Text 159, 120 rader
Skriven 2008-01-02 17:12:10 av Carol Shenkenberger (6131.cooks)
     Kommentar till en text av Glen Jamieson (6120.cooks)
Ärende: KUDZU   71231
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 >  CS> I need to check the local hispanic market out.  I bet they have goat,
 >  CS> a meat I have tried I think, once but never cooked.  Meantime, unless
 >  CS> goats learn to climb up into 100ft trees, they cant do much for the
 >  CS> kudzu that has enveloped a forrested area.
 > 
 > If the goats get in quickly enough they could catch it before it gets
 > too high.  In fact, goats do climb trees to some extent, where they can
 > get a foothold.

Hehe well, unless goats catch on, the trials so far show they have little use
in the USA market so...

I think they've also found they dont nibble it down fast enough?  I did know
a few in South Carolina who would use kudzu from their area as feed for
horses and cattle, but I think they had to suppliment it with grain.  Thats
ok, it was free for the taking (still is).  Folks would *pay* a farmer who
could use it, to clear as much down as they wanted!

You have to see a 10 acre wooded lot with nothing but dead trees under kudzu
cover to grasp what we here think of it.  You'd also have to accept it when
we say it is a common sight, not an uncommon one.  Kudzu particularily loves
cleared tobacco planting fields.

The real answer here, is to find a use for the @%$^ stuff.  Sure, you can eat
the young shoots but the market is far smaller than the production.  The main
kudzu populations are in farmland areas.  Now if it had just decided it
preferred to grow in cattle country, we'd have appreciated the stuff!

 >  CS> Now, if we could break it down for ethanol, our corn prices would go
 > 
 > That is a possibility, although fast-growing stuff like that doesn't
 > have a high cellulose content.

It wouldnt matter, we have so much of it, if it took more of it to make
ethanol, we wouldnt care.  I saw online there is actually research into that
possible use.  I hope it works!

 >  CS> back down which would take down the cost of beef again!  I imagine
 >  CS> though, we'll just see more corn farms.  It was a saturated market
 >  CS> here, now valid again.  It's also something you can crop across most of
 >  CS> the USA.  The eating variety is a big of a water hog, but I bet the
 >  CS> drought resistant ones would make fine ethnol for our cars.
 > 
 > The corn has a high starch content, which is easier than cellulose to
 > convert to ethanol.  In USA corn growing is subsidised in various
 > ways... but that is touching on politics, so I shall say no more!
 > 

Thats ok, we know critical crops are subsidized to an extent.  It shifts with
the market prices, and I bet it wont be subsidized at all shortly (corn). 
Wheat is subsidized too.  REasons vary but some is to make it cheaper at the
feed stock end for our huge beef market so the country has an overall
'savings', odd as it sounds.  Now, because we allow some types of growth
hormones in our beef production, some countries do not buy from us, but
overall, we have historically done well there.

The newest trend now is for organic meats.  That sounds like a oxymoron to
me, but it isnt really.  It means the animals are raised with none of the
hormones or antibiotics on pesticide free foods.  They do not 'taste better'
(excepting free range poultry) but they suit the desires of people tired of
overly 'processed productions' of meats and vegetables.

My own mini-rant, is that I think we should all be looking closer at 'farm
raised seafoods' as a decent option for the regular meals.  If nothing else,
such tend to be lower in mercury and other things you may not desire which
can be important if you eat alot of seafoods like we do.  I notice lots of
signs here now say 'wild caught' as so many of our seafoods are farm raised. 
They are getting better at replicating the same quality as 'wild caught' in
the farms so we are noting less and less of a difference there.  Perhaps this
is more obvious to one who was overseas for a long time then just got back.

----

Oh, and i'll tag a non-sequitor to this message.  Got in to see the Doc today
on my back with the MRI results.  Some were waiting to hear.

It's both good and bad, and the 'good' has to be evaluated still by the
specialist.  (I have to wait til Friday to call to make that appointment, as
the referral goes through).

I definately have a herniated disc, lower back, L6 I think she said.  She
was very definate that I am not to 'PT' at *all* due to how it looks and she
wasnt even sure if she wants me taking longish gentle walks just now (added a
note to my referral that I might be considered for a temp handicap parking
allowance which the specialist can do).  I'm not to lift anything I can avoid
lifting, and nothing over 10lbs.  *sniff* No bicycle riding unless it is a
stationary as she wants no bumps of any level.  

Good news, she says it *might* still be presurgical and the neck definately
is pre-surgical.  She said the neck (C4-7 I think she said) is abnormal and
'thinned' but may not get any worse.  She wanted to know if osteoporosis runs
in the family but we can't say, as the back problems I have do run in the
female line but they didnt have tests for that back when the main ancestors
of mine were affected.  Just a big grunch of them up the line were noted for
'widows hump'.  Other good news, the scoliosis the other doctor could see by
eye, was not noted as other than very mild by MRI and Xray, but unfortunately
they had me stand as 'straight as possible' for the Xray etc which made that
one not as evident but also means I can stand straight around it when I need
to still (IE:  Not advanced or 'calcified' I think she said).  She also likes
that I am using the bio-flex MSM stuff and said to keep it up.

She's a GP doc (You'd call it family medicine I think) and has referred me
for the spinal specialist who can read the reports and give me better
information.  For now though, she was able to make sure I do nothing to
damage things worse and checked the job I have and all that.  It's optimal as
i can sit or stand whenever I need to, with no problem and have no lifting
needs at all.

The only bad thing is it went out again today a bit and that last 2 weeks or
feeling almost pain-free are gone.  She gave me some heavy duty stuff for
when I need it.

Oh and talk about Cool timing?  CT Ruth's gift for me just arrived!  It's 2
microwavable rice bags with an extra removable outer cover (outer cover
machine washable) for spot warmth.  I've got one at my back as i typo to you
and it's glorious! It fits *perfect* with my computer chair.
             xxcarol
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