Now that my Indonesian is getting better and my schedule is a little more open, I've been taking advantages of opportunities to visit vegetable farms and learn more about production practices. A few weeks back I visited this organic vegetable farm a few hours outside of Bandung. Organic vegetable production is a rather new concept in a country that has recently done a good job of destroying its environment through the overuse of pesticides. Therefore this farm is designed not only to make a profit, but also educate surrounding farmers. Located on the side of a volcanic mountain, its lava-based soils are 97% sand, presenting a major challenge to the retention of nutrients required for the production of quality vegetables. This volcano most recently erupted in 1982, causing 68 deaths.
The broccoli crop had been repeatedly destroyed by pests until the installation of these netted row covers, a commonly used pest-barrier in organic vegetable production.
Fresh produce is being washed before its morning shipment into town. Farmers often live below the poverty level in Indonesia due the fact that most of the profit is taken by a marketing chain that may included as many as 6 steps from farmer to consumer. This farm is working on a marketing scheme that cuts out some of these "middle-men" and establishes a 3 step marketing chain: farmer to distributor to consumer. This increases the profit of farmers and allows them to move above the poverty line (about $2 income per day) to a profit of over $3 per day.
During my time at the farm I used a bona fide weedwhacker for about 5 hours or more, cutting down shoulder-high grass and small brush in order to clear a new area for farming. It was incredibly refreshing, enjoyable, and invigorating experience to "tame the jungle."
Now that my Indonesian is getting better and my schedule is a little more open, I've been taking advantages of opportunities to visit vegetable farms and learn more about production practices. A few weeks back I visited this organic vegetable farm a few hours outside of Bandung. Organic vegetable production is a rather new concept in a country that has recently done a good job of destroying its environment through the overuse of pesticides. Therefore this farm is designed not only to make a profit, but also educate surrounding farmers. Located on the side of a volcanic mountain, its lava-based soils are 97% sand, presenting a major challenge to the retention of nutrients required for the production of quality vegetables. This volcano most recently erupted in 1982, causing 68 deaths.
The broccoli crop had been repeatedly destroyed by pests until the installation of these netted row covers, a commonly used pest-barrier in organic vegetable production.
Fresh produce is being washed before its morning shipment into town. Farmers often live below the poverty level in Indonesia due the fact that most of the profit is taken by a marketing chain that may included as many as 6 steps from farmer to consumer. This farm is working on a marketing scheme that cuts out some of these "middle-men" and establishes a 3 step marketing chain: farmer to distributor to consumer. This increases the profit of farmers and allows them to move above the poverty line (about $2 income per day) to a profit of over $3 per day.
During my time at the farm I used a bona fide weedwhacker for about 5 hours or more, cutting down shoulder-high grass and small brush in order to clear a new area for farming. It was incredibly refreshing, enjoyable, and invigorating experience to "tame the jungle."