This used to be a car park!

I remember my first meeting with Mr N. V Subbarow the Education Officer from the Consumers Association Penang (CAP). He helms the Natural Farming Education programme at CAP and I wanted to ask him if he would help me on my first community garden project in Penang. I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure if the idea to collaborate with a developer (Eastern & Oriental Berhad) on a community composting and food garden project would fly with Mr Subbarow.

I shared the idea. A simple one – let's work together on a community composting and food garden project. The project will be supported by E&O. While we will design the site and develop education and community programmes for the community garden.

He said "Yes, I will help you Nova, don't worry." It didn't matter that it was my first community garden project or that I wasn't from Penang. He agreed to collaborate solely on the merits of the project, the commitment from the company and my passion for composting and growing food in urban areas. Nothing else. He felt communities needed such projects and so he said yes. I could not ask for a better project partner – focused on the cause, prepared to work on something new and with different people.

After that meeting he asked me to check out their urban food farm. I did not know they had one. You won't notice it when you enter the CAP office. Somewhat of a secret it is a tucked behind their bungalow office. I was wowed when I learnt about the story of that space. I realised how lucky The Think Green project was to have Mr Subbarow and his team as partners.

You see, Mr Subbarow and his team have been advocating for an alternative to chemically dependent agriculture systems. They've been traveling around the country and regionally to learn about and educate farmers on natural farming methods. But eight years ago, they felt before banging the drums of Natural Farming they needed to practice and showcase it themselves – in their own backyard, so to speak.

Their urban food garden bears testament to their tenacity and commitment to natural farming. Eight years ago Mr Subbarrow and his three person team – Theeban Gunasekaran, Saras Odian and Suseela Nagappan literally dug up the ½ acre car park behind their bungalow office and transformed it into a wonderful urban edible farm. It is one of my favourite places in Penang.

After a lecture by Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail from Chennai, India they sought his help and established a four tank vermicomposting system. Then for two years all they did was dig up the tar, gravel and rocks in the parking lot, first it was just the four of them digging until they managed to hire a few gardeners to help them.

Then they created their own layer of soil. They had to build their own soil structure by mulching 9 types of millets and spices, grass clippings, manure, introducing worms and Pancakavya (a natural growth promoter and pest repellent). Transforming a car park into a thriving natural farming education site and urban vege farm – tenacity and commitment.

Today, every month at least 100 visitors drop by. Some are farmers, others students, members of the media and avid gardeners. They have ongoing programmes to educate our local vegetable farmers on natural farming methods and publish natural food growing guides for consumers, you can find some of their booklets in MPH.

The space is spectacular. Diversity in a small space – cabbages, broccoli, brinjals, cucumbers, red long beans!, gourds and the biggest ladies fingers you’ll ever see. Local herbs, bananas, passion fruit, pineapples, papayas and more. My highlight, always, visiting those lovely fat healthy worms from their worm farm. If you’re in Penang – go visit their urban farm. They are open for visitors on Saturday mornings. It will give you more than a dose of inspiration. It’ll make you wanna grow some veggies right away!

Nova Nelson

I’m a Social Entrepreneur, Permaculture Designer, a gardening coach, content creator and educator. I started Cultivate Central as a solo enterprise. It started as a blog about my journey in Permaculture Design. It then evolved and grew into a small social enterprise. Today, I focus on creating regenerative food gardens, developing and delivering educational experiences, championing vermicomposting and building collaborative community programmes with organisations, corporates, developers and schools, with a small but talented team. I’m passionate about helping them embark on a journey of earth care centred on building regenerative food systems and cultures.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.