Bambu Batu
Values
Bambu Batu
The Bambu Batu story
The first and only store of its kind, Bambu Batu of San Luis Obispo opened in 2006, with a room full of bamboo tables and bar stools, a stack of bamboo t-shirts, and a patio full of Phyllostachys. The brick & mortar shop closed in 2020, but the spirit lives on.
Today we work with bamboo growers, producers, and stakeholders around the world, making their projects more profitable and sustainable. We offer consultations and workshops to guide farmers and beneficiaries as they navigate the exciting and fast-changing bamboo industry.
Fred Hornaday: Bamboo Ambassador
Fred’s passion for bamboo and renewable resources dates back to the early 90s. He founded Bambu Batu in 2006, the first all-bamboo boutique in California. A decade earlier, he opened one of the state’s very first all-hemp stores. Both shops ran successfully for many years in the charming town of San Luis Obispo.
Now he focuses on helping farmers, investors, and individuals at all stages of the bamboo journey. His consultation services address all areas of cultivation and monetization, including species selection, plantation set-up, product development, sourcing of supplies and machinery, as well as finding ways to achieve sustainability goals and generate carbon credits.
Fred has spoken at numerous bamboo seminars and webinars, both in-person and online. He has also produced a vast series of free educational videos on YouTube. As a consultant, Fred has provided guidance and instruction on bamboo projects of all types and sizes, in India, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
A prolific wordsmith, Hornaday has written thousands of articles about bamboo, green living and world travel. And he’s published three volumes of metaphysical limericks. You can peruse his thought-provoking poetry at KingOfLimericks.com.
Values
Sustainability
For close to three decades, we have been advancing the cause of natural, renewable resources through activism, education and commerce. Sustainability is way more than just a selling point. For us, it’s a way of life. It’s how we get around, how we shop for groceries and how we raise our children. At Bambu Batu, we strive to inform the public about the amazing properties of bamboo as an abundant resource and a life-giving alternative, as well as provide a platform where conscious consumers can support the kind of sustainable, local and ethical economy they believe in.
Green Living
Living a socially and environmentally responsible lifestyle doesn’t require perfectionism. And it’s not about changing our habits out of guilt, or shaming those who are reluctant to follow our lead. It’s about healing the planet because we love it. We love the giant trees of the forests, the soft sand on the beaches, and the clean air of the mountains. We love the snowy plovers, the giant pandas and the disappearing orangutans. We believe the Climate Crisis is not the result of one enormous mistake, but billions of individual actions. And if we each strive to take small but positive steps, on a daily basis, then none of us has to be perfect. And with a little luck, and a lot of love, our children can grow up in a world of thriving forests, pristine waterways and abundant wildlife.
CURRICULUM VITAE
2026-present: Consulting bamboo specialist and agronomist for BabaBamboo Africa vertical plantation in Ogun State, Nigeria
2026-present: Consultant and trainer for Eco2Librium bamboo and carbon removal activities in Kakamega County, Kenya
2026-present: Contributing editor for the European Bamboo Foundation
2026: Speaker and exhibitor at the 4th Annual European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund, Germany
2025-present: Biochar specialist consulting for AIR Africa (Agroforestry Impact and Regeneration) project in Taraba State, Nigeria
2022-2026: Consultant with Planboo, specializing in stakeholder engagement and carbon accounting, for assessment, design, and MRV on biochar projects in the Global South
2025-2026: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design, carbon registration, and site inspection for Nara Climate and Criou Energy Biochar Project in Turkana, Kenya
2025: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design and carbon registration for Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Biochar Project in Gujarat, India
2024-2026: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design, carbon registration, onsite training, and project expansion for Cirkular-Biodiversal Biochar Project in Huila, Colombia
2024-2026: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design, carbon registration, and project expansion for Solidaridad Carbon Removal Biochar Projects in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia
2024: Consulting bamboo specialist for site visit and project assessment with Rizome Bamboo in Mindanao, Philippines
2024: Exhibitor at the 2nd Annual European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund, Germany
2023: Speaker and presenter at the Bambu Parque Bamboo Workshop at Bambu Parque, Portugal
2023-2026: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design, carbon registration, onsite training, and project expansion for WongPhai Biochar Project in Prachinburi, Thailand
2023-2026: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design, carbon registration, and project expansion for Tachibana Biochar Project in Diaso, Ghana
2023-2024: Biochar specialist consulting (with Planboo) on project design and carbon registration for Omiti Biochar Project in Namibia
2023: Speaker and presenter at the Assamba Bamboo Workshop in Mozambique
2023: Speaker and exhibitor at the 1st Annual European Bamboo Expo in Dortmund, Germany
2022-2023: Bamboo consultant for Raura Bamboo in Mexico
2022: Bamboo and biochar consultant for Planboo on biochar project selection with AfriBam Plantation in Malawi
2006-2020: All-Bamboo boutique founder, owner and manager at Bambu Batu in San Luis Obispo, California
2003-2006: Arts Editor and contributing writer at New Times weekly magazine in San Luis Obispo, California
1996-2001: All-Hemp boutique founder, owner and manager at HempShak in San Luis Obispo, California