Whewee, it’s been challenging to stay optimistic and motivated amidst witnessing ecological collapse due to Anthropocentrism and the further unmasking of the technofascist state in the US… Alas, here we are! And we are still little animals in our habitats. These days it feels as though simple actions such as growing our own food, removing invasive species to foster growth of resilient native species, wild foraging for food, material and medicine, and tending to our immediate surroundings (including human and non-human species) can be radical acts.
We can also be the balm! Join Kudzu Culture and friends this weekend March 8th and 9th for two days of Community Through Kudzu:
Saturday March 8 ~ 2pm to 5pm~ Marshall, NC at Fiberhouse Collective
Learn how to reverently dig kudzu roots and review the steps to make kudzu root starch ~ email kudzuculture@gmail.com or text LB at 828-280-7874 to RSVP and for address / parking instructions
Sunday March 9 ~ 2pm to 5pm ~ Asheville, NC at Reed Creek Greenway entry by the intersection of Broadway and WT Weaver
Help remove old growth vines from trees, learn how to identify and harvest kudzu runner vines for basketry and other weaving, mark native species emerging within kudzu growth ~ email kudzuculture@gmail.com or text LB at 828-280-7874 with any questions
Kudzu Culture is currently selling winter season, high-quality, chemical-free fresh kudzu roots @ $10/pound (+ shipping) ~ TO ORDER FRESH ROOT EMAIL KUDZUCULTURE@GMAIL.com www.kudzuculture.net
ASD Herb Hub is currently taking orders for winter season, high-quality, chemical-free dried kudzu roots @ $48/pound (+ shipping) ~ TO ORDER DRIED ROOT EMAIL KCOMMENDER@ASDEVELOP.org www.asdevelop.org
Greetings, ‘zu keepers! We’ve been harvesting, making, tending and planning next steps for Kudzu Culture. This summer we celebrated another successful Vine to Cloth Camp in Marshall, North Carolina, where we joined Fiberhouse Collective to weave kuzu-fu (kudzu cloth). We recently visited the Appalachian Herb Hub in Duffield, Virginia, where there is opportunity for scaling-up our root harvest and processing this winter. Stay tuned for more updates and root preorders (fresh and dried available throughout the wintertime).
Join us!
***Update due to weather***
*** Art On The Island is postponed until October 26 ***
Kudzu Culture will be at Art On The Island in Marshall, NC. Join us for a fabulous, fun and creative community event! Join us to learn all about kudzu, make-your-own kudzu fiber friendship bracelet, and taste kudzu blossom elixir.
Greetings, ‘zu keepers! We are in the misty midst of early morning kudzu fiber vine harvesting in preparation for this year’s Vine to Cloth Kudzu Camp in partnership with Fiberhouse Collective in Marshall, North Carolina, Sunday July 28, 10am – 4pm. At camp we will share and learn how to harvest, process and weave kudzu vine fine bast fiber.
This year our goal is to weave significant yardage to make a kuzufu (kudzu cloth) garment. Below is an image of collective kuzufu made at camp in 2022.
If you would like to learn leading up to camp, LB from Kudzu Culture is meeting with harvesters weekly to both cut and rinse vines to prepare fiber for spinning and weaving at camp.
Email kudzuculture@gmail.com to signup to volunteer to harvest and/or rinse vines in the Asheville and Marshall area.
Greetings, ‘zu keepers! We are getting in the weeds together this Spring with a variety of workshops, partnerships, research projects and more. A few upcoming events to note:
Community Through Kudzu, educational kudzu removal along the Reed Creek Greenway in Asheville, NC, continues Wednesday, April 24, 1 – 4 PM. Learn how to select runner vines for weaving and harvest from 1 to 3 PM, then from 3 to 4 PM learn some basic materials preparation and see a weaving demonstration by master weaver, Matt Tommey. We will be marking areas where native non-invasive species are growing within the kudzu. We will also visit the goats who are working along the greenway!
Wear pants and long sleeves; bring gloves, water, sun protection, and hand pruners if you have them. Some gloves and hand pruners will be available. Meet at the Reed Creek Greenway entry at intersection of WT Weaver and Broadway. The nearest parking and bathroom facilities are located at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. No registration required and drop-ins welcome.
This kudzu removal workshop is open to the public at no cost. Thanks to the McClure Foundation for ongoing financial support for Kudzu Culture operations and programming.
Kudzu Culture joins CWEET (Clean Water Expected in Eastern Tennessee), PROJEXx, and other Newport artists and environmental activists in a day of creativity and celebration with eco-art demonstrations, seed give-aways, puppetry and story telling. Kudzu Culture will be demonstrating kudzu basketry weaving at 205 East Broadway.
Kudzu Culture will be back in Newport, TN, for the inaugural Routes to the River Festival, celebrating music, history, and nature. The festival is from Noon – 10pm; Kudzu Culture will be at PROJEXx, located at 205 East Broadway, from Noon – 3pm, teaching kudzu weaving and serving samples of kudzu root iced tea.
ONGOING – Wednesday Harvesting
Join Kudzu Culture executive director, LB, in weekly harvesting of roots, vines, and leafs, while learning all about the ‘zu! Email kudzuculture@gmail.com or text/call 828-280-7874 for specific harvest location and time. Most harvesting occurs in Buncombe and Madison Counties in Western, NC.
Stay tuned for more kudzu cultural news to come! We deeply appreciate financial support from the McClure Foundation for making our work possible. We also appreciate all the volunteers, collaborators and fellow ‘zu keepers who make this work so inspiring. Thank y’all! (- LB)
Greetings! As kudzu’s foliage goes into dormancy, we are gearing up for a vibrant cold weather root harvest season. Late fall and winter are the best times to work on both kudzu removal and root harvesting. This is because old-growth root crowns and runner vines are more visible, and easily identified without being covered with abundance of foliage. Roots are the most potent during wintertime to use for medicinal and culinary applications, because while the aerial portions of the kudzu are resting, the roots become extra juicy and starchy.
If you are interested in learning how to harvest kudzu roots, LB hosts weekly trainings in Madison County on most Wednesdays. Email kudzuculture@gmail.com to learn how you too can be a horiko-san (root digger). We’ll also host a starch processing demonstration later this winter in Marshall, NC (details coming soon!).
We have some fun ‘n free community events coming up in November and December:
Where: We will meet at the RiverLink office (address is: 170 Lyman st., Asheville NC 28801).
What: A classroom presentation on kudzu and its uses will be held at the RiverLink office, followed by a hands-on portion where participants will be harvesting kudzu and learning how to make kudzu wreaths.
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Reed Creek Greenway Community Through Kudzu Series 2023
Saturday, December 9, 10am – 1pm
Kudzu Culture, Urban Forest Alliance, and Montford Neighborhood Association invite neighbors and friends to join in kudzu removal initiatives along the Reed Creek Greenway in Asheville, NC.
The final workshop of 2023 is “Root Crown Removal”
Learn to identify kudzu root crowns and vines when the leaves are dormant; remove old-growth root crowns and harvest runner vines for basketry, woven fencing, and wreath making.
Gather at the Reed Creek Greenway at corner of Cauble and Broadway St. in the Montford Neighborhood of Asheville, 10am – 1pm, Saturday, December 9. No registration required, just stop by! Wear warm clothing, gloves, and bring hand pruners and digging tools if you have them (tools also provided).
Happy Equinox to all! We’re transitioning into fall with some fun and collaborative educational events. Here’s what’s coming up!
Saturday, September 23, 10am – 5pm ~ Marshall, NC ~ Join Kudzu Culture and Friends at Art on the Island in Marshall, NC. We’ll be sharing information about kudzu and demonstrating along with Fiberhouse Collective how to make kuzufu (kudzu cloth) from kudzu vines. Come say hi and make a kudzu friendship bracelet! There will be lots of unique art and activities, including natural dye station. See y’all there!
Saturday, Sept. 30, 10am – 6pm ~ Claryville, TN ~ Join Kudzu Culture at the Louie Bluie Festival, where we’ll be sharing and gathering stories about kudzu and how people in the region have learned how to collaborate with kudzu to make food, fiber and medicine. Hands-on activities include kudzu friendship bracelet making and kudzu vine wreath making. Louie Bluie Festival is hosted by Campbell Culture Coalition whose mission is to enhance the artistic and cultural opportunities of the citizenry, preserve the culturally significant past, and support the artistic and cultural talents of our youth who are our future.
– Saturday, Oct. 28 ~ Asheville, NC ~ Trial to Table with Utopian Seed Project
– Saturday, Nov. 11 ~ Asheville, NC ~ “Making the Mulch of Kudzu” Community Through Kudzu with Urban Forest Alliance, Montford Neighborhood Association, City of Asheville, UNCA, and Botanical Gardens at Asheville
– Saturday, Nov. 18 ~ Asheville, NC ~ Kudzu Vine Wreath Making with Riverlink
Email kudzuculture@gmail.com for additional information, and stay tuned here for more updates soon!
Greetings, Kudzu Cultural Ambassadors! The time is ripe for picking kudzu blossoms at lower elevations, and early buds are emerging in the mountains of our home in Western North Carolina. Kudzu Culture is hosting two upcoming blossom events, and we encourage folks throughout the South to harvest, create, and share ~ tea, syrup, jelly, and other unique treats.
Why is it ecologically beneficial to harvest kudzu blossoms? Because the blossoms develop into seed pods! So not only are we harvesting delicious and fragrant buds, we are also preventing vectors of spread via seed. People are the crucial animal predator of kudzu!
For some more kudzu blossom creative inspiration, checkout Carolina Kudzu Crazy, founded by Daryl Wilson the Kudzu Jelly Man, who makes all sorts of kudzu blossom syrup, jelly, sauce, and tea: https://www.facebook.com/p/Carolina-Kudzu-Crazy-100063473593361/
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Upcoming Kudzu Blossom Harvest Events:
Kudzu Blossom Harvest and Jelly Making Gathering – CLAIRFIELD, TN Saturday, August 12, 2023 10am – 1pm Location: Clearfork Community Institute 170 Y Hollow Rd, Clairfield, TN 37715, USA
Description: Join Kudzu Culture, Woodland Community Land Trust and friends to learn how to identify and harvest kudzu blossoms. Together we will rinse and sort blossoms, and make jelly for use at future Woodland Community Land Trust events! We will also be available to answer questions about kudzu in general, and discuss kudzu fiber and root harvesting initiatives in Clairfield and surrounding communities.
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Community Through Kudzu: Kudzu Blossom Harvest – ASHEVILLE, NC Saturday, August 19, 2023 10am – 1pm Location: The Botanical Gardens at Asheville (classroom and partly outside) 151 WT Weaver Blvd, Asheville, NC 28804
Description: Join Kudzu Culture, Urban Forest Alliance, Montford Neighborhood Association, and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville for the summer installment of Community Through Kudzu! During this workshop we will learn about how to identify and harvest kudzu blossoms, and taste kudzu blossom tea. Participants are encouraged to spread their knowledge with friends and neighbors, and harvest kudzu blossoms along the Reed Creek Greenway, to prevent seedpod development and spread.
All About Kudzu! Saturday June 10, 2023 10am – 3pm
Join Kudzu Culture and Woodland Community Land Trust to learn all about the history and uses of kudzu. In this workshop, you will learn about why kudzu was planted and how you can harvest and use kudzu for material, fiber, fodder, cooking starch, medicine, and more. This workshop includes an indoor presentation, lunch, and outdoor hands-on activities.
Location: Clearfork Community Institute; 170 Y Hollow Rd, Clairfield, TN 37715
Email wclt1977@gmail.com or call 423-784-5304 to register.
Schedule:
10am – Noon: Indoors – Kudzu Culture The Story of Kudzu presentation about the history and uses of kudzu; sharing about the existing market for kudzu biomass and products; Q+A about kudzu management strategies
Noon – 12:30pm: Indoors – Lunch (provided)
12:30 – 1:30pm: Outdoors – Harvest various parts of kudzu
Reed Creek Greenway Community Through Kudzu Series 2023
Kudzu Culture, Urban Forest Alliance, and Montford Neighborhood Association invite neighbors and friends to join in kudzu removal initiatives along the Reed Creek Greenway.
The second workshop of 2023 is “Spring Ephemerals and Kudzu Ecology”
The mile-a-minute vine is not the creeping green monoculture it might appear to be. Join us as we pull back the green curtain and see what plant and other creatures are adapting to life with kudzu. We’ll take a close look at the emergent ecology at the Reed Creek Greenway, identifying plants and discussing their role in the ecosystem. We’ll also examine some ways we two-legged inhabitants can play a beneficial role through mindful removal and use of kudzu.
Participants will come away from this workshop with a greater understanding of kudzu and other plant life and how they interact, as well as technical knowledge of how to remove kudzu and use the material for food and craft.
Gather at the Reed Creek Greenway at corner of Cauble and Broadway St. in the Montford Neighborhood of Asheville, 1-4pm, Saturday, April 29. No registration required, just stop by.
This workshop is funded by support from Urban Forest Alliance and Montford Neighborhood Association. Individual contributions are also welcome!
Kudzu Culture 