In Bali, there’s often a big gap between a bright
idea or a new product and bringing home the bacon. That gap
is market access. An ordinary individual with a new product
rarely has the resources to advertise and place that product
so that it reaches the people who want to buy it. I’ve
heard many stories of small farmers who took the leap of faith
and stopped using chemicals on their produce, then found they
had no way to sell their crops.
Ubud’s new Organic Farmer’s Market provides a
venue for small, independent organic growers and businesses
to sell their wares. The self-managed co-operative, currently
with nine members, offers a wide range of products. The Market
takes place every Saturday morning between 10 and 2 at Pizza
Bagus in Pengosekan, Ubud, next to the Panorama Hotel. The
stalls hum with cheerful energy as buyers browse the wares,
chat with the vendors and bump into old friends. It’s
a great excuse not only to stock up on supplies, but to catch
up over a cappuccino or lunch from Pizza Bagus’ excellent
menu.
The tables are loaded with tempting things to buy and to eat.
Sari Organic features soy products such as tofu, cheese and
milk as well as pesto, sun dried tomatoes and vegetables.
Bali Rungu sells a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables
grown in the mountains. Made Giro’s table offers a wealth
of information on worm farming, composting, aerobic microorganisms
and basalt remineralization. (He also has a tub of worms if
you want to get up close and personal.) Sayu has products
from IDEP including seeds and an Indonesian language permaculture
manual written specifically for Indonesian growing conditions,
wild honey from the Non Timber Forest Products association,
and items from her family farm in Negara. Kue’s table
groans under a delicious cargo of cakes, cookies, quiches
and teas. Lilin’s table features local medicinal plants,
oils and natural mosquito repellent as well as information
about the Bali Herbal Walk that she and her husband have been
conducting for several years; they are both the children of
Balinese herbalists. Kebun Kita sells organic vegetables as
well as home made tortillas. And Jus Ja offers wheat grass
juice, jams, snacks and colloidal silver.
“Every week is better,” states Gede of Bali Rungu.
“This is a great opportunity to sell my vegetables directly
to the consumer. I’m now growing about 25 different
crops and adding more all the time. My family thought I was
crazy to farm without chemicals at first but now they are
helping me.”
Products change with the season and availability, but the
Market is always a treasure trove of good things. It also
provides an important opportunity to offer practical support
to Balinese who are committed to organic growing. These are
small producers, working a few are of land or running little
businesses. It’s a pleasure to buy from them, and reinforces
the value of what they are doing. Most products are also available
throughout the week directly from the vendors.
New sellers are welcome to apply for a space at the Organic
Farmers Market. All small, independent and chemical-free producers
will be considered. Contact ubudorganicmarket@yahoo.co.id
for information on the application process. The members meet
every week to discuss issues and potential new members.
Several of the tables sell organic white, red and brown rice.
This was a novelty just five years ago, when Ed Dunk brought
a few bags of his harvest to a community event and was swamped
with buyers. Now a number of growers are returning to traditional
rice growing techniques, but it can be a challenging journey.
It’s been about 40 years since chemical farming was
introduced to Bali and now only a few of the old farmers remember
the traditional farming techniques. Now farmers buy and use
chemicals (obat) without knowing what they are using, what
the dangers might be and without protective any equipment.
Chemical fertilizers contribute heavily to the loss of biomass
and natural fertility, but most break down quickly after application.
Pesticides are another story – most are aggressively
toxic. In the United States, farmers are the most at-risk
group for cancer. A Balinese farmer told me recently that
in his village of 1500 people, about 100 farmers had died
of cancer and other diseases in the past few years. Not only
are farmers dying, but toxic pesticide residues are finding
their way into water supplies all over Bali.
I Made Chakra, a young man from Pengosekan, remembered when
the rice fields of his child hood teemed with eels, frogs,
insects, fish and other creatures. Two decades of chemical
growing killed the animals and destroyed the rich topsoil
in the fields. A stint in Aceh with permaculture trainer Steve
Cran inspired him to return his family’s 43 are to growing
rice organically. “It was really difficult,” he
says now. In Balinese culture young people learn from their
elders, not the other way around. “My father and older
relatives didn’t want to listen to me. At first they
said that it wasn’t possible to grow rice without chemicals.
Then they told me that no one wanted to buy red rice anyway.”
Chakra persevered and recently harvested about 550 kilograms
of organic heritage red rice from about 20 are. His next fear
was that he’d have difficulty selling it, but between
his family and eager buyers the entire harvest was soon gone.
Now he is taking orders against the next harvest in mid-July.
“I asked eight neighbours to help me plant the crop,
and three of these have asked to learn how to grow organic
red rice with me. They can see for themselves how profitable
it is.” And eels have returned to his fields.
The Ubud Organic Farmer’s Market is a great initiative,
helping small independent growers and providing us with a
good range of fresh, wholesome food. See you there on Saturday!
