Mike Leonido

Yes, our plan is mostly for firewood or at least kindling rather than rods or posts, though that may change as we get more trees up.

That one tree has definitely sent out many runners and we're managing them where they need managed and only pruning branches to keep walkways clear where we don't.

Knowing that black locust (and some other wood) burns so hot, would you use these energy-dense species differently than burning oak, or other more commonly burned woods?

Where a 4" diameter piece of roundwood oak can go straight into the fire without causing a problem would a similarly sized piece of Black Locust damage my stove or get to warranty-voiding temperatures?

For those of you who have burned BL as part of your wood-heat planning, how do you approach using it? Smaller pieces more gingerly mixed in with other species? Just like any other firewood? One piece at a time so you don't cook yourself out of the house? Only as kindling and while getting things started? Only when the stove is already burning well?

Many thanks for helping me clear this up.

One of the first Black Locust trees we planted here on the homestead is getting up to a good size to cut for firewood.

Originally, my plan was to pollard it around shoulder or head height but it has developed a crotch between 18-24" off the ground and it appears (though it is hard to be sure from outside observation) that there may be some rotting or internal damage in the main trunk.

I'm not sure what the best way to proceed would be.  
Should I pollard as planned, and see if the damaged crotch holds as the years pass?
Should I "pollard" low, at or below the damage even though that will only be 2' off the ground?
Should I coppice right at ground level and remove both the crotch and the damage entirely?

What would you do?

::waves for link::

Thanks Paul.

Sounds like a great idea, if you can convince LOE, and Geoff has the time (I don't imagine he would be as hard to convince).  I may have to check out LOE, I had not heard of them before today.

Sending you down a bit of a rabbit hole, maybe (don't say I didn't warn you) but did you know Geoff and Paul both have regular segments on The Survival Podcast? www.thesurvivalpodcast.com

So I should raise my pledge to 100.78... uh oh.

Would shipping be cheaper from Canada to the EU? Might be worth a drive over the border and signing over there?

How many signed European copies are likely to be needed?  Might be cheaper to go visit the Holzerhoff and do some signing while there?

To Mike Jay's point, with so much success under your belt (and probably only a little fear that you wouldn't hit the initial funding goals) why set them so low?

Getting 800% funded sounds really good I guess but I think it would have more traction at this stage if it was just 200% or perhaps even just 110% funded.  Adjusting the risk of not getting funded may create more urgency and therefore more support (for future KS attempts.

Also, while the spiffy link system is working as is, having a webform/email list opt in my help you Paul, or even perhaps creating redirects you can track directly i.e.  you create spiffy link, give them a permies affiliate link that redirects to the KS spiffy link and therefore all the dashboard/tracking/management you want is already in house and can be leveraged to your (and spiffy link sharer's) advantage.

I like the idea of a quick and dirty podcast style audio book presentation.

Hell, I'd even read it to get it out there for you Paul.  Maybe that should be stretch goal audio book #1 with "Paul will eventually read it with some additional editorial commentary" audio book coming much, much higher.

For additional goals, perhaps a poster with some building a better world to do's or bullets?

Maybe some "marketing stickers" with a link to where people can buy the book after the kickstarter for supporters to plaster on interesting places like their car, their local coffee shop, etc.

Perhaps the option to "add on" (as in, you you can add extra money to your pledge) a bit of money for a Permies T-shirt?

I'd love to see some of the PDC and ATC content released, this way.  Perhaps the segments most likely to differ from "conventional offerings" or those segments most likely to have the biggest impact if they were shared about?

If you want to talk to me about reading the thing, or I can help with any of the other merch I mentioned let me know.