Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Herblands

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Kirby Fry" <peace@totalaccess.net>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Herblands
  • Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 04:41:54 -0500

Hey Mark,

>> and pay the bills much sooner. <<

Are you saying that a grasslands or 'herblands' are more economically viable
than woodlands, that cash yields would mirror biomass yields - 10 t / ha /
year vs. 2.5 t / ha / year? I wish there really were more true herblands.
Probably what's left of the prairies has less than 1 / 100'th of the
underground biomass of a true prairie.

Right out my door we have some of the prettiest stands of little blue-stem,
silver blue-stem, gayfeather (liatrus) and Indian paint-brush in Texas.
However, when you put a shovel in the ground the root systems are very
sparse.

Did you say it might take as long as 100 years to return to true prairie?

>> Only if you get paid for letting people shoot them. Sorry to be so
blunt but I'm very focused on getting paid these days... <<

Meaning that the only way people would eat buffalo, deer or antelope is if
they shoot them themselves? I bet the growing Hispanic population might be
a good market for deer and antelope.

>> Just swap in the cattle (and/or bison) and give it 100 years to
redevelop the aquifer and soil quality and we're there. In fact it will be
better because we can balance the soil chemistry and design the landscape
with farmer trees etc. <<

Watch out Nebraska here I come! Do you think there's any hope for getting
away from cattle? How about the Konza system? Are they promoting the use
of wild ungulates?

Kirby





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page