Alumni Feature: Cindy (Simpson) Siewert 1984 is saving the environment one tree at a time

I have such wonderful memories living in McCall Hall and making friends; I loved the hockey games!

University of Minnesota Crookston Technical Institutealumna Cindy (Simpson) Siewert 1984 is all about saving the environment and that lends well with the mission of her business 'Wood From The Hood' in Minneapolis. She and her husband, Rick, were tired of seeing neighborhood trees getting cut into wood chips instead of prolonging the wood's life and decided to do something about it. Now, their state-of-the-art facility turns trees cut down by the Minneapolis Park Board and several local tree companies into slabs, dimensional lumber, and tree "cookies" for woodworkers, and architectural projects for commercial clients such as Caribou Coffee, Surly Brewery, and Cushman & Wakefield.

"Currently, most trees in the metro region are sent to landfills, shredded into landscape mulch, or burned; Wood from the Hood is changing that," says her business website. "By reclaiming wood from Twin Cities neighborhoods (like the Ash tree from Rick and Cindy's yard), these trees are able to live on in the form of sustainable, handcrafted wood products."

Wood From The Hood started in 2008 with a history in the commercial cabinetry business and looks to double their sales in 2026. They have custom products like furniture, live edge pieces, slabs, and charcuterie boards, and offer items for sale in their lumber store in south Minneapolis, plus they're actively working on growing their 4th annual Holiday Makers Market into the 'event of the year'. Wood From The Hood has had exclusive stories about their business on CBS News, KTSP, and WCCO, on the Minnesota Pollution Control website, and in the Star Tribune and Voyage Minnesota Magazine.

Siewert and her business are also featured on the University of Minnesota Alumni Marketonline, a place that supports UMN alumni entrepreneurs and their businesses, and the Alumni Association every time you shop. Wood From The Hood offers items at the market like reclaimed wood charcuterie serving boards, cocktail smoker sets, Minnesota wood ornaments, and wood tablet holders.

Siewert is currently the sole UMN Crookston alumna featured on the site, though the market is open for new listings or recommended alumni businesses by visiting mnalumnimarket.com/pages/get-in-the-market. A portion of all sales on the Alumni Market are immediately put into action to enrich the lives of alumni, bolster student success, and strengthen the University community.

Looking back at her time at UMN Crookston, Siewert, a Hotel Restaurant & Institutional Management graduate and hospitality association student member who spent time in the hotel and human resources industries before starting her own business, said she really enjoyed the 'small town feeling' and the people on campus.

"I have such wonderful memories living in McCall Hall and making friends," shared Siewert. "We all studied together, went to the dining hall regularly for dinner, enjoyed hiking in the large snow drifts after a storm, watching movies in the common area on the weekends, and going to campus events."

"I loved the hockey games!" she recalled excitedly.

Want to learn more about Wood From The Hood? Shop her MN Alumni Market page at mnalumnimarket.com/collections/cindy-siewert, shop the business website at woodfromthehood.com, follow them on social media, or sign up for their newsletter on their website.

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