The SE Chapter had its annual Bamboo Festival on July 9 and 10, 2011, at the Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina. I brought 69 poles to sell cut into 6′, 8′ and 10′ lengths. I also brought a pile of scrap poles to give away.  The 6 footers ere priced at a dollar each and the 8 and 10 footers for $5 each. Every pole sold, skinny ones and fat ones, golden ones and green ones. I had washed them carefully and cut them with the upper septum intact. I put the free scraps on the ground. The first three women who walked by took them all eagerly. After they got their car and loaded the scraps, they bought a few poles in addition. “What are you going to do with the poles?” “I don’t know… Make something.”

I displayed my poles in my wagon:  the dog-powered bamboo pole selling machine.  I did not bring the dogs so the wagon was stationary. The poles seemed to make people happy.