[Quoted from magazine Issue #16 published by Friends of the Earth -- Hong Kong] Organic farming in Penang BY Kit Chan By the 1970s most Malaysian farms were heavily into chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, and the resultant pollution of the environment is there for all to see and suffer. The situation is improving, however, and there is already one Malaysian farm where the tenant farmer eschews all chemical inputs. What is more, you can have a working holiday on this organic farm and help ensure its success, and the adoption of organic farming principles on a much wider scale. The four-acre farm is on the slopes of a hill at Sungit Pinang, Balik Pulau, on the island of Penang. It was once an orchard but was abandoned long ago, before the chemical input era arrived, and so is free from residual traces of man-made chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. There are large areas of similar land in the vicinity offering the opportunity for future expansion. It is run on a collective basis and avoids using capital intensive machinery. There is fund for the purchasing of essential tools and machinery and it is open to anyone to `subscribe' to a M$200.00 shareholding. Volunteers and shareholders are recruited for farm labour and have priority access to the organically farmed produced to value of their financial input. Volunteers requiring overnight accommodation (weekends, or otherwise) stay in a farmhouse with a panoramic view of the Penang coastline free of charge in exchange for a few hours farm work each day. If you are interested in more details, contact Tian Chua on telephone number 332 1346. N.B. FoE holds various magazines including the `Earth Watch' mentioned plus a variety of other material which will help members identify environmentally friendly holiday options, and members are welcome to visit the office and copy the information they require. [End of quote] - MP Luk -