Kebun-Kebun, Bangsar @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
An urban community farm managed by volunteers. A sustainable project which is more about action than just talk.
‘Kebun’ is a Malay word that means garden or orchard.
This green oasis is situated 10 mins from the city center of Kuala Lumpur at Lorong Bukit Pantai. It sits on a reserve land surrounded by plush bungalows houses. All 2.5 hectares/6.1 acres of the land is dedicated to agriculture in every way possible for an urban district, Bangsar.
This ‘Kebun’ is located on a hillside slope. As you walk into this green space, you will feel as if you are climbing a short, gentle hill. Once you reach the top, where the herb garden is situated, Kuala Lumpur’s city skyscrapers loom ahead.
The smell of the earth and the compost welcomes us as we approach the main entrance. You will know at once that the concrete world does not exist behind these gates.
The ground was soft underneath our feet. It had rain the night before. We could still smell the fresh rain on the grass. It was slightly muddy but not slippery to wander around and chase chickens.
Inside, we found ourselves in a pretty mini garden, filled with tropical flowers. Butterflies and bees flirting shamelessly around each stalk.
A glasshouse stood on the right, creating an Instagram worthy setting, inviting you to sit and look up at the blue sky above. A fireplace is set up in a snug corner of this petite garden waiting for campers to start a fire. We could not help but to inhale the heady scent of the mixed fragrance from the flowers.
We proceed further inside. Little ‘Mary Li’, the only sheep there, greets us at the 2nd gate entrance. This friendly sheep led us to the chicken hut, fish pond, and the geese huts. She took charge and escorted us as we wander around.
The next enclosure brought us to the vegetable terraces. Here the landscape is similar to a paddy field terrace. At each level of the terrace, we find different types of vegetables growing in individual plots.
We found brinjals and Malabar spinach ready, waiting for harvest. Chilies and lime bushes growing between the plots. We found several bushes of lemongrass and ginger growing as fillers in the plots. On the ground level, winter melons, tomatoes, beans, and spinach thriving in the rich compost soil.
Harvest takes place mostly on Saturdays.
Volunteers and the team from the refugee/orphanage homes or soup kitchens would drop in to pick up the crops. The vegetables harvest are donated for charity, sometimes sold to raise funds to maintain this green space.
It was clear; we could feel the warm sense of a Malaysian community ‘gotong-royong’ here. It’s genuinely a wonderful green space run by the community for the community.
This small sanctuary brought all walks of life to help nurture the land. In its own ways, it became a ‘healing’ place for those who needed to ground themselves with mother nature again.
Note for readers: Gotong-royong is a Malay word that means collective/community work, where people come together to help with a specific task/project.
Most of the pathways are laid out in stones or planks. It led us towards the top of the slope where a pebbled path opens up to a small herb garden.
The garden is tucked neatly in the back. We knew in an instant that we are at the herb garden. The air smells faintly of mint with a tinge of Indian Borage. We turned around and found a green bush of Thai mint growing close by.
We were told, that open plots are offered to the public to adopt their very own herb plot. It’s free for now. All one needs to do is spend time nurturing the soil and plant their favorite herbs.
Just a few steps from the herb garden, the team of volunteers set up a small greenhouse to house some hydro phonic vegetables.
We found fresh green lettuces growing abundantly via PVC towers piped with flowing water. The green house felt cool from the hot sun. The sound from the water flowing through the pipe provides a soothing rhythm as you pluck the lettuce leaves.
We felt content that day. We felt nourished harvesting the spinach and planting the tomatoes. We dig into the earth to pull out those stubborn weeds. Our bones felt strong as we plough and sweat under the hot humid sky.
It made sense in every way to know that every inch of this haven provided a space for both the animals and humans to co-exist for a few precious hours. Each fulfilling it’s own purpose while enjoying the crops of nature.
