Support Your Friendly Farmer

With the blossoming awareness of sustainability, local economies and fair trade practices, we are committed to sourcing the highest quality as well as the most ethically and ecologically produced products we can find. That includes a number of fair trade companies working in India, Thailand and Vietnam; several manufacturers who cut and sew their bamboo and organic cotton clothing here in the US; and a variety of chocolatiers, candle makers, seamstresses and herbalists all based right here in SLO County.

But we still get a lot of concerned customers asking, "When are we going to start growing the bamboo here in the states?" Well, that's a good question, because that's an awfully appealing idea, at least in theory. It could, after all, be an important step in getting off our oil dependency and the reliance on Chinese imports.

As much as we strive to eliminate our carbon footprints and environmental impacts, there are limits. We can reduce and minimize, but there are no consumer products with zero impact. Even if you grow all your own organic produce and make your own clothing with a solar-powered sewing machine, you'll still need to haul methane-rich manure in from somewhere, and get your new sewing needles, threads and fabrics from somewhere.

In this six billion man village, our survival depends on specialization, and specialization means commerce. We can encourage as much local trade as possible, but we cannot eliminate international commerce. The fair trade movement, for example, fosters socially responsible trade with the third world, recognizing that we need to eliminate inhumane business practices without completely severing ties with our trading partners around the globe.

As much as we love to support our local farmers, most varieties of bamboo are native to Asia. Of the 1500+ species, only two or three are native to North America. Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens), the variety most commonly harvested for commercial use — for clothing, flooring and kitchen wares — is native to China and Japan. And while it may grow well in gardens of California and the Pacific Northwest, introducing it to the U.S. on a massive agricultural scale could bring all kinds of unforeseeable ecological problems.

The beauty of bamboo, as a natural resource, resides in its tenacious growth habit without need of irrigation or fertilizers, and its resilience against pests — in sharp contrast to cotton, it requires no pesticides or herbicides. These wonderful benefits are seen in bamboo's natural habitat. But transplanted to someplace like the San Joaquin Valley, intensive irrigation would become necessary, and who know what sort of pest and disease issues might crop up.

Does this mean we should abandon the idea altogether? Not necessarily, but extensive consideration and research will be needed. Just remember the rabbits in Australia. And yes, in the right (or wrong?) conditions, bamboo spreads just as fast as bunnies.

Stay tuned for further stories on the unexpected outcomes of bamboo ecology . . .

Accept No Imitation

Don't be fooled by imitations. While there are several hundred (if not thousands of) species of Bamboo, there are also a handful of lookalikes to be aware of and perhaps to be avoided. Last year we told you about that friendly desktop pot of Lucky Bamboo that you probably thought belonged to the Bamboo family. Don't worry, we forgive you. It was an honest mistake. The folks at the hardware store just wouldn't sell as many if they labeled them "Lucky Dracaena".

Today we'd like to tell you about an invasive reed grass clogging the creek beds of southern California, and spreading vigorously. From a distance and to the untrained eye, it will look a lot like Bamboo, but it's actually a Mediterranean import known as Arundo donax or giant cane.

As you probably realize, or perhaps have even witnessed, many varieties of bamboo can also be very invasive. What starts as an ornamental accent or an oriental privacy hedge can spread into a horrible nuisance under the right (or wrong) conditions. This is what we call "sustainability in its unfriendliest form." While it makes a beautiful addition to many domestic landscapes, Bamboo does require proper containment. This can be as cheap and simple as an old wine barrel, or as expensive and complicated as you want to make it. Otherwise it will spread and spread, generally in the direction of water, such as lawn sprinklers.

Unlike Bamboo, however, Giant Cane is native to the Mediterranean. This means that California climate conditions are ideal, with or without the irrigation required by most species of Bamboo. It was brought over in the 1820 for erosion control in the Los Angeles area, and in the subsequent 190 years has established a tenacious foothold throughout the region, but especially in riverbeds.

As with most invasive species, Giant Cane has no real predators in this part of the world, so it continues to spread while choking out the native flora. Ideas for containment range from toxic chemical herbicides (not necessarily something we like to see sprayed around creeks and river beds) to the importation of natural predator insects from the other side of the globe (can you say "unforeseeable environmental consequences"?).

One reason that the Arundo donax is so resilient against local insects has to do with the high levels of noxious chemicals in its leaves and stems. As it so often happens in plant chemistry, many of these "toxic" chemicals also happen to be psychotropic alkaloids and tryptamine compounds. So while it may lack most of the industrial applications that Bamboo is known for, this giant reed grass may have certain pharmaceutical and/or recreational uses yet to be fully explored.

Otherwise, the Giant Cane has historically been used for flute making and is also said to be an ideal material to make reeds for woodwind instruments. The canes are not nearly as hard and durable as Bamboo, but it does get very tall (upwards of 20 feet) with fairly thick canes (over 1" in diameter). But despite its size and feasibility as a privacy screen, Arundo donax does not have nearly the same grace and elegance as a healthy stand of bamboo.

Finally, the Giant Cane's invasive characteristics appear to be far worse than those of bamboo. Highly flammable, the cane has been known to increase the probability and intensity of wildfires. And what's worse, it has a far better burn-recovery rate than any native species, so that when the landscape is decimated by fire, the canes sprout up first, leaving no room for the original natives to return or survive.

So be careful, and remember to enjoy your grasses responsibly.

Never Forget

Seems like not that long ago we were unpacking the cartons of hemp soap and Two Star Dog jeans that would become the seeds of the HempShak; but it's already been 15 years. It was February of 1995 that the original HempShak opened up on Foothill Blvd. in Claremont, just up the street from Pomona College. A year and half later we came to San Luis Obispo and opened HempShak del norte in the old Creamery, behind Tortilla Flats.

This weekend the era of Hemp retail comes to a sad end, as the HempShak of SLO closes its doors and clicks off the neon 'open' sign for the last time. But rest assured, Bambu Batu is staying open, continuing to provide natural fiber, fair trade and local products for the conscious consumers of the Central Coast, and looking forward to adding more hemp products to our already extensive and eclectic selection of alternative fibers.

Without our pioneering spirit and environmental commitment, these shops would never have opened, and without your steadfast support they could never stay open. So thanks again, and we look forward to meeting your needs and exceeding your expectations for another decade and a half.

There's a Shak that won't soon be forgotten
Cuz Hemp lasts much longer than cotton
            It grows like a weed
            With nary a need
For pesticides, toxic and rotten