The project aims at exploiting opportunities arising from the analysis of the local development strategy for the Limburg Kempen region, with the aim of conserving and enhancing biodiversity and the ecosystem in an economically viable way for farmers and horticulturists (SD 1 and SD 2). The main objective is to set up sustainable valorisation chains for the management residues from local wood edge management in Peer, Pelt and Hamont-Achel, by incorporating the wood chips as soil improvers on nearby plots. In this way, the biomass from woody edge management will be used productively for agriculture.
To achieve this main objective, we aim at several sub-objectives with corresponding results:
- Consultation per municipality with the competent representatives of the municipalities and the agricultural council for the practical elaboration of the valorisation chain for the wood chips. This includes all practical and logistical matters: transport and storage of the chips, criteria for the distribution of the chips among the interested farmers (for the chips from public wooded areas, in the case of private wooded areas, the chips go initially to the owner). These chains are worked out to be permanently applied in the three municipalities in the long term, even after the project. Therefore, it will also be decided who among the (co-)promoters will continue to coordinate with the municipalities after the project ends and sustainable funding will be sought.
- Increasing the water retention capacity and carbon storage of agricultural plots by incorporation of wood chips from local wood edge management. This will be done at a minimum of 6 farmers (on a minimum of 6 plots).
- Linked to this, we aim to optimise the application of chippings at plot level by performing a soil scan on the six plots. After measuring various soil parameters (soil life, carbon storage, etc.) with the soil scan, the chippings are gradually applied to the plot.
Knowledge sharing with farmers regarding the elaborated valorisation chains, wood edge management and incorporation of wood chips into the soil in various ways:
- 3 information sessions for farmers (1 in each municipality)
- 1 demo around the incorporation of wood chips
- Infofiche for farmers in the three municipalities
With the first two concrete activities, we will reach at least 18 farmers, including the 6 Farmers receiving individual farm advice for chipping in.
Enhancing existing wood edges. By giving management residues a purpose, woody edge management becomes more useful for farmers. We also want to increase the landscape quality of the wood edge network in the three municipalities by giving future trees the necessary care and by creating and preserving habitat trees.
Communication to the general public so that there is greater understanding about wood edge management respecting all 6 functions (food, feel good, fauna & flora, fibre, fuel, flood & drought).
Specifically, guided walks will be organised along the selected wood edges to explain the various functions.
