Food Forest Lingehout
Food Forest Lingehout
Geldermalsen, Gelderland
8,5 hectare
Evelyn Derksen (Plantschap)
First planting: 2021
In May 2021, Burgerwindcoöperatie West Betuwe U.A. (Betuwewind) and the Food Forestry Foundation signed an agreement for the realization of Food Forest Lingehout in Geldermalsen. Betuwewind was founded by citizens who aim to contribute to a sustainable, regional energy supply. The revenues from the co-operative's wind turbine projects flow back to the region and are used for local sustainability initiatives. Partly because of the replanting obligation, resulting from the construction of the Avri and Deil wind farms in Geldermalsen and the idealistic goal of Betuwewind, the idea to realize a food forest arose in 2019. The food forest will be part of a mixed, nature-inclusive farm of eleven hectare at the Tielerweg in Geldermalsen, which also includes an organic market garden, row crops and a tree nursery. A lease agreement has been signed with the landowner - the Landgoed Groot Westerhout Foundation - with a term of 26 years and a possibility of extension.
In addition, Betuwewind has placed the development and exploitation of the food forest in a separate entity: Coöperatief Voedselbos Lingehout B.V. Partly on the basis of the business plan, 150 members have made a financial contribution for the development of the food forest. In return, they will obtain the first rights to use harvests; the remaining harvest is sold through other channels. A preliminary design for the food forest was created in 2021 for the edges and the division of the site into smaller units. In the Summer of 2021, the plot was seeded with a mixture of deep-rooting crops to "break up" the firmly terraced soil. This included sowing ramson ash. The edges were filled in February and March 2022 with "forest planting," including "system plants," such as willows, alders, field maples and hornbeams, that stimulate forest formation and support pollination. Under the guidance of the Food Forest Foundation, planting will be carried out by members of Betuwewind and volunteers from Life Terra.