First trees planted in the Hofstede Lust & Last food forest
On Friday, December 16, the first trees were planted in the new food forest at Hofstede Lust & Last in Sommelsdijk (Goeree Overflakkee, South Holland). This marks the beginning of the planting of a total of five hectares of food forest. Within a few years, the produce will be ready to be harvested and eaten. The planting was carried out by representatives of all the parties that made the food forest possible. Initiator Onno Mijs is very proud that his dream is now actually coming to fruition: “Over the years, my father noticed that the landscape around the farm was degrading and biodiversity was declining. I became interested in food forests, and together we saw potential for this on our own land. Now that I'm working with my father to make this a reality is both exciting and challenging!”
Herbs and nuts
A food forest isn't like an orchard with just one or two species of trees. It's home to dozens of edible plant species, which together form an ecosystem. Just like in a natural forest, it features different layers of vegetation: tall trees, shorter trees, shrubs, herbs, ground cover, and climbers. The soil life is rich. And importantly, food is produced in an environmentally friendly way. Onno Mijs explains: "The design of our food forest was created by Coöperatie Ondergrond . With this food forest, we want to demonstrate that large-scale production and harvesting is possible (in a nature-inclusive way). That's why we planted the different species in rows in our production area, making them relatively easy to harvest."
Sales
Sales are largely handled through the short supply chain and are therefore local. By producing walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, various types of fruit, berries, and herbs, Lust & Last contributes to the food supply in our region. "Chefs will soon be able to pick their own super-fresh produce here. We also see deliveries to top restaurants at food forests elsewhere in the country," says Mijs.
'Rotterdam on the farm!'
The Lust & Last Food Forest is being realized with the support of "Rotterdam de boer op!" ( Rotterdam, get back to farming!). Bob Hartog, project manager at "Rotterdam, get back to farming!," is delighted to be able to contribute to the creation of a food forest in the region on a farmer's own land. "More than twenty organizations together form the 'Rotterdam, get back to farming!' coalition, including Rabobank, Greenchoice, Verstegen Spices & Sauces, Cooperative Ondergrond, Stichting Voedselbosbouw Nederland (Food Forestry Netherlands Foundation), and Natuurmonumenten (Dutch Society for Nature Conservation). Together, we strive for increased biodiversity in rural areas, more sustainably produced, regionally produced food for the city, and healthy business practices for farmers," says Hartog. "Rotterdam, get back to farming!" is a Dream Fund project supported by the Dutch Postcode Lottery.
Rendering
A food forest is a relatively new form of agriculture in the Netherlands. "The added value of food forestry for biodiversity and the environment is evident and has now been demonstrated in food forests elsewhere in the country. The key question now is how food forestry can truly be a profitable form of agriculture," says the Hartog Foundation. The Dutch Food Forestry Association, also involved in "Rotterdam, get back to farming!", collects business information on ongoing food forest projects throughout the country and is involved in various studies and explorations to improve the business model for the food forest concept. The Dutch Food Forestry Association is also the initiator of Duurzame Doorbraak (Sustainable Breakthrough), a program that promotes food forests on farmland. The Lust & Last Food Forest initiative stems from Duurzame Doorbraak.
Ambitious
"At 'Rotterdam, get back to farming!' we want to support entrepreneurs who are taking the risky step of implementing innovative, nature-inclusive forms of agriculture on their farms, such as strip cropping, wetland cultivation, and agroforestry. In this region, Lust & Last is the most ambitious example of a food forest initiative initiated by an agricultural entrepreneur. Therefore, at 'Rotterdam, get back to farming!' we wholeheartedly support this initiative."
Greenchoice has made a significant financial contribution to the planting of the food forest. The "Rotterdam de boer op!" partners will remain involved with the Lust & Last food forest during its operational phase. For example, at Verstegen Spices & Sauces, we will be working with the Lust & Last farmers to investigate the extent to which herbs and spices currently imported from other continents can be harvested from the Lust & Last food forest.