Local cooperage says protecting oak forests goes beyond trees, is also about barrels
Family-owned Missouri cooperage has been focused on protecting forests by varying oak tree growth
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A cooper is a person who makes a barrel for a living. To make those barrels, you have to have trees — and to make sure there are trees for those barrels, one family-owned, Missouri-started company is trying to make sure landowners, the cooperage and loggers are all protecting forests for the next generation.
The Independent Stave Company has a global outreach, providing oak barrels to distilleries of all types from wine to whiskey. They’ve been operating in Lebanon, Missouri, since the 1950s where the current Missouri cooperage is located.
For spirits to get their flavor, which makes liquors like whiskey so sought after, oak lumber is needed. In recent years, concerns about oak trees have risen after multiple reports of oak decline and forest challenges grew in Missouri.
Some of the trouble comes from old forest practices, according to experts speaking with First Alert 4. Oak trees need a variety of sunlight and shadow to grow full and healthy, and for many years oak forests were not managed in a way that allowed for a variety of size, height and growth, according to forestry researchers at the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Oak decline is a complex topic, and more details on specific oak decline concerns can be found here.
Since white oak is crucial to the production of barrels for spirit creation, ISC has started working with colleges, professional groups and other organizations to help landowners understand the importance of forest planning and management.
By planning which trees will be harvested, and selecting which ones are getting older, landowners can better prepare the forest for a healthier future, according to ISC workers. The lumber that’s selected and taken to the cooperage has been selected for a number of reasons -- but a key piece is their location and age.
—ISC sustainability experts say oaks are very resilient and iconic. Some trees selected for use in oak barrels are over 100 years old. Education and outreach via land certification is a huge part of ISC’s sustainability programs. Selecting and mapping the trees for specific use helps keep forests healthy, and can help the landowners their own goals — forest or prairie protection, harvesting, growth or retention.
“We bring our sustainability approach forward into our production process by utilizing 100% of the oak that we purchase,” ISC’s website states. “Wood that does not go into stave, heading, or oak alternative material is utilized internally as fuel or sold as high quality by-products to be used in other industries.”
Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage goes from corn farms to hunting concerns, and local water rates to buffalo health.
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