"WORTHLESS" timber growing on Mr Alec Thompson's farm has been transformed into a valuable asset.

Two small blocks of larch trees are now providing timber for fence rails and posts, farm gates and even beams in a barn conversion.

The 200-year-old trees stand high on the steep hillside above Leath House in Westerdale on the North York Moors. Ideally, they would have been felled ten years ago but inquiries to timber merchants made the operation too expensive.

The farm itself is down a narrow, twisting road and access to the trees was too difficult, with no track. The small number of trees also meant merchants were not interested.

Over the last couple of years, some of the trees have been blown over, not only making them useless but also damaging stone walls.

Earlier this year Mr Thompson came across Yorwoods at an agricultural show and was informed of the help which could be offered to farmers and owners of small woodlands.

A free farm advisory visit was made and a small grant given to help in getting the timber out.

A felling licence was obtained and permission given by the North York Moors national park, which allowed the trees to be felled in exchange for more native hardwoods being planted.

Yorwoods was also able to put Mr Thompson in touch with a mobile sawmill operator to carry out the felling and cutting.

Mr Jonathan Walker of Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, is a chartered forester who worked for a private company before branching out on his own some 15 months ago.

He received help from Yorwoods to buy his American-made Woodmizer mobile sawmill. His philosophy is to take the sawmill to the wood, rather than the wood to the sawmill.

On Wednesday of last week Yorwoods held a demonstration day at Leath House which, despite the weather, attracted almost 30 farmers.

Mr Walker was in action cutting the timber into fence rails, beams and posts. He has seen demand for his services grow over the last year, particularly at this season.

"I am really interested in the added value aspect," said Mr Walker, "Whereas it is not economical for timber merchants to come to these sort of jobs, it is ideal for the mobile sawmill."

Mr Walker has worked all over Yorkshire and Humberside but is prepared to travel anywhere. He recently worked on an estate near Dublin, where the woods had not been touched for 50 years.

Yorwoods can help timber-using businesses with marketing and business development and helped Mr Walker to market his business.

Mr Rob Garrett, marketing manager for Yorwoods, said there were many farms with small areas of woodland in the same position that Mr Thompson was in. If the amount of timber was particularly small it could make sense for neighbours to get together to have the work done.

On-site processing could often mean the difference between profit and loss or at least could cover the expenses.

By using the mobile sawmill and doing most of the other work himself Mr Thompson's uneconomic timber had actually represented an added value of £436. "It has been very worthwhile," said Mr Thompson, "It has given me something out of timber which otherwise would probably have been wasted."

He was impressed by how smoothly the operation had gone, from getting approval to the help given by Yorwoods, the Forestry Commission and North York Moors national park.

Yorwoods can offer assistance and advice on any matter related to woodland management in the Yorkshire Objective 5b area. Help can include free advisory visits, grant towards training, harvesting subsidies, new access roads, design plans for new or existing woodlands and assistance with marketing and business development for timber using businesses.

Yorwoods, which hopes funding will continue under Objective 2, is based at the Aske Estate, Richmond, and can be contacted on 01748 826519. Mr Walker and his mobile sawmill can be contacted on 01765 658258