Here is a little simple video that helps explain what vetiver can do.

Lori and I and the community development group are in love with this weed/grass called vetiver.  We just love it.   Lori has been trying for years to get those in the community involved in planting it.  Last year we took over a small part of a hillside that had been created by the building of the new road through Cazale.  We worked for weeks and weeks on planting trees and this vetiver grass.  It worked and the hillside held and did not cave in or slide down.  Everyone was happy and impressed with this wonder grass.  A man came a few months back that is an expert on this grass.  He brought a whole group out to Cazale so they could see what the community development group had done on this hillside.  He was an older guy that travels all over the world doing talks and helping with soil erosion and slope protection and talking about vetiver.  He talked to Lori and held her hand and thanked her for all the work and dedication into this small project.  WOW we were all encouraged!  So we are growing more vetiver right in the front yard of the clinic.  We want to be ready with loads of it to be planted in the ravines and spaces that are being washed out from erosion.  We want to stop what we can with this wonder grass.

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We set up two simple way to grow it in rows.  First with blocks, rebar and plastic.  First we made a frame with the blocks.  Then we layed the rebar down to create the rows.

We then layed the plastic in between the rebar and filled it up with dirt.

Anna, Henley and Trey separated the large group of vetiver into smaller ones to plant.

Jess and Anna planted them in rows.

The first batch is about 2 weeks old and the one to the right was just planted.  The original stuff dies and then….

new green grass shoots up with in  a few days

We are excited to get all this planted on some more hillside around the Cazale area.