Meeting 11: Community Through Kudzu

"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about."

— Margaret J. Wheatley

We met on March 5, a few days after our normal meet up day, to create the kudzu birdhouses we practiced during our last meet up. Some folks made their own free-style wild harvest vessels/baskets. LB talked with a group that gathered at a greenway covered in kudzu Asheville’s Montford area. Participants practiced harvesting and finding old growth vines along with splitting and sorting them for crafting. The birdhouses created during the event were sent off to the Museum of Infinite Outcomes for their upcoming bird-friendly exhibit.

We also had samples from past meetings available for people to see and feel. From woven cloth to baskets to paper we had a wide variety of kudzu made textiles to share. We were able to talk about what can be made based on the vines age and the time of year you are harvesting. The best time to harvest for cloth is the summer with new growth abound. We have also been making paper from the new growth instead of the woody vines that were abundant for forage in early March.

We have 3 of the birdhouses that were made during the event hanging on an old barn in Marshall, NC. Hopefully welcoming in another community to enjoy the abundance.

See you in the weeds,

x Nica