Dave Card knows a thing or two about the great outdoors. On his family farm in Fellsmere, he makes chicken coops, goat pens, and barns from scratch. He and his family grow some of their own food, kill some of it, and teach their children how to be self-sufficient.

His wife, Kimarie, helps raise the children and homeschools.

During the day, Dave works full-time for a non-profit ministry run by his father-in-law, Pastor Geoff Donnan, called Reformation Christian Ministries. The business is on the same property where Dave and his family live so Dave is only ten feet from work at any given time.

To supplement his family’s income, Dave took a night-stock job at Home Depot two years ago where he spends about 20 hours each week moving and stocking heavy supplies.

So, it was little surprise when he decided last year to open up a lumber and milling business in his spare time. Even though his friends and family weren’t sure how much spare time he had, they knew Dave had a knack for wedging small amounts of time into massively productive ventures. That could be due to Dave’s eight years on submarines in the U.S. Navy. Such men learn to make use of very little.

Dave joined with several other local men and women to form a committee to help him plan his business venture, including investigating prices, determining local needs, and planning on preserving resources. Most importantly, the banded together to obtain a crucial piece of equipment - the mill itself. They also came up with the name of his business “Good Stewards Custom Lumber” and started a website to describe their services. Being Christians, Dave and his partners felt that taking care of the earth and its precious resources was an integral part of their desire to make their business a success.

Dave officially opened for business three months ago and business has been picking up. As the word has gotten out, people have contacted him for all sorts of jobs - tree clearing, saw milling, and bulk purchase of different types of lumber. Dave and his friends have also been creating custom furniture and beams.

Eventually, the Card family hope that the lumber business will help Dave have more time at home with his children.

Good Stewards Custom Lumber serves Brevard and Indian River counties.