Calico hardwoods in or near Santa Rosa, California is a big gun stock maker, and at one time they had the central valley source for Claro Walnut about sown up, especially with the larger nut growers. I would approach the growerts to buy a couple logs, and they would tell me that if Calico hears that i sell you anything, they will no longer buy my logs that I have to remove from the orchard each year. That was the threat that Calico used. They would say that the income isn't much, a few pennies per pound that Calico payed, but instead of the farmers doing it themselves, Calico would grind the stumps and also clean up everything, I believe. With the threat of no longer having Calico do that work every year, most would refuse to sell even one log. Had to find some that would do business in top secret, or got sick of Calico's threatening posturing and said the hell with them. They were all sick of it, but some more than others. The Japanese started waving real cash in front of the growers, so some ditched Calico.
