New walking route shows how farmers work sustainably

In the Beverhoutsveld, ten farmers are engaged in carbon farming. Using specific cultivation techniques, they can remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the soil. This is good for the environment, but also for the soil. Karolien Vermeulen, chairman of the Beernem Agricultural Council: “Carbon farming is a project in which carbon build-up in the soil is stimulated by applying certain cultivation techniques. They ensure a sustainable soil.”

The municipality of Beernem allows farmers from the region to experiment for free to grow crops in a sustainable way. In this way, they can remove 2.2 tons of CO2 from the air per hectare. And sustainable working does not have to have an impact on the quality of the crops, on the contrary. Koen De Baets, farmer: “We have sown maize two years in a row, with reed fescue undersown. That’s a green cover. When the maize is harvested, the ground will be covered with that reed fescue all winter. As a result, you have less dehydration of the soil, which absorbs more nutrients and puts more carbon into the soil. As a result, you will have better fruit the following year.” (read more below the photo)

A walk along the plots should show passers-by that farmers also think about the climate. The walk of about 8 kilometers starts at the Beekstraat and runs through junctions.