From waste to wood, Biocycle Farm poplar is generated locally as part of the MWMC’s wastewater treatment operations. Fast-growing poplar trees readily consume nutrients and water, as well as pull carbon from the air and soil, resulting in wood that can be used for a variety of building applications. Wood can be made available on a sustainable two-year harvest interval to supply specialty building products to the market. Local architects and builders are an integral part of this success story. Innovative uses of poplar in our community bring the poplar lifecycle full circle, delivering these wood products into our homes and businesses.

Biocycle Farm poplar has been successfully tested to produce architectural ceiling grilles and plywood veneer. Local millers have turned the poplar into 12-inch wide live-edge slabs, 2-by-6 boards, and 1-by-1 strips. Similar uses of poplar in Oregon have produced molding, trim, and dimensional boards. Lightweight and light-colored poplar is easy to work, takes a variety of stains, and looks great with a clear coat.

We have the wood, and local mills are capable and interested in milling the wood. The missing link is developing right-sized markets matched to the annual supply based on two-year harvest rotations. With a roster of interested builders and designers ready to use poplar products in their applications, the connection between mill and end-user can be completed to identify the pathway from stump to market.