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  • From: "Robert Waldrop" <bwaldrop@cox.net>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] The March of Kudzu.
  • Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:11:07 -0500

I agree, the problem with kudzu is that we aren't taking advantage of it as a resource.

http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/kudzu.pdf

I predict that as peak oil, climate instability and etc get worse, kudzu will quickly go from invasive pest to treasured resource.

Bob Waldrop, OKC

----- Original Message ----- From: "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.

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