Forestry expo set for Bland (copy) (copy)
Russ Willey is owner of Willey’s Firewood from Old Town, Maine
Produced by Lee Trade Shows, an upcoming Small Scale Forestry Expo is specifically for the landowner that has woodlots and wants to utilize them in a way that’s beneficial to both the planet and their pockets.
These are woodland owners who prefer cleaner, smaller-scale processing versus clear-cutting their land, leaving a mess behind. We want to connect them to the best resources out there.
The host location, chosen with input from industry contacts, is in southwest Virginia, at the Bland County Fairgrounds. Not far from Interstates 77 and 81, it easily draws from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Set for Sept. 18 and 19, the show will feature education sessions in addition to a bustling trade show. Topics will include:
• “Log Grading and Scaling/Marketing – An Introduction to Hardwood Log Marketing” with Jeremy Harless
• “Timber Stand Improvement for Wildlife” and “State & Federal Cost-Share Programs for Timber Stand Improvement” with Justin Funk
• “Introduction to Low Impact Forestry” with Ryan Willock
• “Let’s Sell Firewood: How to Start Your Own Firewood Business” and “Sawmilling for Fun & Profit” with Russ Willey
Jeremy Harless is a log buyer with more than 20 years of experience buying multiple grades and species. He is a fourth-generation logger and holds a bachelor’s in forestry from Virginia Tech. For more than a decade he has owned and operated a log yard that buys, sells and ships logs domestically and overseas. He is dedicated to staying on top of current market trends while taking care of his current suppliers and customers.
Justin Funk has worked with the Viriginia Department of Forestry for 18 years. He has served as an area forester in the central region of the state and managed state tree nurseries in the past.
Ryan Willock is a small-scale sustainable logger and farmer in the mountains of Virginia. This year marks 400 years that his family has been farming in Virginia; Willock has been in the logging industry for over 25 years. He has experience in running a small sawmill and firewood business. He also worked for one of the world’s leading manufacturers of low-impact logging equipment, running approximately 80% of the U.S. market for them as well as opening the market.
Russ Willey is a Maine-based firewood producer, entrepreneur and content creator dedicated to helping people build better firewood businesses through hard work, practical knowledge and honest equipment reviews. As the owner of Willey’s Firewood, he’s built a reputation for producing premium firewood while sharing the realities of running a modern firewood operation. Known for his straightforward, hands-on approach, Willey has become a trusted voice in the firewood community by testing and reviewing the equipment that professionals rely on every day.
Through his growing YouTube channel, Facebook community and the “Brothers in the Woodlot” podcast, Willey educates and entertains thousands of woodcutters, arborists, landowners and firewood producers. He is also a strong advocate for workplace safety, supporting small businesses and preserving the traditions of the forestry and firewood industries while embracing innovations that make the work more efficient.
An impressive line-up will be at the 2026 Small Scale Forestry Expo, including products and services from Bad Dog Tools; Turbosawmill Portable Swing-Blade Sawmills; Cutco knives and more; digital wood carving; Equipter Tow-a-Lift and Equipter 5400; Family Forest Carbon Program, Fields and Forest; Logosol Sawmills; Morbark Chippers; Rayco Crawlers; Denis Cimaf Mulching Heads; Tajfun Winches; firewood processors; tractor/logging cranes; Virginia Farm Bureau and Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance; Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program events; Wood-Mizer Sawmills; SC30TX Vermeer Stump Cutter and the Vermeer BC1000XL chipper; Norwood Portable Sawmills; Hud-Son Forestry products; New Holland construction equipment;SDLG; Dyna Products; Mighty Ox and John Deere.
Locked-in exhibitors include Bad Dog Tools; Beaver Work Leasing & Turbosawmill; Boone Tractor; Cutco Gifting; Digital Wood Carver LLC; Equipter; Family Forest Impact Foundation; GF Equipment Sales ,Greens Equipment Group; Hartville Hardware; Meade Tractor; Morbark LLC; Tajfun USA; Vermeer All Roads; Virginia Farm Bureau; Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program; and Wood-Mizer LLC.
With decades in trade show management and numerous regionally and nationally successful shows under our belt, the Lee Trade Shows legacy speaks for itself – and we look forward to continuing to deliver excellence to our exhibitors and attendees alike at this brand-new trade show event in 2026.
The Small Scale Forestry Expo, slated for Sept. 18 and 19 in Bland is excited to grow along the woodland stewards of the East Coast. To learn more, see smallscaleforestry.com.
