07/19/2026
On nearly every site visit and consultation, I encourage folks to find a way to get wood chips delivered to their property.
It's the backbone for building out n most gardens, food forests and essential to multiple homestead and farm tasks - on any scale.
After years of helping folks get deliveries I've learned a few tactics that seem to be reliable- especially in rural areas.
Chipdrop is great, but seems to function best in urban and suburban areas.
Here's an approach for those out in the sticks:
**Never overlook Facebook Marketplace**
Rural wood chip acquisition is harder because:
- fewer tree companies,
- longer hauling distance
- crews often dump at their own yard,
- some farmers already compete for chips,
-utility crews may haul to biomass sites.
But the upside:
Once you become a trusted dump site, you can get enormous quantities consistently. In my world, there is no such thing as too many wood chips. They are a point of leverage for nearly every regenerative system I design.
Check Facebook Marketplace, even if you can’t get drops, many folks offer to load a trailer at their dump yard for free or a small fee.
Step 2: Prepare a REAL Dump Site
This is the biggest filter.
Tree crews want:
Easy access
Clearly marked and easy to find turnaround space
All-weather entry
No hassle
No micromanagement
If they sink a chip truck in mud one time, you may never hear from them again.
Minimum Standard
You want:
Gravel or firm dry approach at least 12–14 ft width
Room for large truck backing
No low limbs
The ability to dump quickly and pull right out
Ideal:
pull-through loop,
near road frontage,
visible unloading zone
Step 3: Decide What Material You Actually Want
Not all chips are equal.
BEST for permaculture
Mixed species arborist chips:
leaves,
twigs,
bark,
cambium,
wood.
This is fungal gold.
Better than:
pure trunk chips,
sawmill waste,
mulch dye products.
Materials to Usually Avoid
Utility line-clearance chips
Can contain:
invasive seeds,
herbicide residues,
trash,
excessive pine,
diseased material.
Still usable sometimes, but less ideal.
Black walnut - not a huge concern but good to know if it’s part of the load
Only an issue for sensitive species in concentrated use.
Bamboo - freshly cut bamboo can root easily, same for cuttings of Kudzu
Step 4: Build Relationships directly - offering the set up above by calling your local tree companies or talking to the foreman on a crew when you see them working in your area. Reach out through your local community connections as well.
Who to Contact
local arborists,
tree service companies,
utility subcontractors,
county road crews,
electric co-op contractors,
land clearing crews.
Especially the smaller operators
Step 5: Your Pitch
You are helping to solve a disposal problem, so say something like:
“I’ve got easy access and plenty of room if you ever need a place to dump clean wood chips. No charge, no hassle.”
Step 6: Use ChipDrop Carefully
ChipDrop can work, but in rural areas results vary wildly.
Important realities:
could wait months
could get 20 cubic yards suddenly
could get nothing
could get pine (no necessarily an issue but it breaks down far faster)
could get massive logs mixed in
But direct local relationships outperform it long-term in rural areas.
Step 7: Make Yourself Valuable
This is the hidden trick.
Tree crews remember:
cold drinks
easy access
no complaints
quick communication
You do not need to tip heavily.
But being pleasant and efficient matters enormously.
A guy who lets them dump in 5 minutes without a headache becomes preferred.
Step 8: Create “Zones” for Material
Do not make one giant chaotic pile forever.
Have:
fresh pile,
aging fungal pile,
finished mulch,
compost integration area.
Fresh chips can temporarily be a source of high nitrogen. It’s not unusual to see them steaming as they heat internally and can be anaerobic for a time.
Aged chips become extraordinary fungal compost feedstock. My best compost is made from 50/50 mix of aged wood chips and chopped leaves.
Anyone want to weigh in on this? What kind of experiences have you had, as a tree service or a recipient?
Helping gardeners get free mulch. Helping arborists empty their trucks.
