Just outside Eerbeek, at the corner of the Heerweg and the Apeldoorns Canal, Henk Hendriks has been creating a food forest since 2021. Where once lay a heavily trafficked cornfield devoid of soil life, a leafy forest is now emerging step by step that can feed itself.
Worms and pioneer plants loosen the soil, while compost and mulch support the young forest in these early years.
By now, there are already many types of fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, rhubarb, asparagus, herbs, and more. They have been planted so that each crop will soon receive exactly the right amount of sun or shade. “The system grows along with the soil,” says Henk: from bacteria-rich soil to a forest floor full of fungi in which trees and shrubs flourish.
For residents, there is a pick-your-own subscription or the opportunity to grow their own vegetables in a food garden. Henk plans to process the leftover harvest into products such as jam, juice, cider, and herbal tea, which will be sold locally.
Address and contact
Heerweg
6961 KD Eerbeek
