Take part in Organic Day for the real deal

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THE Organic Farming Community Centre (OFFC) is located at a corner lot house in Jalan 19/25 in Petaling Jaya.

It is the brainchild of Centre for Environment, Technology, Development Malaysia (Cetdem) organic farming coordinator Tan Siew Luang.

Having pioneered Malaysia’s first community- based organic farm in 1986, Tan has since moved on — from a farmer to a gardener-cum-motivator — to spread the word that organic farming is an inclusive way to get people to come together to work for the good of the community.

Tan felt farming ethically without being chemically dependent would help people to reconnect with the earth.

OFCC was set up two years ago, after the owners of the house, Charles Tan and his wife, Pook Li Yoon, decided that the venue was better served as a community centre to attract urban dwellers to green their environment.

With a spacious garden, every nook and cranny is planted with both edible and ornamental plants.

Volunteers offer their time and energy to keep the garden productive.

Besides gardening, the venue also serves as a place to bring wholesalers, retailers, farmers, urban gardeners and consumers together.

“It is a place for people to share their experience, exchange information and have fellowship,” said Tan.

Cetdem also organised classes on how to cook organically, using fresh pickings from the garden are also held.

On Oct 3, the centre would be organising Hari Organik (Organic Day) on the field at Section 19/22.

Hari Organik gives the public an opportunity to meet wholesalers, retailers and farmers. Many events will be held on that day, including children’s fun activities, a demonstration on how to compost kitchen waste and how to make liquid enzyme.

At this juncture, the organic industry is not regulated.

There is no law to subject farmers to vigorous testings to ensure their produce is authentic.

Which is why Tan said it was important to educate the public.

“They need to discern what they buy and consume; to know the difference between ‘organic’ as opposed to ‘natural’ produce,” she said.

The centre launched its Malaysia Organic Guide Book recently that lists organic wholesalers, retailers, importers and food operators.

Tan urged organic farmers to join forces because she is convinced with strength in number, they can share their knowledge for mutual benefit.

While it may seem Utopian, she believed the way forward was to have organic villages where organic husbandry, poultry, orchards and vegetable farms co-exist, complementing each other and providing the ingredients to make compost from their by-products.