Fred HORNADAY
Bamboo Expert and Author
Fred Hornaday’s passion for natural renewable resources first blossomed in 1996 when he opened one of California’s first all-hemp shops in San Luis Obispo. Ten years later he pivoted and launched Bambu Batu, the first of its kind bamboo boutique, showcasing the hundreds of uses of bamboo for furniture, clothing, kitchenwares, bicycles and home decor.
In 2020, the brick-n-mortar store closed, and Fred spent the Pandemic researching and writing hundreds of in-depth articles about bamboo species and applications. BambuBatu.com is now one of the most comprehensive and reliable online resources for all things bamboo. A library of his educational videos is also available on YouTube.
Today, Fred and his dedicated team offer biochar consultations, bamboo consultations and workshops to guide farmers and beneficiaries as they navigate the exciting and fast-changing bamboo industry.
Biochar for regenerative agriculture
From 2022 to 2026, Fred Hornaday served as the Global Supply Manager for Planboo, a Swedish-based company that works with biochar projects and project developers throughout the tropics.
Planboo’s digital MRV technology enables biochar projects to measure and track their activities to generate Carbon Dioxide Removal Credits, which are then sold on the voluntary market, providing critical funding for these decentralized operations based in the Global South.
Biochar production delivers a range of benefits, from agricultural waste management to carbon removal to soil regeneration. Mixing high-quality biochar into the soil not only creates a permanent carbon sink, it also enriches the soil with organic matter, attracts microbial life, and increases water and nutrient retention.
Reach out by email to schedule a free 30-minute introductory consultation.
Writer and metaphysical poet
When he’s not probing the botanical and physical properties of woody grasses, Fred Hornaday occupies himself with larger questions like what is means to be human. Self-taught in areas of archetypal psychology and comparative theology, he spends an inordinate amount of time pondering the meaning of life.
The result is a vast canon of Metaphysical Limericks —deceptively simple five-line poems that capture a range of thoughtful notions.
To live a good life that’s effective
You have to be somewhat selective
Your mind isn’t frozen
Your thoughts can be chosen
The truth after all is subjective
You can find his thought-provoking poetry on Amazon and at KingOfLimericks.com.
In the groove
Bamboo specialists are all familiar with the sulcus groove, the shallow indentation that runs the length of the internode on alternating sides of the bamboo culm, particularly evident on members of the genus Phyllostachys.
Fred has studied the bamboo groove at great length, but when the work is done, he always makes time to get into the groove on his six string, channelling the phrases of Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Page and Bob Marley.
For quieter contemplation, he is known to disappear for hours at a time, hiking the local hills and mountains, finding peaceful pastures for solitary meditation, examining the rich diversity of mushrooms, and collecting seasonal wildflowers for his Ikebana arrangements.
Connect with Fred Hornaday
- Schedule a Bamboo Consultation
- View and subscribe on YouTube
- Connect with Fred on LinkedIn
- Connect with Fred on FaceBook
- Follow Bambu Batu on Instagram
- Follow Fred in Instagram
- Visit the King of Limericks
- Visit my Amazon page
You can also support the production of independent poetry and free bamboo education at Buy Me A Coffee. Your contributions are sincerely appreciated.
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: Editor in Chief for the European Bamboo Foundation website
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