Is There Organic In Food In Chiang Rai?

[brahmburgers]

I've resided here nearly 6 years. Many times I've had restless nights from eating chemi-tainted veges or fruits. Sometimes headaches too, plus there are long-term ailment possibilities from eating pesticide laden foods. Riding around the countryside I often see sprayers in the fields - even alongside the one little patch that is supposedly organic - though it grows just a few green leaf veges. I've tried growing my own tomatos with limited success - root namatodes wither a 2nd crop planted in the same spot.

Ask vendors and they'll likely say what they think you want to hear "no chemi".

Further rant: Every type of bottled sauce that comes from China has MSG, Salt and sugar. Thai food is liberally drowned in such sauces. If the management is Chinese, which many are, you can bet they're adding MSG. I try telling them "mai aow pom charoot" (don't want MSG) but sometimes I forget, and other times they add it anyway - maybe thinking 'a dumb farang isn't going to tell us how to cook our food.'

What's a country boy to do in these modern times? Can anyone get me hooked up with a reliable source of organic fruits and/or veges in the Chiang Rai area?

[Kan Win]

What's a country boy to do in these modern times?  Can anyone get me hooked up with a reliable source of organic fruits and/or veges in the Chiang Rai area?

Err... nope, but Thailand is orgasmic, is it not ???

[eyespan]

mercury in the seafood, DDT in your vege and viruses in pork chicken and beef.

That's why we need to drink more beer than anything else cleanses the system

[KevinN]

For sure,you need to injest a certain amount of herb-pesticides a day to kill what was on the ones you ate that hadn't been sprayed,and eat a lot of mercury tainted shrimps to kill the bugs in the beef ,fowl,and pig that you eat.

I eat mostly tatters,aussie beef striploin char grilled and sawmill gravy, pinto beans and biscuits.

Come on over for grits TUTSI.

[eyespan]

I think the DDT helps to kill the bugs in the beef , pork and fowl too. So remember what mama used to say? "Eat your veges, they're good for you."

[p1p]

Spent 3 years trying to find land on which to grow "Organic" produce. Could find none. The upper areas of almost every watershed are used to grow temperate zone flowers. which are drenched in pesticides and chemical furtilisers. All lower areas therefore have a polluted water supply.

[Ajarn]

The Chiang Rai YMCA has a shop which sells organic produce and other organic products.

70 Phaholyothin Rd., Rimkok, Muang, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.

Tel :+66 (0) 5371 3785-6, +66 (0) 5370 2763-4

e-mail :[email protected]

Also, try Northern Network for Rural Development (NorthNet), an NGO which works in a variety of areas, including forestry, rural development, and organic farming. They may know of whatever retail outlets there are in your area.

Phone: (053) 380-734

[eyespan]

Seriously, to ensure that we get a healthy crop in this climate without the use of pesticides would mean alot of money in the set-up. There are hydrophonics farms in Singapore which grow without pesticides but within greenhouse like enclosures. Keep the bugs out.

[p1p]

There are several companies doing Hydroponic cultivation in and around both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. However this is not the same as Organic. Hydroponic produce are generally grown in a flowing chemical soup, a totally unnatural manner. Organic implies totally natural.

Hydroponic produce does, for the most part, use no or very little pesticide. So it might be an alternative to organic.

The Thai idea of organic seems to differ greatly from the Western definition. The only land I have found anywhere in the north which might ascribe to organic is that owned by Acharn Panlert, in Mae Wang district, Sanpatong. There he owns the entire watershed and has done so for forty odd years. He has never used chemicals but all he grows now are a few fruit trees, so no organic produce from there.

All other areas I have studied have watersheds heavily tainted by chemical fertilisers and pesticides used high up. No land downstream can ever be organic, (by the Western definition,) due to the tainted water.

[KevinN]

I really do not think that true organic,as set in the rest of the world,will ever be available here,no one will pay the price,sure 3 of you will but the farmer has to sell to 200 a day and not just 3,and if he told you that it was organic,he would be lying and know he was.

If you could get enough people to take all a farmer could grow,they might give it a shot,but I doubt that also,as they would stand a great loss due to bugs we ain 't ever heard of,and they do have em here.

My wife really likes USDA choice or prime beef,even lower grades taste good to her,but try to get a Thai to feed a beef good hay and 5-10 kilo of grain a day to get a nice flavored,fat marbled meat., they will only sell me the cow and I can feed it my self,and I do not have a use for that much beef and I nor any Thai has a cooler to hang and age the meat.,,maybe eventually I will buy or build a cool room and then I will have to get some folks to buy into a slaughtered beef when ever I got one fed out.but so far,everyone I talk to say no way,I will just do with what is available.

And I am afraid that you will find the same problems with organic produce.

[eyespan]

I really do not think that true organic,as set in the rest of the world,will ever be available here,no one will pay the price,sure 3 of you will but the farmer has to sell to 200 a day and not just 3,and if he told you that it was organic,he would be lying and know he was.

That's very true. price of vege is really too low for the poor farmer to make substantial changes which are not guaranteed to feed his family better Unless of course some business minded guys with capital guarantees to take his produce at a comfortable price and market it all over Thailand as "ORGANIC PRODUCE"........idea?

[scottie]

How about the Kings Project......that's organic isn't it?

& readily available.

Or is even that "organic" in the Thai sense.

Scottie

[eyespan]

King's project? Please elaborate.

[scottie]

I'm not 100% sure of the facts off the top of my head.

But I thought this was set up to provide alternative agricultural income in place of opium growing.

Maybe somewhere near Doi Angkhang.

Certainly produce is sold at CNX airport, & when we stay at the Amari Rincome some of their salads on the menu state they're from this project......certainly taste delicious.

I'll try to look it up when I get home.... at work at moment here in UK.

Sampling another lousy summer.

Scottie

[eyespan]

I salute the project for what its worth but what about the veges being truly organic? Don't worry, we'll wait for you to knock off leaving time for a coupla beers and dinner with the missus.

[scottie]

Update......

Just remembered it's called the Royal Project.

Gotta be one of you guys who live there know about it, surely.

You'll all be tucked up in bed by the time we clock out here in UK.

[The Coder]

Perhaps a year ago there was an article in the Bangkok post about organic farming being re-introduced in some areas to grow rice. This is some type of government project. Chemical farming is a vicious circle where the land is getting less fertile and the bugs stronger resulting in ever higher doses of chemicals just making things worse. Not to mention the environmental fallout from runoff. The organic way (not new, just exactly the way they used to do it generations ago) they discovered has lower costs for production. The real surprise is they found the YIELDS went higher than chemical farming! It was further advantageous because the rice could receive a special UN seal making it viable to sell into additional, stricter markets. The article made organic seem too good to be true in every respect making readers wonder, is there a catch? If you can grow more, reduce costs, and sell into a wider market, why aren't farmers all doing it?

Kind of the way it works is they use the rice stalks as mulch rather than burning them. Earthworms are then added to work the soil. Then when the fields are flooded fish like pla chawn and crabs are introduced to eat insects, rodents, and the worms plus provide more enrichment. When the fields are drained, the fish and crabs are then used as food. Every year sees increased yields as the soil becomes richer. It was a fascinating article, but I haven't heard a word about it since.

[p1p]

How about the Kings Project......that's organic isn't it?

& readily available.

Or is even that "organic" in the Thai sense.

The royal projects are spread throughout northern Tahailan and much of their produce is marketed under the Doi Kham brand. These flowers, herbs and vegies tend to be grown high up in the hill tribe areas and, as previously stated, they provide an alternative to opium cultivation.

They are not organic by any means. Indeed they make extensive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and thereby cause problems further down in the watersheds due to chemical runoff. The reason there is almost no land here available for organic cultivation.

Almost any vendor, when asked, will state his produce is organic, because he believes that is what you want to here, and he wants your $$$.

[Limbo]

Sorry for the late reaction.

Go to Den Ha and follow the signs to Rai Mae Fah Luang (in Ban Pa Ngiew). About fifty meters from its entrance you find a little market which supposedly sells non-chemical vegetables and fruit (an initiative of founder/director Rai Mae Fah Luang).

[scottie]

better late than never Limbo.....what's a couple of months!!

I'll look it up next time I'm in Chiang mai, certainly I'm sure a friend will know of it.

Scottie

[meadish_sweetball]

I am hopeful and certain that there will be a market for organically grown food here within the next ten years - it is a viable business idea.

As the West wakes up, so will the middle class here. Of course it's going to be a helluva lot more expensive, but I want to raise my kids on food that does not hamper their development (brain dysfunction due to lead poisoning is a problem in cities in Western Europe... imagine if somebody bothered to make the same measurements and tests here... ).

What about the food at places such as the vegetarian society in Chiang Mai? Surely they would be the type of people who are concerned with the food they eat. Does anybody have any information about this?

[Limbo]

better late than never Limbo.....what's a couple of months!!

I'll look it up next time I'm in Chiang mai, certainly I'm sure a friend will know of it.

Scottie

Dear Scottie,

The question is if there is organic food in Chiang RAI, not in MAI.

At least that is the question I tried to answer.

I am not sure if your friends in MAI know about it, it is about 190 km away.

Be careful when you buy an air-ticket next time: You wouldn't be the first one who arrives in the wrong town.

And picking the right destination you wouldn't be the first one who's luggage arrived in the other.

Good chewing, then it goes better into the blood!

[scottie]

Limbo, as soon as I'd posted that I realised I'd typed Mai rather than Rai.

Slap wrist for me.

I'll still enquire though. My friend is in Chaing Rai every other week anyway.

Cheers