!!!!!


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## richtee (Jan 15, 2008)

I have been pondering this very issue. Even have a few good buds in the tree biz.


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## walking dude (Jan 15, 2008)

also.......make buds with the tree trimmings guys............specially the ones that have to trim limbs back from the power lines..........and alot of em have chippers............

i know up and down this street alot of maple


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## richtee (Jan 16, 2008)

Here is their reply... was hoping for a list of bad stuff...but no go. Ah well. I am still assuming they arn't using DDT or anything too nasty. it's a food producing plant.
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Pesticides have environmental half lives which vary depending on the chemical involved.  Here is the number for the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network. (800) 858-7378.  You will probably need to know which pesticide was being used on the wood for them to determine if there is a potential hazard.



Charlene Molnar

Horticulture Advisor, Plant and Pest Hotline
Michigan State University Extension - Oakland County
1200 North Telegraph Road
Pontiac, Michigan   48341-0416


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## packplantpath (Jan 16, 2008)

Sounded kind of non-committal like they didn't want to say anything too certain.  Can't say I blame them.  It was a nice shot though.

What's so bad about DDT?  It was pretty harmless to us humans, it was the birds that it sucked for.  I've heard dad talking about walking through clouds of the stuff as a kid.  No harmful effects so far, and his kids even came out relatively smart (at least one of them did, I'll let you choose which).


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## richtee (Jan 16, 2008)

Well, I already used the Chlorodane example, and Agent orange would kill the tree...LOL!  Yeah...bureaucratic pablum is all the rage these days  heh.


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## xcap (Jan 16, 2008)

There are too many pesticides out there for them (MSU) to give anything but a vague answer.  Tis true as stated as to how long lasting they are w/ wind, rain, snow, and chemical breakdown or farmers wouldn't have to apply but rarely.


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## peculiarmike (Jan 16, 2008)

We're ALL going to die of something.
Smoke Q and be happy.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






   Or don't.


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## seaham358 (Jan 17, 2008)

I did not read all the posts.. Been away for a few days..
I will say that IMO the wood is fine...
The SOIL on the other had is gonna be HOT...  If you but land that was an orchard you should have it tested...


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## packplantpath (Jan 17, 2008)

The stuff to really worry about were the mercury based fungicides used in the 40s.  We still use chloropicirin (nerve gas) to fumigate land.  Methyl bromide is getting phased out, but man it was good stuff.  Kill darn near anything.  Weeds didn't even come up.  The fumigants would burn the piss out of your eyes and make your nose run.  You knew in a few minutes if the hose was leaking.  Fortunately, unless you covered the soil with plastic, the gas in the soil was gone in about 3-5 days.

Like I said, my rule would be anything less than 30 days after application and I may be wary of using it unless I knew the chemical used, rate, etc.


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