permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

> Instead of earth moving & excavating equipment use similar sized wheeled or 
> tracked machines
> that can harvest it down to ground level, grind, compress and bale it for 
> transport
> to storage or processing facilities.
>
> For use in biogas and or compost generation:
> -cut, shred, compact and bale on the spot in one operation
>
> For use as livestock feed or to burn to generate power:
> -cut, and in the case of kudzu unlike grass or grain stalks, shred or chop with haybine-like machine - this will squeeze 
> -out most of the moisture in the plant
> -windrow the harvested material for drying - just like harvesting hay
> -collect, compact and bale for transfer to storage facility; either 
> conventional round or square bale it or turn it into
> -those giant sized square bales you see every now and then
>
> On land with low organic matter and sparse vegetation, subject to erosion, kudzu would be ideal for long term 
> stabilization, maybe permanent, if no other use for the land is envisioned
>
> Seriously, this plant is a a magnificent but underutilized resource.
>
> Let's not be kudzu bigots, instead kudzu Luddites, like me. But, of course, I 
> do not have it in my backyard
> menacing my dwelling, like Dr. Sludgemeister.

Here are a few machinery prototypes under development out at the Ant Farm, 
where kudzu is the honored guest at the table:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/abramsv/SAubJUkZrnI/AAAAAAAAOz0/Jwu-rVif1V8/s1600-h/rad5.jpg
Top: farm to highway transporter
Bottom: field harvester-processor

http://www.georgesteinmetz.com/index.php?section=9&page=view_photos
Last photo shows 5 mile long cargo train that could be carrying tightly 
packed bales of kudzu to
farms, feedlots or free range livestock operations.