“AGROECOLOGY FOR ALL: Initiatives in Malaysia” – URBAN GARDEN
VIEWS OF THOSE WHO BENEFITED from CAP’s Urban Garden Training
(Part 1)
BERNARD NEOH
Desa Rahmat, Bukit Jambul, Penang
CAP is a good platform for exchanging knowledge. It gives a lot of encouragement for people like me to do home gardening and use natural products for composting and fertilising.
All of the staff are generous in sharing their knowledge and techniques of gardening, and my family really learned a lot. I used to grow many vegetables on my balcony, even with just a normal crescent balcony.
I do vertical planting besides using traditional pot planting. Vertical planting really boosts my harvest, as it is very space-saving. I grow vegetables for 2 people, and the extras I share with other family members.
The last batch of cherry tomatoes that we planted are really crunchy and juicy. Everyone tasted it and commented that it was very different from the one we get from the market.
On my little balcony, I grew strawberries as well as watermelon and honeydew. Though the harvest is not large, it is satisfying. Everyone can grow. The only thing they need is passion.
MONA LIM
Green Garden Estate, Penang
I learned about vermicomposting and started a vermihome in my school as an urban garden project. I also learned a lot about starting a kitchen garden, converting kitchen waste into organic fertiliser and natural pest control techniques using chilli, garlic, etc.
VIMALA SAHADEVAN
Lebuhraya Gelugor, Penang
I have been attending talks organised by CAP. This has enabled me to learn directly from organic farmers, how and why they turned to organic farming. At such events, I also spoke to other participants, who shared their experiences on home gardening as well as exchanging seeds.
The CAP staff were also on hand to help me with my questions with regards to how to grow vegetables and manage pests. I have purchased the materials/booklets that CAP published and found them useful.
CAP also sells good quality soil and vermicompost, which I buy on a regular basis. As a person who tries to care for the environment by minimising plastic usage, I brought my own containers or rice bags to fill up with soil.
The CAP website has many articles that provided the answers I was looking for. Reading other members’ experience stories also gave me further encouragement and tips on how to care for my own plants. Without healthy soil, there is no life.
I continue to try to plant my vegetables so we can enjoy nutritious and pesticide-free food.