Bamboo Business Partners

[JoetheGrower]

Please excuse my ignorance on the subject but this is a new frontier for me. I live in an area which, I am told, is ideal for growing many types of marketable bamboo. I have experience growing a variety of farm products and getting them to buyers but I don't know much about bamboo.

Can anyone give me advice about this? I'm especially interested in contacting those in the flooring or furniture manufacturing business about establishing a mutually beneficial relationship.

I'm very excited about the tremendous possibilities of bamboo. It's the "Green" way to go! I believe the survival of humanity relies, at least in part, on saving our forests....especially rain forests. If we can move people away from wood products and to a renewable resource like bamboo it would be a step in the right direction.

I've been told by some that turning a profit on a bamboo crop is a pipe dream but I really don't care. I'd like to break even on it but, more importantly, I want to be a small part of the solution to a problem that effects us all. Can I do that?

Many thanks....Joe

[Bamabamboo]

Great First Post Joe.......You and I share the same so-called "Pipe Dream", but I really believe its going to be a reality one day.....Its like you said, Its the GREEN way to go and everybody seems to be going green these days.
I'm of the opinion that one of these days, Bamboo will be a profitable business. Some people are already doing very well selling bamboo (Lewis Bamboo in Alabama).....I guess the biggest thing you need is property. Myself, I only have a couple of acres and I'm trying to FILL IT UP with bamboo....lol......I tell my wife, I'm building my inventory for my future business to retire on....lol
As for the flooring industry, Its going to be nearly impossible to compete with the chinese and the south americans when it comes to flooring.
A friend of mine in Arab, AL makes a lot of neat stuff with his bamboo...Furniture, Lamps, Tables......Pretty neat...

I Live parallel to you over near Vinemont just off I-65 so we have the same climate......Maybe we can get together one day and discuss....

Cyrus

[Scott W]

Yeah, I have barely a quarter acre and I'm filling it with as many species of bamboo that I can. My wife has conceded to the fact that she will never win this battle, and that we need to move somewhere with "room to grow"! :p

I'm following in my father's footsteps and building a nursery business. Hoping to find some acreage here in NE Florida so that I can truly expand and specialize in what else...bamboo!