Pasin Thongbo, 47, remembers the time when, more than a decade ago, Sampran Riverside Hotel introduced its plan for an organic farm. Back then, he did not think that he would become the man in charge, acting as guide for visitors coming for that organic farm experience.
Patom Organic Farm, on the banks of the Tha Chin River in Nakhon Pathom's Sam Phran district, occupies about 40 rai of land just opposite the hotel. The farm was the brainchild of Arrut Navaraj, the hotel's managing director and grandson of its owner, the late Chamnan Yuwaboon, the first Bangkok governor.
A station for growing chilli seedlings in eggshells.
"Khun Chamnan bought the farmland because he wanted to preserve the century-old ton lamphu [mangrove apple tree]," said Pasin, pointing to the large tree next to the pier where we had just disembarked after crossing the river on the hotel's paddle boat. The land, which used to be for growing roses, was taken over 12 years ago and now grows rice, vegetables, herbs and fruits for the hotel.
"Since the early days, all hotel executives and staff had to learn about organic farming. It took us about three years before we were able to turn the dry land into a fertile farm," he said. Today, it is one of the leading organic farm models in Thailand, with certifications from the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) of Europe and Canada, as well as from the Foundation of Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand.
The farm selects healthy seeds for the next round of planting.
The farm is also a learning centre, sharing knowledge and expertise with local farmers. The hotel introduced the Sampran Model in 2010 to encourage sustainable organic farming. The hotel also has a weekend organic market called Talad Sook Jai for the farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers.
Pasin, who has worked for the hotel for 25 years, is happy to share his knowledge and the success story of the farm with visitors. As we made our way along the new wooden walkway from the pier, Pasin showed us various plants. Many of them, you would not typically find in supermarkets, such as phak nam (geli-geli), whose young leaves can be used in kaeng som (a spicy-sour orange-coloured soup). We walked past the tom yam zone where they mainly plant herbs for making the soup, such as lemon grass, chilli and galangal. They also grow red and green basil and sweet basil along with chilli plants to ward off pests.
The farm rotates vegetable plantation to keep the soil healthy.
When we reached the reception area, Pasin and his helpers handed each of us a small cotton bag with a tiny water bowl inside. "The bowl is for you to have a herbal drink. Today, we're serving a mixed tea of lemon grass and pandan leaves," he said. The tea is high in antioxidants and helps relieve fatigue. He also served farang sai daeng, the signature guava of the Suan Sampran organic garden. This is a hybrid of two guava species: farang kimchu (a small light green guava with fewer seeds) and farang kee nok (tiny pink guava). The result is a crunchy round guava with pinkish flesh around the seeds. It is sweet with a mild citrus taste. After this welcome drink, Pasin handed each of us a small basket with a knife inside.
"We will have a workshop for you to make mint tea. It is made from fresh peppermint leaves. So you have to harvest one handful of the leaves to make it," he said. They led us to the peppermint plantation. Close to the plants, I could smell the pleasant minty fragrance. We were advised to cut each stem at least 15cm long. We needed to wash each leaf and later spread them over a hot pan on a charcoal stove to roast them. The process took a while.
The soil is prepared for growing rice.
"You can also have fresh peppermint tea. We roast the leaves so that they can have a longer shelf-life," he said, adding that the tea helps strengthen the immune system and reduce stress. After the workshop, we each received a small container of dried peppermint tea leaves as a souvenir. After making tea, Pasin and his team prepared chilli seedlings for us to replant in eggshells. He taught us about soil and fertilisation. He also handed us a tiny bottle of fertiliser made from banana shoots to aid the growth of the chilli.
"We make sure that when you visit us, you'll have something that you can bring back. We also hope that our visitors will love to grow organic plants the way we do," he said. The tour was fun and informative. The two-hour trip is ideal for the family or for an office outing, especially for those looking to get away from the polluted air in Bangkok.
The wooden walkway from the pier to the farm also serves as an educational trail.
Visitors must wear life jackets on the boat.
TRAVEL INFO
- Patom Organic Farm tours are available on the weekend at 10am, 2pm and 4pm. The price is 400 baht for adults and 300 baht for children. Weekday tours are also available for groups of at least five people.
- For groups of at least 10 people, the hotel can organise a private tour with a cooking course where visitors are required to harvest fresh vegetables and eggs. The price is 800 baht for adults and 600 baht for children.
- Tickets can be purchased at the reception in the hotel lobby. Advanced booking is required for private tours and weekday trips. For more information, call 03-432-2588 or visit sampranriverside.com
