Jackie Heinricher's love affair with bamboo started in her backyard.
Jackie
Heinricher
's
love
affair
with
bamboo
started
in
her
backyard
.
"As a child, I remember playing among the golden bamboo my dad had planted, and when there was a slight wind, the bamboos sounded really musical."
``
As
a
child
,
I
remember
playing
among
the
golden
bamboo
my
dad
had
planted
,
and
when
there
was
a
slight
wind
,
the
bamboos
sounded
really
musical
.
''
A fisheries biologist, Heinricher, 47, planned to work in the salmon industry in Seattle, where she lived with her husband, Guy Thornburgh, but she found it too competitive.
A
fisheries
biologist
,
Heinricher
,
47
,
planned
to
work
in
the
salmon
industry
in
Seattle
,
where
she
lived
with
her
husband
,
Guy
Thornburgh
,
but
she
found
it
too
competitive
.
Then her garden gave her the idea for a business: she'd plant 20 bamboo forests on their seven acre farm.
Then
her
garden
gave
her
the
idea
for
a
business
:
she
'd
plant
20
bamboo
forests
on
their
seven
acre
farm
.
Heinricher started BooShoot Gardens in 1998.
Heinricher
started
BooShoot
Gardens
in
1998
.
She realized early on what is just now beginning to be known to the rest of the world.
She
realized
early
on
what
is
just
now
beginning
to
be
known
to
the
rest
of
the
world
.
It can be used to make fishing poles, skateboards, buildings, furniture, floors, and even clothing.
It
can
be
used
to
make
fishing
poles
,
skateboards
,
buildings
,
furniture
,
floors
,
and
even
clothing
.
An added bonus: Bamboo absorbs four times as much carbon dioxide as a group of hardwood trees and releases 35 percent more oxygen.
An
added
bonus
:
Bamboo
absorbs
four
times
as
much
carbon
dioxide
as
a
group
of
hardwood
trees
and
releases
35
percent
more
oxygen
.
First she had to find a way to masspoduce the plants-a tough task, since bamboo flowers create seed only once every 50 to 100 years.
First
she
had
to
find
a
way
to
masspoduce
the
plants-a
tough
task
,
since
bamboo
flowers
create
seed
only
once
every
50
to
100
years
.
And dividing a bamboo plant frequently kills it.
And
dividing
a
bamboo
plant
frequently
kills
it
.
Heinricher appealed to Randy Burr, a tissue culture expert, to help her.
Heinricher
appealed
to
Randy
Burr
,
a
tissue
culture
expert
,
to
help
her
.
"People kept telling us we'dnever figure it out," says Heinricher.
``
People
kept
telling
us
we'dnever
figure
it
out
,
''
says
Heinricher
.
"Others had worked on it for 27 years!
``
Others
had
worked
on
it
for
27
years
!
I believed in what we were doing, though, so I just kept going."
I
believed
in
what
we
were
doing
,
though
,
so
I
just
kept
going
.
''
She was right to feel a sense of urgency.
She
was
right
to
feel
a
sense
of
urgency
.
Bamboo forests are being rapidly used up, and a United
Bamboo
forests
are
being
rapidly
used
up
,
and
a
United
Nations report showed that even though bamboo is highly renewable, as many as half of the world's species are threatened with dying out.
Nations
report
showed
that
even
though
bamboo
is
highly
renewable
,
as
many
as
half
of
the
world
's
species
are
threatened
with
dying
out
.
Heinricher knew that bamboo could make a significant impact on carbon emissions and world economies, but only if huge numbers could be produced.
Heinricher
knew
that
bamboo
could
make
a
significant
impact
on
carbon
emissions
and
world
economies
,
but
only
if
huge
numbers
could
be
produced
.
And that's just what she and Burr figured out after nine years of experiments-a way to grow millions of plants.
And
that
's
just
what
she
and
Burr
figured
out
after
nine
years
of
experiments-a
way
to
grow
millions
of
plants
.
By placing cuttings in test tubes with salts, vitamins, plant hormones, and seaweed gel, they got the plants to grow and then raised them in soil in greenhouses.
By
placing
cuttings
in
test
tubes
with
salts
,
vitamins
,
plant
hormones
,
and
seaweed
gel
,
they
got
the
plants
to
grow
and
then
raised
them
in
soil
in
greenhouses
.
Not long after it, Burr's lab hit financial difficulties.
Not
long
after
it
,
Burr
's
lab
hit
financial
difficulties
.
Heinricher had no experience running a tissue culture operation, but she wasn't prepared to quit.
Heinricher
had
no
experience
running
a
tissue
culture
operation
,
but
she
was
n't
prepared
to
quit
.
So she bought the lab.
So
she
bought
the
lab
.
Today Heinricher heads up a profitable multimillion dollar company, working on species from all over the world and selling them to wholesalers.
Today
Heinricher
heads
up
a
profitable
multimillion
dollar
company
,
working
on
species
from
all
over
the
world
and
selling
them
to
wholesalers
.
"If you want to farm bamboo, it's hard to do without the young plants, and that's what we have," she says proudly.
``
If
you
want
to
farm
bamboo
,
it
's
hard
to
do
without
the
young
plants
,
and
that
's
what
we
have
,
''
she
says
proudly
.
Jackie Heinricher's love affair with bamboo started in her backyard. "As a child, I remember playing among the golden bamboo my dad had planted, and when there was a slight wind, the bamboos sounded really musical."  A fisheries biologist, Heinricher, 47, planned to work in the salmon industry in Seattle, where she lived with her husband, Guy Thornburgh, but she found it too competitive. Then her garden gave her the idea for a business: she'd plant 20 bamboo forests on their seven acre farm.  Heinricher started BooShoot Gardens in 1998. She realized early on what is just now beginning to be known to the rest of the world. It can be used to make fishing poles, skateboards, buildings, furniture, floors, and even clothing. An added bonus: Bamboo absorbs four times as much carbon dioxide as a group of hardwood trees and releases 35 percent more oxygen.  First she had to find a way to masspoduce the plants-a tough task, since bamboo flowers create seed only once every 50 to 100 years. And dividing a bamboo plant frequently kills it.  Heinricher appealed to Randy Burr, a tissue culture expert, to help her. "People kept telling us we'dnever figure it out," says Heinricher. "Others had worked on it for 27 years! I believed in what we were doing, though, so I just kept going."  She was right to feel a sense of urgency. Bamboo forests are being rapidly used up, and a United  Nations report showed that even though bamboo is highly renewable, as many as half of the world's species are threatened with dying out. Heinricher knew that bamboo could make a significant impact on carbon emissions and world economies, but only if huge numbers could be produced. And that's just what she and Burr figured out after nine years of experiments-a way to grow millions of plants. By placing cuttings in test tubes with salts, vitamins, plant hormones, and seaweed gel, they got the plants to grow and then raised them in soil in greenhouses.  Not long after it, Burr's lab hit financial difficulties. Heinricher had no experience running a tissue culture operation, but she wasn't prepared to quit. So she bought the lab.  Today Heinricher heads up a profitable multimillion dollar company, working on species from all over the world and selling them to wholesalers. "If you want to farm bamboo, it's hard to do without the young plants, and that's what we have," she says proudly.