Archive for July, 2008

Farm Report June ‘08

July 7, 2008

Kenny Ng / Date: 03-July-08

Major activities
- Hosted the following visitors in June.
2nd   > 40 pax , from Butterworth, mostly school teachers and their families, for a day trip.
6th – 7th   > 2 families, from Bukit Mertajam, for 2D1N trip.
28th – 29th   > 3 families, from KL, for 2D1N trip.

Lo-light
- The price of petrol, hence the transportation and almost all farm inputs cost increased significantly. However, I have not decided when to increase my farm produce price yet but it will be inevitable. Moreover, other organic farmers already said I sell too cheap.
- Stopped delivering to Ipoh by myself because of high transportation cost. Apologized to my Ipoh customers and friends. Hope to find way to distribute my farm produce in Ipoh soon.
- Again not many varieties of non-leafy vegetables were produced except long bean. The yield of a new batch of lady’s finger was low. Others like radish, bitter gourd, petola were not ready to harvest yet.
- A few heavy storms caused many banana and tapioca trees to fall. On one occasion, the plastic cover of a rain-shelter flew off!
- Banana fruits from certain trees were cracked. Could not sell the fruits in this condition. Need to apply sea salt to banana trees, this advice was given by a visitor. To try on a few trees.
- Some banana fruits had worms inside, feedback by a few customers. Guess some wrappings were not effective, probably wrapped them too late.

Hi-light
- The back portion of the farm has been cleared and crops have been planted. However, the soil was hard and lacks fertility. One area was too sandy. I was told that the area was once a fishpond, many years ago.
- Participated in the school cooperative day by promoting my vegetables, at SM Sentosa, Kampar. It was well received by the school’s teachers and students’ parents. Thanks to Mrs. Yong, the teacher who invited me to the occasion. She has been helping me to liaise with other teachers in getting my vegetables on every Wednesday.
- June output is 758kg, 185kg more than May output.

Problems
- nil

Accomplishments
- nil

Output (Target is 1000kg by end of 2008; to be financially sustainable)

Sep 07 – 150kg Jan 08 – 351kg May 08 – 573kg
Oct 07 – 224kg Feb 08 – 523kg June 08 – 758kg
Nov 07 – 141kg Mar 08 – 513kg
Dec 07 – 340kg Apr 08 – 540kg

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
                                                                Masanobu Fukuoka