What: Agroforestry Project with two species of Bamboo Planted.

Location: Aalten, Gelderland, Netherlands

Website: https://www.nieuwebodem.nl/

We’ve learned that our food and agriculture system is a system of living ecosystems, that we are constantly growing food and plants, and that our water is constantly being used. Stitching Dutch Bamboo has partnered with our gracious land hosts at Nieuwe Bodem to explore agroforestry practices with Bamboo. Their farm offers the ideals of permaculture to grow and harvest herbs, teas, fruit and nut trees, vegetables and flowers...and now...some of our bamboo.

Two species of bamboo has been planted in small plots.

-No to little management, including no additional water is added during droughts or heat waves.

-No fertilizers, or pesticides added.

-No weeding, plants were placed in the middle of other plants that already had established root systems

Results after 3 years: With very little human management, the growth rate of the bamboo has been limited and has not yet taken over the contained plot. The bamboo has survived cold winters and several drought/heat waves, but these stress events have challenged it's proliferation. In addition, there is evidence of animals grazing on the tops of new shoots. Despite all this, we do see that the limited new shoots in 2024 were indeed larger than the years before. In spring of 2025, we expect this trend to continue.

About the project

Starting point

After engaging with the community, we discovered the farm at Niewe Bodem and proposed growing some of bamboo there. So, by the end of 2021 we planted our first bamboo in the Achterhoek.

Watch it grow

Over the next few years we will watch it grow and fill out in two small plots of land on the border of their farm. The goal is to manage the growth with root barriers and through cultivating poles for garden use and young shoot for the farmers market.