The next time you go shopping for furniture keep the environment in mind. Sustainable, earth-friendly furniture is the newest trend in the business.

At Harden Furniture in central New York it's going green from the ground up. Gregory Harden said, "I see a great cherry over there nice and tall in the sunlight."
 
This family-owned business has been around since 1844. "We are the only company in the country, and maybe in the world, that owns timber properties, operates a saw mill and actually makes that product into furniture,” he said.

Harden has been honored by the Sustainable Furniture Council.  "What happens in furniture is really critical because we use a lot of forest products," he added. 

One reason harden was honored is because of what goes on here. For every tree cut another one's grown. "As you harvest, you open up holes in the canopy. It allows sunlight in and that encourages those young little saplings and young little shoots to grow into mature trees," said Harden.

The trees used for furniture are between 80 and 100-years-old. Once cut, they're sorted and sent to the saw mill. "We want good quality lumber and we want to waste as little of it as we possible can. All of our scrap, all of our waste is used for one purpose or another," he said. 

The scrap wood is chipped and is used to heat the facility in the winter. The best pieces are crafted into fine furniture. The price isn't cheap. But, think of it as an investment, both in your future, and in the environment.

Cheap furniture winds up in landfills and has to be replaced. Quality pieces can last generations.