The search for wood

Let’s start with a simple question; where do we find the wood?  Well, that’s complicated.  I’m located on the east coast which limits the availability of wide slabs of furniture grade wood at a reasonable cost for a small shop.  My preferred species is walnut, more specifically black walnut, which makes it even harder to get the slabs I’m looking for.  Forget about Bastogne or English Walnut, it is virtually