Project description
The Tuinderij De Veldhof project is a nature-based carbon removal initiative located on agricultural land in Joppe, in the municipality of Lochem, Gelderland, The Netherlands. The project covers a total of 1.61 hectares of land that was previously open pasture with no trees or permanent planting, and which has been progressively transformed into a diverse agroforestry system. As the agroforestry system matures, it continues to fix carbon in woody material, roots, and soil.
The land hosts a self-harvest community garden (zelfoogsttuin) that has supplied fresh, pesticide-free, seasonal vegetables to the residents of Joppe, Gorssel and surrounding villages. The agroforestry system is managed according to permaculture principles, combining harvestable trees and shrubs with food crops in a way that actively builds biodiversity, soil health, and local ecological resilience.
About the Remover
The project is operated by Stichting Levende Grond, a Dutch foundation that acquired the land in 2022 with the explicit mission of making soils healthy and living, for and with the community. The foundation works to restore degraded land, build biodiversity, and ensure that the land remains in good stewardship for future generations.
The day-to-day management of De Veldhof is led by Valérie van Dijck, who has been cultivating the site since its founding. Tuinderij De Veldhof is a member of CSA Netwerk Nederland and operates on community-supported agriculture principles: harvest members pay upfront for a seasonal share and harvest directly from the land each week, keeping the supply chain local and transparent.