Bamboo

There is lots of information on the web about Bamboo and growing it locally in America

This place sells Potted Bamboo, and this site says the following about bamboo as food:

Bamboo can be eaten fresh or processed by canning and freezing. Fresh bamboo has a crisp, sweet flavor. It is used in Oriental cooking as an extender because it will take on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. A bamboo shoot has about the same nutritional value as an onion and is a good source of fiber.

Most of the bamboo in the U.S. is canned although some fresh bamboo is beginning to reach the public. Gourmets report that once a person has tasted fresh bamboo it is difficult to switch back to canned even though fresh is much more expensive. Generally the U.S. public has indicated a preference for fresh foods--asparagus--for example, and is willing to pay a good deal more to get fresh vegetables. The price for fresh bamboo on the West Coast is about $3 per pound. It is considerably more expensive on the East Coast.

Each acre of mature bamboo will produce about 10,000 - 20,000 pounds depending on the species, the water, and the fertilization. Even at $1 per pound to the farmer, bamboo is a real cash crop! The first large food plantation in the U.S. is now being planted near Tampa, FL. WWT will be glad to furnish detailed information and references to farmers in the Southeastern U.S. who may wish to consider planting bamboo.

Offered by Leila.