OLD PLANT’S NEW SHOOTS

The Cathedral: A canopy of bamboo reaching more than 15 metres high. Pathways through time. Bamboo has been part of the landscape on Earth for millions of years. 261392 Lotus flowers at Big Heart Bamboo. 261392

There’s more to bamboo than as a garden plant or the choice of food for pandas, as ERLE LEVEY discovers. New shoots for old plant

It’s an amazing story, I was told. Edible bamboo.

Bamboo? Edible?

I knew there were bamboo shoots in some stir fries, but that was about it.

Which is why I’m at the entrance of Big Heart Bamboo - about halfway along the Eumundi-Kenilworth Road.

It’s at Belli Park, opposite the hall and with a deceptive presence from the road.

Bamboo for sale.

How many times have I driven past, not knowing what’s down the gravel track?

It’s just bamboo plants you think.

Yet when you drive down the lane, past the dam, it opens to a corridor of mystery - an intriguing avenue of about 200 metres in which the towering bamboo lining the drive comes together to form a canopy.

It’s an enchanting sight. Like something from Lord of the Rings ... or Harry Potter perhaps.

Once past the gate you are in a massive garden highlighted by lotus flowers and filled with bamboo plants reaching for the sky.

Bamboo - how innocent it looks and yet this remarkable 40ha plantation shows how integral it is to everything we do.

At the office I am met by Becky Nary-Dart, a city girl turned bamboo farmer.

Big Heart Bamboo is based within Bamboo Australia, which was founded by her father, Durnford Dart, in 1989.

Durnford’s vision transformed the property from deforested grazing land to the lush oasis it is today - shady areas, healthy soil and habitat.

There are about 1500 bamboo species in the world and more than 250 varieties of the giant grass are here at Belli Park.

It is one of, if not the largest, established bamboo plantations in Australia.

Becky started studying physics at the University of Queensland but her favourite subject was nutrition.

“I wanted to do that with bamboo as a food source.

“Dad wasn’t doing anything with it.

“He had originally set the plantation up to do furniture, flooring and plant sales.

He was doing edible shoots and sending them straight down to Sydney and Melbourne markets - but in the day it wasn’t profitable.

“So I started doing things differently and harvesting bamboo shoots, putting them in the back of my car and going all around Noosa.

“It was a hard drive and I was about to give up. But a friend said I should go into Noosa’s Wasabi restaurant, when it was going.

That was a big break. Respected executive chef Zeb Gilbert purchased 250 kilograms that year as canned bamboo was no comparison for the fresh produce.

“We got it in and Zeb’s eyes lit up,’’ Becky said. “A lot of restaurants were buying tinned stuffed.

“Zeb said he wanted it within 24 hours of

“It has expanded … the aim is to supply to the high end of the market.

“All the chefs we work with are so excited that it’s fresh, grown locally … especially with the guarantee it’s picked fresh.

“We can send it everywhere except Western Australia and Tasmania due to quarantine regulations.’’

Talk about bamboo, and the first images that spring to mind are for decorative use in the garden, or construction.

Then there are those adorable images of pandas chewing on the fibrous roots of the plant.

Bamboo is intricately associated with humans from times immemorial.

We can use it for anything - from housing to clothing and to food.

It is something we need as a sustainable material, especially if offered as an alternative to things that we are using plastics for.

A renewable source that is biodegradable.

The world is now looking at bamboo knives and forks, drinking straws, plates, and food containers.

Becky finds this very satisfying, especially in recent years.

“It’s the freedom you get from harvesting your own food, to live your lifestyle, and be connected to the land.

“Sometimes it’s very hard yakka.

“I’m glad to be in a position where I can work with nature, knowing my business is contributing to the planet, contributing to people, contributing to wildlife as well.

“Dad had this vision. He has always been in permaculture, right from the start.

“He used to go to permaculture meetings around here from the late 1970s.’’

When harvesting the plant, Becky waits for the young shoots of the bamboo to break through the soil then, armed with a special knife that also resembles a small hand-held gardening spade, she penetrates the soil up to 10cm below the surface.

“It’s pretty magical,’’ she said. “Just me, Trixie my knife, and the shoots.

“It’s like stepping into another ancient and forgotten world where nature is queen, and we walk gently at her heels.

“It’s a beautiful feeling of connection and strength.’’

The young shoots can be consumed fresh, fermented, or canned.

They are not only delicious but are rich in nutrient components, mainly proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and fibre, and are low in fat and sugars.

As well as fresh bamboo shoots, Becky grows, supplies and creates gourmet edible pickles, relishes and chutneys.

She also produces a range of bamboobased tea.

Apart from supplying restaurants, the products are available through select retailers as well as local markets.

Becky Nary-Dart, owner-operator of Big Heart Bamboo. 261392 Picture: WAVELL BUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s like stepping into another ancient and forgotten world where nature is queen, and we walk gently at her heels. It’s a beautiful feeling of connection and strength.’’