Split redwood pickets are an old-time standard style of fencing throughout much of the North Coast. Many miles of contractor-built fences were installed throughout the redwood region during the late 1800's and early-to-mid 1900s, and many of them are still standing to this day. Most of these redwood pickets were hand-split from heartwood-redwood, and the old-growth wood fibers contain high amounts of tannins that help to preserve the wood from decay.
Here at the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center we are re-using such redwood pickets to rebuild the main sheep-barn corrals. Here you see Senior Agricultural Technician, Troy McWilliams, who is adept at building and repairing many types of fences, attaching pickets to a metal-framed sorting-corral fence. The metal pipe framing is also fabricated from used surplus material.
Depending upon which part of the North Coast the pickets are placed, they usually become adorned with an array of lichens which adds to the country "atmosphere" and aesthetic appeal of HREC's facility.
