Growing Food, Growing Knowledge
Between March 2021 and December 2022, a project called Vruchtbare Bodem (Fertile Soil) brought together approximately 80 participants aged 18 to 40 in the Netherlands, convened by Coöperatie Ondergrond — a cooperative association of social entrepreneurs dedicated to developing food forests and edible green spaces in and around cities. The project explored how food forest cultivation could be turned into a genuine, professionally viable learning experience for adults who wanted to understand and work with sustainable food production.
Ondergrond was founded by practitioners with over 14 years of experience in urban agriculture and more than a decade in food forest cultivation. Their conviction is clear: food forests have the potential to become a truly sustainable form of food production, and that potential needs to be explored and developed through practice, not just theory. The Vruchtbare Bodem project was their attempt to create a structured learning environment around that practice — one that could also build a broader community of engaged professionals.
Learning Through Connection and Reflection
One of the most effective elements of the programme was the use of structured check-in and check-out moments at the beginning and end of each session. These brief rituals established a safe setting quickly, fostered connection among participants, and reinforced a key principle: everyone is responsible for their own learning process. This philosophy — that learning cannot be simply delivered, but must be owned — shaped the entire design of the programme.
A key lesson from the experience was the importance of managing expectations carefully. There was a significant discrepancy between participants who were curious about food forests and those who genuinely wanted to become food forest professionals. Managing this difference required regular check-ins to ensure that participants remained aligned with the programme’s purpose and challenges.
Beyond Learning: Reputation, Community, Networks
One of the less expected outcomes of Vruchtbare Bodem was its contribution to Ondergrond’s broader mission: the programme helped build the cooperative’s reputation, attracted a larger group of professionally engaged individuals, and strengthened the network of partners and prospective members. Learning, in this case, was also organisational development.
Relevance for Sustainable Learning
Vruchtbare Bodem connects to SDGs 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, and 15, and illustrates how non-formal adult learning programmes can simultaneously build practical skills, community, and the social infrastructure needed for sustainable transitions.
Website: ondergrond.eu
