Amish Technique for Stacking Firewood

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Photo by Terry Johnson
Stacking firewood can be a functional art form if you follow the Amish’s lead for making efficient, pyramid-shaped piles.

We observed these pyramid-shaped stacks of firewood while on a tour of Amish farms in southeast Minnesota. Because the woodpiles looked unique and interesting, we duplicated them on our farm. We were surprised at the efficiency of this system for stacking firewood; the woodpiles pictured here each hold between 850 and 1,000 split logs. Not only do our Amish-inspired woodpiles hold more split logs than conventional stacks do, but the firewood repels water and dries out faster, and the piles don’t fall or blow over in the wind.

We have continued to stack our firewood this way ever since, which is quite simple to do. Start with an unsplit log that’s approximately 16 inches long and 8 inches wide. Lean split logs in a circle, two rows deep, against the 16-inch unsplit log. Next, set a couple of split logs on top of the 16-inch log and slightly lean more split logs against them. Continue this process until the top of the pile is out of reach. 

Terry Johnson
Hot Springs, South Dakota

  • Published on Nov 7, 2014
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