ABC acres: Rocket Mass Heater: Beyond Sustainable Fuel with Coppicing - episode
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Join ABC acres, a Permaculture Farmstead in Hamilton, MT as we share how coppice agroforestry can provide people with regenerative, multi-generational fuelwood from the same space on one's own property. This method, in combination with a rocket mass heater, will lead to heat energy independence while also benefiting the environment.
Great video and knowledge transfer - thanks
Just subscribed and enjoyed the video.
I've accidentally discovered this when I bush hogged a field with numerous blackjack oak trees about 4-5 inches in diameter with the height set at about 5-6 inches on the mower.
Next year I had 3-4 foot multi trunk trees which I then cut around a allowed them to grow.
I can see now the value in doing this on purpose.....properly pruned, you end up with a nice looking multiple trucked tree.
Thanks for sharing your story, Steve. Yes, those spontaneous learning sessions from nature are always welcome for us too! You are right on with the added value of doing it intentionally as well. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Thank you for a great video.
You are welcome, and thanks for watching!
Aliantus trees are also fast growers which produces sprouts.
Great info as always. My only suggestion, zoom your camera closer to your dry erase board for better visability (especially for those who watch from cell phones etc.) Keep up the inspiring work!
Thanks for the feedback! I use a GoPro that does not have a display, so I have been guessing on the view. While editing the video today, I realized the same thing, and downloaded an app that will allow me to use my phone to view and adjust the GoPro accordingly. Thanks again!
Black locust is a great forage tree for bees, nasty thorns on the sprouts, though. It is one of those trees that regenerates through self cloning from root sprouts, as well as seeds.
True on all accounts! One must respect its vigorous growth and thorns, but proper management minimizes its perceived downsides and leverages its benefits. Thanks for sharing, and for watching!
Rather than coppicing trees and waiting for them to regrow to 2-4 in diameter, it would be more efficient to grow leguminous shrubs with the diameter 1-2 inches. The rocket stove was originally designed to use long thin strips of solid fuel because more air could be sucked into the combustion chamber. The principle involved is called the square- cube law, credited to Galileo. Also, shrubs use less water because they are too short to be dessicated by fast moving, warm winds.
Esteban, I think it depends on one's context, and how one manages the integrated elements of their system. In our example, we are first using the initial cutting of the black locust for fence posts due to their natural rot resistance. Then, with resprouting after coppicing, our management interaction has made their growth habit much more like a shrub than tree, which as you correctly stated will lead to not only less water loss via desiccation due to their shorter height, but also greater surface area for condensation purposes. Those a just a couple of the many benefits of coppicing fast-growing trees. Also, with our RMH being a batch box as opposed to the original J-tube style, we have a different burn chamber, which fits much more wood in it as a "batch" in contrast with the vertical-fed J-tube. One also has to decide how much air draw and subsequent faster consumption of the fuelwood one desires against how long of a burn they want to obtain. We typically start with smaller diameter, get our fire going, and then throw a few larger pieces in, and have very pleased with the results. Thanks for watching, and for joining in the conversation!
It would be nice to see this in action. Actually pruning the trees.
Agreed! We have done some coppicing with willow and red alder, but have yet to do so with our black locust trees in our agroforestry tree belts, as we are waiting for them to get to a diameter for replacement fence posts, which will probably be in another year or two. That being said, we will plan on filming our seasonal coppicing of the willow and alder...thanks for watching, and for the suggestion!
How many years, what size diameter on the black locust before your first cutting?
P.S. Adding to their water frugality is the fact that they are better condenser of morning due than trees, and introduce more nitrogen in to the soil than tree.
can you show us some of these trees in the wild?
I do not have any current photos on my new phone or computer, but here are a couple from a quick google search. vergepermaculture.ca/2014/03/coppicing/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppicing Thanks for watching!
P.P.S. The word I previously meant to spell is Dew.
I have some trees like that around my house, try and cut them and they grow back like weeds. I also have access to reclaimed wood which not all can be used to build things. Was almost ready to build a mass heater but that will have to wait until I find a new place now.
Do you happen to know what type of trees they are? We cut back our willows and alders in the wetland just so we can push regrowth, using them for mulch material, fuelwood, or livestock fodder. We also use a lot of our scrap wood from carpentry projects in our RMH. As a woodworker, a RMH will be a great heating system for you. Thanks for watching!
ABC acres No, i have never looked into it. Had a bit of a snow storm here in MN today but some of them still have some leaves on them so I can find out. They do spread like wild fire and can go from ground to 8 or 10 foot tall in a Summer.
I was born in a Minnesota blizzard, and spent my early childhood there, so I am very familiar with Minnesota snow! Taking the leaves or small branch section with leaves to a local nursery(although they are probably most likely closed for the season), or sending it to a local ag extension office would give you a good chance of a positive ID. Sounds like great mulch material and small fuelwood for a RMH at the least!
-Grant
Esteban Corral trees might be better because they have bigger root system so they grow faster and are able to regrow faster
Gergo, you bring up a good point, and it is certainly one of the benefits of a coppiced agroforestry system.
Are your black locust trees what we see planted all around your pastures mixed in with some pine trees on the borders?
Yes, good eye! We have several different varieties of trees in our agroforestry tree belts, but the taller deciduous ones for the most part are black locust at this point, due to their fast growth habit.
just wondering about insurance for your home if you have one of these. Was it hard to get and did it increase your premiums a lot?
This is in our workshop, so cannot speak to home insurance, but it did not increase our premium in regards to coverage for the shop. The insurance adjuster who saw it though it was really cool! I have, however, heard of people having difficulties with insurance, as these are not UL listed, so typically some sort of 3rd party inspection/assessment for safety an insurability would need to be performed, at the cost of the homeowner of course. I have heard that Portland, OR has permitted these to be built in the city, and so it is much easier for the residents there to have them built if they so desire. Fortunately, as RMHs as gaining more attention, more folks are beginning to test and innovate, particularly in some of the mainframe systems that may be able to be produced and sold as inspected and eventually UL listed products, albeit at the grinding pace of bureaucracy. Thanks for watching!