Hedges for Biodiversity at Stéphanie’s

We are in Flanders, specifically in Brakel, on a plot managed by Stéphanie, an organic market gardener.

The Genesis of the Project

Stéphanie is part of the Pomona Puur Aerde cooperative, which has just acquired this agricultural land for vegetable production in Brakel. It is at the initiative of Stéphanie and Jacinte from Farming For Climate that PlantC visits the site!

Pomona Puur Aerde is a farmers’ cooperative located in Brakel, in the Flemish Ardennes, which will start producing vegetables in combination with perennial crops in 2025.

Together, they want to support local food production while preserving the environment, soil, and biodiversity and wish, through their projects, to contribute to regenerative agriculture.

In this regard, planting hedges makes perfect sense!

We believe that today’s agriculture must be cooperative, where farmers and citizens work together for healthy and equitable food production. It is within this framework that we found the ideal partner in PlantC!

Stéphanie De Caluwé

 

On November 18, 2024, we then visit the site to gather all technical and practical information. It is decided to plant a two-row hedge over 223 meters.

The plot was previously used for conventional farming (corn cultivation in 2024). The vibrant Stéphanie, with her infectious laugh, then shares her concerns with us. The objectives of her hedge project are manifold:

• Host beneficial insects for pest control and provide food for “allied” insects, bees, and birds.
• Act as a windbreak along the edges of our plots, to mitigate climatic extremes.