Summary
LEUKER voedselbos is a pioneering 5.59 ha agroforestry conversion of a former traditional dairy farm in Baexem, Limburg (The Netherlands). Fully transitioned in 2025, it stands as one of Europe’s largest and first fully certified food forests, designed to restore soil fertility, boost on-site biodiversity and produce a diverse array of edible crops while capturing and storing carbon. The integrated system combines multi-layer planting (fruit and nut trees, shrubs, groundcovers), rotational poultry grazing, on-farm tours and community engagement to demonstrate a regenerative, climate-resilient model for future farming.
About the Remover
The project is spearheaded by Mark Venner, a former milk producer who has reimagined his family’s century-old farm into a sustainable food forest, and supported closely by his father Peter Venner, ensuring continuity of the family business and values. Mark’s brother, Luuk Venner, plays a vital role in day-to-day operations—overseeing the poultry rotation system (LEUKER kippen) and managing the nursery propagation of native shrubs and groundcovers. Together, the Venner family provides design expertise, labour, on-site logistics and local outreach to ensure LEUKER voedselbos thrives.
Key details:
Location: Baexem, Limburg, NL
Land area: 5.59 hectares, fully owned and managed by the Venner family
Certification: Officially recognized as a certified food forest in 2025
Core activities:
Establishment of multi-strata fruit and nut polycultures
Mobile chicken systems for pest control and nutrient cycling (LEUKER kippen)
Guided agroforestry tours and educational events to engage visitors with regenerative practices
This family-driven initiative exemplifies how small-scale farms can transition to carbon-sequestering, biodiversity-rich systems that produce healthy food, support local economies and inspire wider adoption of agroforestry in Europe.
Website: https://leuker1818.nl/