Biography
The essence of Fred Savage’s antique harvest tables is in the lumber. When he began to witness the disappearance of Ontario’s agricultural land and the ‘century farm,’ Fred became involved in the careful disassembly of these antique buildings, for conservation and salvaging purposes, and developed a strong connection with the wood due to its age, its lineage and its fascinating history.
Fred’s appreciation for the history of this wood goes back to when it stood as old-growth trees in Ontario’s ancient forests. It was cut down and milled into boards and beams, then transported by wagons for the European settlers.
The Europeans, who were settling the land, built large farm houses and massive wooden barns also known as ‘bank barns’ – barns that were built into the side of hills and which stored most of their assets in the form of grains, hay and livestock. During the time in which these barns were erect, the boards of Fred’s farm tables may have seen 100 – 200 grain harvests! It is the energy and spirit of these annual harvests which Fred feels is still held within the wood.
Urbanization and factory farms pushed out the small family farmer; bank barns and farm houses had to come down. Fred contributed to the disassembly of these barns. Boards were meticulously numbered, photographed and categorized so that some could be resurrected for museums. At the same time, Fred was collecting an extraordinary surplus of materials.
From forest to mill to barn, then one to two centuries later, Fred arrived with his truck. He helped disassemble the structures and transported many of the boards back to his workshop in Hillsburgh, Ontario. There he began to construct the unique farm dining tables with the surplus of wood. As one of these harvest tables incorporates itself into a new family’s daily life, a circle in ultimate recycling has been completed.
After nearly 20 years of creating farm tables and furniture in his Hillsburgh workshop, Fred and his family moved to British Columbia as they wanted to homestead and be near ocean. Cortes Island seemed to be able to offer both of these things, and more: a place for personal transformation and spiritual healing.
Fred has settled and established a new studio on Cortes Island. He is now taking orders for his harvest dining tables. With enough material to produce about 200 tables, he’ll be making about 20 – 25 tables per year. Fred hopes to expand his studio in the next few years and open his space to those interested in apprenticing.