Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, April 5, 2017
BIOCHAR . . .
Continued from A-5
This also works with
a stack of old lumber:
crisscross the boards in
layers making sure there is
an inch or two of air space
between each board. Pile
small brush on top and
light it. Old boards can
be the worst for smoky
smoldering, but your pile
will burn quick and clean.
Now comes the final
requirement for a clean,
safe burn that makes
biochar for your garden:
you need water. Have a
hose on hand, and when
your pile collapses to a
mound of glowing coals,
spray it with water. Spread
the charcoal out thin to
cool and keep spraying
with water till it’s cold.
Wait a day and then gather
up the charcoal and put it
in your compost pile. The
carbon that would have
gone up in smoke will go
back into the soil instead
where it can do the most
good.
Make sure
you get your burn
permit and follow the
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality
open burning rules. Your
burn will not only be
cleaner and safer, it will
also get done much more
quickly and save you time.
Wilson Biochar
Associates and the
Umpqua Biochar
Education Team will
be demonstrating this
biochar burning method
at the Southern Oregon
Firewise Expo at Jackson
County Fire District 3
headquarters in White
City May 12-13. We
hope to see you there.
You can also find more
information about biochar
and clean burning at the
UBET website: www.
ubet.blogspot.com and
at my website at: www.
wilsonbiochar.com.
Page A-9
it’s no wonder things have changed in wonder
Jason McMillen
IVN Contributing Writer
The Wonder General Store on
Redwood Hwy. recently came under
new management as of Jan. 28. Nik
Baker, a seasoned small-business
owner with around 30 years of
experience, mostly from his auto
body shop in Kerby, is confident
that the business will continue to
thrive under his ownership. The
previous owners spent an entire
month training Baker and his wife
Susette because it was their first
experience running a grocery. It
resulted in a decidedly smooth
transition.
“Without that we would
have been in big trouble,” Baker
concluded, “They were really at
good teaching us.”
The previous owners decided
to sell the store to retire and then
Baker, who has had back problems
that ultimately forced him to quit
the auto body business, jumped at
the chance to buy the store for his
wife who will be running the day-
to-day operations. “My back went
to hell after about three surgeries,”
Baker said, laughing for a moment
before continuing, “I’ll be doing the
repairs and helping her if she needs
it.”
Not content to just leave the
store “as is” Baker has several
projects all focused toward
renovating the building. “We went
and painted the store and we’re
doing all kinds of improvements
and all the locals are high-fiving
us,” Baker said, proud to be
exciting the community. In addition
to cleaning up the place and
renovating where necessary, he
also plans to physically add onto
the building so that he can include
and sell hardware supplies. This
addition is planned to start within
the next few weeks and will become
the first and only hardware store in
Wonder.
“I don’t want to leave the
Valley. I like the Valley. Got all
my kids here—my grand babies,”
Baker said, when asked why he
bought a business here as opposed
to anywhere else. In total, he has
been living in the Illinois Valley for
22 years and the vast majority of his
family resides here as well. When
asked about why the Illinois Valley
was where he planted his roots all
those years ago he simply replied
that, “It’s real friendly.”
In the future, the husband and
wife team may decide to open a
second location but for the moment
they are taking things “one step at
a time.”
The Wonder General Store and
Sandwich Shop is located at 11465
Redwood Hwy. and you can call
them at 541-476-5954.
(Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
Susette (left) and Nik Baker behind the counter greeting and helping a customer in the newly renovated Wonder General Store
Saturday, April 1.
Now Open for
Recreational Sales
Monday-Sunday: 6aM-8pM