Archives > 2010-04

People don't grow watermelons on raised beds. That's what they told us. Right, and that's why, we supposed, conventionally grown local watermelon have such a bad reputation for pesticides and fungicides! It's logical, our climate is humid and wet, not really ideal for watermelon.  Further, local weeds will overwhelm the watermelon plant in days. So if we plant them on the ground then its logical that pests, fungal diseases and weeds must be kept at bay using a cocktail of chemicals - 3 in one!! :) This is the raised bed we used: Four bricks high, layer of compost at the...

Wild boar is a perpetual problem at our farm.  They break through fencing and get at the chickens, they dig up all those lovely yams and sweet potatoes, they damage our vegetable plots digging up earthworms for desert. All kinds of suggestions have been given to us; shoot them, poison them, trap them, etc.  We reject outright killing.  Trapping, etc never works; they're too wary. Then they...

Banana plants (it's a giant herb) can make their own food, retain water, and in our farm continuously produce 20 to 40 kg bunches without significant input. Banana plants at our farm. ...

Today's Star:   One Citizen, One Tree: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/23/nation/6112049&sec=nation   Council to plant a tree for every child born...

An organic farm is like an oasis to birds.  At our farm we have counted close to 50 species.  Foreign workers at our farm comment that there's no longer any necessity to keep them in cages as they...