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Fred HORNADAY

Fred Hornaday bamboo author specialist

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 consultations and workshops to guide farmers and beneficiaries as they navigate the exciting and fast-changing bamboo industry.

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.

 

Tao of Fred by Fred Hornaday
Biochar with Fred Hornaday and Planboo

Biochar for regenerative agriculture

Since 2022, Fred Hornaday has been working as a 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 generative 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, attracting microbial life, and increasing water and nutrient retention. 

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 also know 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. 

Fred Hornaday on lead guitar
Fred Hornaday celebrates bamboo

Connect with Fred Hornaday

You can also support the production of independent poetry and free bamboo education at Buy Me A Coffee. Your contributions are deeply appreciated.