Pioneering Permaculture in Borneo, Indonesia

Pioneering permaculture in Borneo, Indonesia

Australian born Community Development Worker, Frederika’s inspiration for Indonesia came from her love of the cultural arts. This saw her participate in a cultural music scholarship and led to her meeting her now husband, Indonesian actor and Permaculturist, Jayadi Paembonan.

17 years and 4 lovely daughters later, the two started Permakultur Kalimantan Foundation (in close collaboration with the local community) after volunteering as permaculture practitioners in India and Australia.

The couple are passionate about embracing and acknowledging how local indigenous wisdom can merge with permaculture strategies.

This is a core motivation of their work based in Indonesian Borneo, Kalimantan.

If you would like more information about their project or to provide support (via PayPal) click on this link Permakulture Kalimantan Foundation

Have a look at this great Youtube that demonstrates the wonderful work they are doing in Kalimantan.

Permakultur Kalimantan Foundation also work in partnership with the Borneo Institute and Fair Ventures in central Kalimantan, Indonesia.  They have been in this partnership since 2016 till now as part of the one million trees project. This work has focused on working alongside indigenous farming groups, teaching permaculture farming techniques and supporting them combine these with their sustainable indigenous farming practices.

Visit Beaming Green to view some amazing photos under this episode.

Transcript

Jeremy Melder: 0:00

Hello, my name is Jeremy Melder, and I'm the presenter from beaming green. Before we start, I would like to acknowledge that this podcast is being held on the traditional lands of the bundjalung people and paying our respects to elders both past, present and emerging. The beaming green podcast is a weekly podcast, which will help you to take out some of the stress and confusion about how to live your life more sustainably. Can we do this by introducing people that are firsthand experience and expertise in all aspects of sustainability? So you can get some amazing insights of how you can implement simple and practical solutions to enhance your life and the lives of your family. Today, I'm going to be speaking with Australian born Community Development worker Federica, whose inspiration for Indonesia came from her love of the cultural arts, which saw her participate in a cultural music scholarship and led her to meeting her now husband, Indonesian actor and permaculturist Shariati 17 years and for lovely daughters later, the two started permaculture Kelly mountain foundation. After volunteering as permaculture practitioners in India, and Australia, the couple of passionate about embracing and acknowledging how local indigenous wisdom can merge with permaculture strategies. This is a poor motivation of their work based in Indonesian Borneo, Kalimantan. I'd like to apologize for the recording quality as it was done by zoom. I'm speaking with Frederica, pi m. Barnum, who is in Kalimantan, Indonesia, in a town near palangkaraya. Is that right?

Frederika: 2:00

A village an hour out of Palankaraya which is Central Kalimantan,

Jeremy Melder: 2:06

or Borneo. And Frederika moved a number of years ago to with her husband and her family to set up a permaculture foundation. So Frederika, I'll hand over to you to explain a little bit about why you're doing it. I mean, you've left from Melbourne, Australia, to go to Indonesia. What was the catalyst for you to do this?

Frederika: 2:35

Well, to give you a bit of background, I met my Indonesian husband in 2003. And we got married 2005. In Indonesia, we had an Indonesian life there, more in the art scene. And then we moved back to Australia. And my husband was a performing artist, and he discovered permaculture in Australia. And he did a diploma of permaculture in Melbourne, which was a year and a half. And while he was doing it, he had an opportunity to volunteer in India on a remote organic farming project. So in 2012, we did that. And he was only meant to volunteer for two weeks, but the owners are like can you stay for three months? And he said well, I've got a family to get back to and you know my studies but maybe we can organize it so through an organization called Sushila Dharma International to help to fund him to be a volunteer that returned, order this organic farming project called a Anisha in India, across two years. So he went back about four times. One of those times I joined in, and I obviously supported his path to do permaculture, but I wasn't completely on board yet. And I've got a background in social work and community development work. But one time I went with him to India. And I saw the benefits and immense benefits of doing the permaculture approach, which is returning like regenerative farming, and living. And it was quite amazing because like in Australia, or in a country like Australia, you don't or can't or it's a bit hard to fully appreciate the benefits of such an approach because we've got so many safety nets and so much about abundance around us that when you go to the fringe where there's so little and you see the benefits that strategies like these can bring to people. It really sold me Oh, and after we got back from India, I took a permaculture design course, so I could be on the same page with him. And then not long after we move to Kalimantan, which is Indonesian Borneo and reason why we moved to Kalimantan was I came here only for three days in 2004 as a young single woman, and I fell in love with it, there was something about it, there was a pull. And I had the feeling Oh my, my boyfriend at the time he became the husband would love it. It had like the village nurse, it had a little bit of Westerners around, and it had a community I could connect to and, and so we made it happen 10 years afterwards. So in 2014, we moved to Central Kalimantan. And the big question of what we would do here was solved with Jayadi. Embracing permaculture and it was a no brainer, this this is amazing and can work anywhere on the world. And we started No, well,

Jeremy Melder: 5:49

that is that's such a great story. I mean, don't forget, you also came on with two or three kids, I can't remember. You know, young kids, too, you know, you took them on that adventure as well.

Frederika: 6:02

So when we moved here Murianti, our eldest was eight years old. So she had her Australian upbringing. And Imalia was two and a half

Jeremy Melder: 6:11

while so yeah, how was that adjustment for you? You know, or for the kids for that matter, as well? How did they adjust to it?

Frederika: 6:21

really difficult. Yeah,

Jeremy Melder: 6:22

languages, as well would have been a challenge, I guess.

Frederika: 6:27

Language culture, the way people speak. In the way the kids play at school is quite different. I think my eldest was crying every day coming home from school for the first six months, but only slowly she adjusted. And now I see six years on how she's adjusted in the resilience that's built in. And, you know, she's embraced the Indonesian part of herself, where she only knew the Australian part before. So you know, there are difficulties.

Jeremy Melder: 7:00

Yeah. Yeah. And how is it life for an Australian, you know, living in, in, in Borneo in Indonesia, from a cultural perspective, you know, for an Australian woman has that been for you?

Frederika: 7:17

Well, I had a very local experience in Indonesia, from 2003 to 2005. I was living like a local, so I had that background. I'm coming with kids. It makes you it's a bit of different. There are things that you can't compromise on. Like, I couldn't compromise on having a car for instance, because it's a it's a very dangerous road here to get into town. And I wasn't about to ride a motorbike accidents and fatality and stuff. So you know, there's, there's things you have to put in place to make sure you can kind of live well, yeah, yeah. I didn't think that. Um, and the other thing is like coming from a country like Australia, there's lots of abundance. There's lots of safety nets and support for families.

Jeremy Melder: 8:20

Yeah, there's nothing. There's nothing at all. No. So how did you? How did you start off? Did you come with, you know, some some support to get you started, or, you know, because this is a big project.

Frederika: 8:35

Yet, to begin with we, we did approach existing projects that have community programs running, but it just didn't work out. And we realized that we needed to be independent and be brave. After after quite a few years of researching and making trips over here, meeting people, so just anyway, we became independent. And so what we did was we sold our house in Australia, in Kurringal, in Frankston. And we bit the bullet and we bought a house and land and started like that. Because we were convinced of what we were doing, and the benefits of the approach that we wanted to share. And that's how we began. And when we set up the foundation, we ran a crowdfunding campaign, which raised I think it was about$10,000. And that helped to fund the purchase of four chickens. It helped to build essential infrastructure on the farm, and and we began that way. But

Jeremy Melder: 9:48

yeah, but if, if, from what I see now you've grown over the six years quite substantially, I mean, I'm sure you've had a few challenges along the way, but in terms of You know, the way people farm were farming or still our farming? How How was it in being embraced by the local community or the local farmers, you know, the introduction to permaculture?

Frederika: 10:16

So, right now, genuinely around us, you see people using conventional agriculture, using a lot of pesticides, roundup is used like nothing else. And so a lot of the local people have really bought into that. And and that's quite an extremely unsustainable, very dangerous cycle, financially, but also with the chemicals that go into the soil and into the food. And there's a lot of sickness around as well. In 2015, a program called 1 million tree project, try to find us. Yeah, it's run started by an indigenous organization called Borneo Institute and another one German based called finches worldwide. And they heard about us and try to contact us in 2015. In 2016, we, we connected, and they started to ask for our support to work with them to teach local people how to farm sustainably starting with composting. From that point, my husband Jayadi said look, we could still just get paid for workshops, do one of workshops and that bit, it's not sustainable for you guys, for the people, they're not going to get it if it's all just a snippets, what will really work is if you train some lead farmers in in the whole permaculture approach, and then they can go to their communities. So we propose to them that they train these lead farmers in the permaculture design course, which is a 12 to 14 day residential program very intensive. And they got the funding to do so. So in 2017, we ran two permaculture design courses with 12 farmers in each group. And it was incredible within within three months of finishing, we had one indigenous woman planting, harvesting and selling 300 US dollars worth of her dayak indigenous like mustard, we have farmers growing in areas that they could never grow before on a slope where the topsoil would just be washed away. They learn how to do a swale, which is a like a I got in bed on contour for those that don't understand, so it can capture the water. They also went back to their farmers groups, which was 13 farmers groups, and these peers trained the farmers groups. So it was really embraced this approach and it really connected well with the indigenous knowledge because there's a bit of a gap here, the indigenous methods of farming are sustainable, are sustainable. Absolutely. And these farmers were reconnecting with the knowledge that they might still know a bit on their forefathers knew. And they're reintroducing that with this newer generation and their community, you would have seen it in that video. Absolutely.

Jeremy Melder: 13:34

I saw that in the video. It's like so exciting, though, because if they are going back to their, you know, their roots, as well as using some of the learning that they're having, from, you know, from the permaculture training that they're getting. How did chemicals get into this?

Frederika: 13:51

I would say it would be through government channels, aggregate programs, marketing, there's a there's a very much a What is it? They call it the great didn't I call it the Green Revolution was what I mean. And so this is going to save the world and feed the world. In actual facts, though, it introduced a big marketing ploy to sell seeds that could regenerate and the products that would support those seeds, which poison the people. And it all I mean, there's a isn't it? vidhana Shiva the activist?

Jeremy Melder: 14:29

Oh, yes, I know the lady from India. You're talking about Yes. Yeah. No, that does the water.

Frederika: 14:35

Yeah, she she goes in the video we posted that had Indonesian subtitles about the the cartel of drug of companies that I'll see the poison so it is right. It's right here. You know, everywhere you go. People are using Roundup. glyfosate and sickness is rough as well. So yeah. But anyhow and coming back to these indigenous farmers, so yeah, they really got it, they got it like they had the agriculture, the government programs coming in saying, come and do your farming projects are Don't worry about it banja Institute won't know that you put some roundup in here when you plant your seeds. And the farmer said, I know it's in there, and I don't want it, you know, they know what they're talking about. They know that they put the roundup in, it's gonna kill the microorganisms in the soil. They got it because they did that intensive course, and teaching the farmers communities. And it's incredible. And also these farmers, they're also on the fringe of the palm oil plantations. And they still got their heritage first, because when people don't know, the dayaks that this supermarket is the forest, that pharmacy is the forest. So they're kind of on the fringe of this industrialization of agriculture. And so these programs like 1 million tree project, the agroforestry side of that is planting albasia trees on top bunk Sadie system, which is intercropping system. So they're planting foods within an agroforestry system. That's part 1 million tree program and also there supporting these indigenous farmers to get their land titles, so that when they do sustainably harvest that Aveda tree down the track, they're not doing legal logging, because it hasn't been registered with the National Authority, you know that this is their indigenous man. So it's quite a big program, that it's been very successful doing permaculture with these communities.

Jeremy Melder: 16:57

So when you did the training for all of these, what would you call them? farm leaders? Yeah. Did you see a snowball effect happening? What where people wanted to do these courses with you or had studied? or What I mean is did the word spread through the community that this is something that's worthwhile and worth doing?

Frederika: 17:23

Yes, it did. Now I just have to say that the area of where these people are from is about three to four hours away. Yet, so it's very far from where we are. But yes, when we go visit the communities like they all talk about permaculture, they become a little bit famous in the communities, we run camps there. And you've got the head of the village talking about how everybody here should be doing permaculture like, it really got it even this so there's so much got it, in that every year they celebrate international farmers day, they put on a big event. Even the head of the police was one VIP speaker up there talking about how they have to fight against these outsiders the palm oil companies coming and taking their land and how good it is and talking about how amazing permaculture is and and all these indigenous farmers are showcasing their handicrafts from their, you know, cane weavings. And they're selling their indigenous seeds, non GMO indigenous seeds, they're selling, the bartering, they're exchanging they a little story, they put the local vegetable seller who drives around in his car sales selling his conventional veggies. Apparently he was very upset because he lost business because they became these farmers in their communities became so abundant with their harvest and was selling in their own communities that the outside a guy selling the veggies was upset at the program. So, it is really it is wonderful. And there's other you know, side effects from that.

Jeremy Melder: 19:11

So you've said so you said that three or four hours away from where you're like it? Is there been a challenge in your local area to spread? You know the farming technique? Or is it is it just that you've just gone followed your feelings to follow somewhere, someone three or four hours or started from there, so you're just planting that seed and growing.

Frederika: 19:36

So the reason why Yeah, that's three four hours away is because that's the 1 million tree project area. Okay. Where we literally based is in a trans migrant community, predominantly Javanese, our approaches we don't shove theories or ideas down people's throat People are open to learning. And one, two, were always open to share. And it's always available for people to come and visit. So it has to happen when people are ready and open to it. The man across the road, he does roundup even though you know we've talked and shared and you can't change everyone. I visited a very prominent permaculture project in Jakarta called Bhumi. Lang and the guy on his border, even though Obama visited his site, even the guy on his border, as well as spraying roundup is just rife, wherever you are. It's something that will be Yeah, experienced everywhere around here. But in recent times, so we opened a cafe recently. And the attention that that got, we've had local farmers and village people here popping by and saying, okay, God, show me your farm. So God has been doing lots and lots of farm visits. But on the first day, we open the cafe, we had this local neighbor come and he wanted a tour. And so God showed him around and explained him about roundup and how bananas amazing pioneering plant and how much benefit and this village has become a bit of a banana village you see people with their motorbikes carrying like 10 banana trees at the back of the motorbike is like on the on the road. And there's bananas being planted everywhere. It's like it's starting to catch and it's about planting the seed and when people are ready to be open to it, they will but

Jeremy Melder: 21:44

yeah, so you've created a demonstration site I recall right? So is that if that's all in on your on your land or? Or is it three hours away?

Frederika: 21:56

Know that the demonstration farm is right here with us. However it is land that we're borrowing of friends friend the land with Bosch we've got the cafe we've got chicken coop stocks and we've got a big worm composting shed the vermicompost from that we work in collaboration with a 1 million tree project supplying them this organic high quality vermicompost next door is that is well it's all a demonstration site but yeah, the land we're borrowing is very much an integrated demonstration site with sin tropic farming. Multi canopy story, food forest, rotational crops. We've got a resident cow who produces manual for us her name's Moo Anna, have you seen them? No, no.

Jeremy Melder: 22:55

Yes, I've heard of it. Anyway.

Frederika: 23:02

got three go. Yep. And we've got is this landscape it's only like a Was it 2200 square meters. So it's not very big whatsoever. With Jungle Family cats coming in. being attracted by the wildlife by by the sorry, the the ecos system that we've created. And this I have to mention that this land was barren. Yeah. Before 2015. So it's all come up in the last 434 years. The Jungle cats have you heard of Luwak? Coffee? Yes, I have a de PUE coffee. And it becomes this. Yeah. Hi.

Jeremy Melder: 23:44

I think jack nicholson made that quite famous in a film of his really coffee lower. Yeah. In the bucket, called a bucket list. It's called.

Frederika: 23:59

Maybe if someone wants to come and try the coffee from here. We've got a fresh family coming in eating our coffee tree.

Jeremy Melder: 24:09

Oh, that's wonderful. Now does someone milk the cows and you know, do you guys do all of that? Do you guys ever serve in the cafe from the cows?

Frederika: 24:19

We don't come on milking the cow because she hasn't had any babies yet. We have two workers that support the ongoing work here like farm hands building infrastructure of farmhand. We've got the goats have had babies that unfortunately we lost them all the many challenges Yeah, I think they got colick or something. So that year with this, there's a lot of maintenance. There's a lot of things that need doing here and yeah,

Jeremy Melder: 24:54

so now that say you're not you know, obviously not for pesticides and so on, but there little critters that come in and so on, do people that come and see your farm or the demo farm, ask you about, you know, the pests that come and eat the leaves or you know, ruin your crops and so on. Because I've seen some, you know, pretty good evidence of over time, naturally, the pests go away, but I don't know what you've confronted in, in your in your area.

Frederika: 25:28

Yeah, so when people come and see pests, eating the leaves and stuff, we talk about the ecosystems or the insects, how they the role necessary for the food chain. And by intercropping, you reduce the impact of pests on the system into cropping and also using certain plants that attract beneficial insects that help with the food chain and balance out any problem. So we we explain about that. And we explain this why we got a bunch of flowers or mixed up with this crop and that crop.

Jeremy Melder: 26:07

So the poly cultural approach Yeah,

Frederika: 26:11

absolutely, polycultural approach, yeah

Jeremy Melder: 26:13

know, this, there's another environmental issue that's probably going to happen. Is it in the month of August where they start doing burning off me something that I'd love to highlight to people that aren't aware of, you know, I remember meeting you a few years ago that you were pregnant with, I can't remember was number two or three. Number three, and you're escaping, you know, that the smoke? What's that all about? what's what's, what's the history behind that and why does that happen around this time of year every year.

Frederika: 26:49

So, there is a traditional approach to farming, which is to slash and burn the forest system. So normally it would be a small area, and they they burn it and the charcoal would help with regenerating crops and, but it was only a small area, and I'm with the peatland forests. So traditionally peatland forest because we're in an area that's got these significant people in forest, if the peatland forest submerged in water, they're like a massive sponge they can be 25 meters deep of this submerged carbon that's built up over hundreds of thousands of years. So within natural ecosystem intact, this system, flesh and bone system could could work well they could burn it will burn on top, and that would be done. However, in recent years, certain industrial people have intervened and they've drained the peatland forest of the water. So the water table is drops all this carbon has become dry. Just doing that in itself already releases a lot of carbon dioxide into it just by draining the page. Now when people do the slush, and then this dried carbon is like a pile of matchsticks ready to burn and the fire will go really deep deep down and come up in spots. So it's a very different first fire than in strategy one and this peatland forest that drive is also extremely toxic because in this carbon is also we've got caught like on its way to becoming coal down there this carbon it's some compressed carbon hundreds of thousands of years so it's extremely toxic the smoke that comes off it and I have to add that I'm Why does it happen every year around this time is because it's the dry season that traditional timer slash and burn. However, the main culprits behind this is not the indigenous farmers. You've got migrant farmers coming in not not doing the traditional sustainable approach to doing session burn. The indigenous people had a system called Melange say Huh, and they do a ritual before they do the burn and then they do the burn and then they put the fire round that's me like say a lot of migrants coming in doing it not following those practices. And then you've got industrial agriculture and industrialization for land clearing to build on and there was a rumor that way we on now was gonna gonna become the new capital of Indonesia. So you imagine the high the real estate hype around That. So what we saw last year without banya Institute, that organization we collaborate with, with the one military project, they did an investigation into it. So they go to a site that was burnt. And they looked at what happened to that site. And it wasn't soon it wasn't long after being burned that a sign will come up saying, buy these plots of land. And it was so I had the report, I have the report. I can Yeah. And the authorities turn a blind die because people know people or people pay off. Yeah. So what when we saw the smoke last year because of the Borneo Institute? Yeah. investigation, we saw that it was mostly to do with urban

Jeremy Melder: 30:53

developers. But now there's been a decision that that's not been happening, Blanca, is that moving? down? To the east? Is it to balikpapan? Or? Yes, summary boys? Yeah. Yeah. But But this this back to back to the, you know, the burning off thing? I remember coming to, to palangkaraya. I think it was in about October, it was still quite smoky, then. And this there's a there's a lot of ramifications with this from a health perspective, right? I mean, this, this this, what's the population in palangkaraya,

Frederika: 31:31

220,000. People almost 200 and 221,000.

Jeremy Melder: 31:36

But this, this cloud of smoke doesn't just stay in bolangir it it goes to the whole island I remembered even got to Singapore, at some time, right?

Frederika: 31:48

We have all these complaints from Singapore because these, this smoke case, goes to Singapore. When people here in Central Kalimantan is suffering, we don't hear about it in the media. It's because there's a lot of money and it's a big city. And when I went to Singapore last year, yeah, I had the people complaining about and I said, you guys have got no idea. It gets stuck where we are beginning our voices a little bit Husky because of years of exposure to this last year. Our fourth baby, her name is Sophia. And I gave birth to her at home thank God it all went well. But it was smoke this month around us and a few days after the the local Hill was burning. And there's a lot of respiratory problems. There's a lot of cardiac problems because of it because of this toxic smoke. So it's it's really hard. I don't know where to start. But it isn't the indigenous people doing it. A lot of the farmers that are in our, you know, network are very upset for being blamed. And of course, they're scapegoated by larger interests that want to hide what they're doing, you know, because in 2015 weeks or palm oil plants, on trucks being shipped out during the season, because the land is opened up, they've burned the forest and they're going to plant in straight that was chosen 15 last years one we think it was more urban development

Jeremy Melder: 33:18

will be back in a moment.

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Jeremy Melder: 34:03

Welcome back. It's amazing. You know when you think about it, this is what poverty brings out. The worst doesn't matter because there's desperation I that people sell their land or do whatever they can to be able to survive. And you know, like in Australia, we're very lucky that we've got you know, you know, the old centerlink to support us if there's you know, COVID-19 come and give out money. But these people you know, generally have to find ways to survive and feed their kids. So you can't really blame them for that. doing that. But it's really, I think, from a world scale we need to do something in terms of highlighting this as an issue because it is affecting our environment. You know, as I think you said in your website, you know, Borneo is the lungs, just like the Amazon is, you know, the lungs of for us to be able to breathe and if it's already You know, there's everyone's lungs are damaged by all this smoke just in the local area, it's not really such a great idea is that

Frederika: 35:07

in the end, you see, like, the perpetrators of burning the land, I just local people needing some money to for their family to feed, feed their bellies and their children and pay for the school fees. And they're the ones that will be prosecuted and charged if they caught. So it's not a big businessman. Yeah, he's this guy. Yeah. So it's about exploiting local people. And you know, this is the vulnerability here is we have this island incredibly rich of Resources and Environment. I mean, a lot of it has is deforested. But we don't they don't have many choices about sustainability. What are the sustainable? What's the sustainable work they can engage in? Yeah. All ages. Mostly, they're, they're engaging in illegal granite mining up the road? Yeah. Or doing palm oil? Or they're doing illegal gold mining in the river? What options do they have? Yeah. And so I think it's really important to demonstrate other approaches that work. Yeah. Okay. sustainable farming works. Show that, yeah. Wish that were the first ones doing that. What about other like, we started to do coconut oil production in 2016. Because we didn't want to consume palm oil, because we saw the destruction it was making, that we couldn't even find coconut oil on the shelf. And coconut oil was the traditional oil of the region. It was it was wiped out because everything went to the industrial system. You know? That's what you could get. Yeah, we stopped making it. And then all these copycat coconut oil producers popped up. Yeah, we've got other two in the village. We're like, yes, that's great.

Jeremy Melder: 37:00

Good on you. Yeah, I'm

Frederika: 37:02

starting to think independently starting to not rely on exploiting natural resources. And the government did a big trans migrant program where they brought people from Java to to more remote areas of Indonesia to populate them. Yeah. So yeah, like I mentioned earlier, it isn't just indigenous people here, but you've got trans migrants who are trying to make a living in a new environment, and different environment from the one they know. And the indigenous people would rely on the first before but the migrants that come don't appreciate that. And, and so,

Jeremy Melder: 37:44

is that part of the trends migration? Yes. I think that's still going. That's a number of years. It's been going for them

Frederika: 37:52

is active now. But I think the beginning trans migrants were given a land and some money to begin with. Yeah.

Jeremy Melder: 38:00

So yeah. Back to your project. What are your plans moving forward in terms of expansion? education? What are your needs, you know, like, I like I said to you, what we, you know, at beaming green, what we'd like to do is try to find a way to help to support you get the word out there of what you're doing, which is fantastic work that's educating the locals about permaculture and sustainable agriculture. What What do you guys need to get this word out there? Obviously, this is one of those things, but I think it's a what what sort of resources do you need? Money is probably one of those things, right?

Frederika: 38:44

Yeah, well, money enables enables us to, to be a presence here to get you to be available. Yep. community to access. So yes, money would support us to continue to build essential infrastructure. Yep. We've got an open dormitory for volunteers that come and stay. So when it wasn't COVID-19. We have often always have a volunteer last year, we always had a volunteer all year. And volunteers can Yeah, in exchange for their work, help us to implement, whether it be the farm or helping us build infrastructure. So yeah, volunteering through that way. Although that's kind of tricky in this world at the moment. Yeah. Funds definitely to help build the infrastructure. We still need to do a big rainwater tank. We still have to finish the barricades on the accommodation and build toilets for the volunteers because at the moment, we've got everyone using our family Squat toilet, that's pretty wouldn't say the best condition. And we opened our like, Can I just mentioned it last year? We were little friends sent me this application form for to apply for the UK permaculture magazine award. So we we applied. Yeah. And we became a runner up project.

Jeremy Melder: 40:27

Oh, fantastic.

Frederika: 40:29

Yeah, it's really great. And I'm for all the work that's been done with the communities and sustainability. So we got to wait a little bit of an award. And I want this money to go into ways we can be more sustainable. So I'm those funds, we set it to build the little, no waste cafe that I'm sitting in. Yep. Which also sells produce from the farm, and also sells produce from local women. And my my aim and hope is that when the channels open up more so with the indigenous farmers, because they've only just gone back to the village the other day after COVID hit. And I'd love to sell their produce as well. So it's no waste Cafe is here. And we we built this from the funds we received. And also we built a oyster white oyster mushroom shed, why we Yes, selling white oyster mushrooms. And also, this cafe has opened up a month and a half ago and went viral. So it's really important that we invest in sustainability so we can continue to be here. So people can continue to experience and understand and see this example of regenerative farming and sustainable living as well as the other thing, like no waste is a big thing here. Because there aren't very good systems in place, you don't have the garbage truck picking up everyone's garbage and putting it away out of sight out of mind. Here, a lot of people burn their rubbish. Or they just don't even think about it. So we want to be a presence that tries to change the mindset of people, especially in the city about how they can reduce the single plastic consumption. Yeah, as one really good example, because coffee is booming, employing Korea, but people aren't shifting their thinking. There, we've got the beautiful river that's got so much rubbish dumped in it, because the traditional system was that people would dump their work, they had little toilets on the side of the river and they go the toilet, they remember those. And they'd have their organic waste sustainably around the river, and it would break down. But these days, these last few decades with plastic coming in. It's just getting worse.

Jeremy Melder: 42:52

Yeah, it's kind of interesting in the business hours of visiting, as you know, from Sri Lanka, but I was visiting someone in India. And I was saying that, you know, the cows because they let the cows roam around the streets. And they used to be able to eat banana leaves. But now, but now they see plastic and they think that's okay to eat as well. So they consuming plastic. So there's a huge problem here. And they're saying that there's going to be more plastic in the ocean by 2050 than fish. That's not long as it's 30 years from now. And you know, we've got younger kids, and I think I'd like that to happen for them. But I think it's something to really think about. And, you know, I know there's lots of single use plastic plastic used in, in Indonesia, I've seen that, you know, burning probably is not a good idea, but it'd be good if we you know what, you guys can lead the way with your cafe of, you know, educating people.

Frederika: 43:55

Yeah, without expectation. It went viral. The cafe. Oh, we had a barista of the most popular cafe in town. Okay. It came out. And he just did a post on Instagram about being here. He did a tour of the farm and, and had some coffee with us. And he had 1000 direct messages, saying Where is this place? Where is this?

Jeremy Melder: 44:19

Yeah, right.

Frederika: 44:21

And he couldn't answer all of them. And we've had this influx of people we it's been a month and a half and I'm completely exhausted. I bet. I'm trying to figure out ways how to like how we can manage with all this attention. But it's interesting because I think after because there was a lot of restrictions in place with Corona. I think people are so when they come here they connect with each other. We had we had the whole protocol office of the MS department come out in worked on it come play they could

Unknown: 45:02

Just the main Are you here? And they said, No.

Frederika: 45:10

I like sneaking out like naughty schoolchildren, bit people, they come here and they, they connect with each other. They're playing guitar and then having farm tours. And they're connecting with nature again because I don't get it.

Jeremy Melder: 45:23

Yeah.

Frederika: 45:24

connect with nature. Yeah. And that's what this place reminds them of. It's the name of the cafe is called cafe etha. Today is like, like a rustic small coffee shop. That's today's and etha is the direct language for for our

Jeremy Melder: 45:44

so all our our

Frederika: 45:49

meet, it's our cafe, it's in cluesive cafes is everybody. So it's been quite inspiring. And people you know, we don't have enough seats, some some high caste people come along goes, is there any more seats? I said? Well, you know, we are just a little farm that wanted to sell some of our produce and all of a sudden came populace. A little like picnics photo on the out there in the farm. If you run out of space, you can sit in the woods, the worm composter with the chickens, but

Jeremy Melder: 46:23

it's so, so fantastic to hear that it's taken off. Yeah, it's

Frederika: 46:30

an interesting angle and how we can connect with the local community. Yeah.

Jeremy Melder: 46:38

I think I don't know about you. But I think that this cafe will also be a catalyst for getting more people to look at what they're doing and introduce permaculture into their their lives, you know, or even sustainability into their lives, which is really a good news story, I think, you know, so you're doing a great job. I think

Frederika: 46:59

it will. And like, even from the first beginning, there was this kid called Bhima who came out he's and JD is like don't just go and sit around coffee shops drinking coffee go and climb all the people that come it's like going climb that hill go and visit the natural hill over there do some hiking do some camping is pesticide when they do the foam. And and already the evolution of core data is that the first youth camp happened two weeks ago. Yeah. After we open so we connected with this local youth community and so they run that this is the evolution of what we're doing. So we have some friends that bought the the land alongside this far beautiful forest swimming hole. And we like go visit them in in kahului project, go do the camping. If you're doing the farming don't use pesticides. So it's kind of

Jeremy Melder: 48:02

brilliant. Yeah, it is brilliant, what you're doing. Now just getting back to helping you guys in terms of funds or even donations of things. Perhaps you can think about that and just send me an email and I can put it up on our website so that you know people that are listening to this podcast can look at ways they can assist you because it's not just money that you need, but it might be other things it might need things for your cafe that you can't get in Indonesia, you know, like a nice coffee machine. I don't know you know people might want to donate a nice Italian coffee machine for you to use and and as he said, you know, you've got people that you've got a room there for people to come and stay. So I presume they're called Wolfers, like cold wolf is in Australia, but willing workers and organic farms. So there's many options there. And it's a lovely place. I've been there several times, to Borneo. And my first time was in 1984. And then again in 1987. And I was very devastated by all the logging that was going on and and, you know, seeing that happening there. But that's something that's happening in in Borneo and probably not as much as bees have decimated that nav, and they just to such a degree that would take there's not enough logs. But, you know, people do want to survive, don't they? So they do things they can to survive.

Frederika: 49:29

Well, people have to survive and survive. And you know, in Australia, Australia was the first we don't we didn't see what it was like before. Yeah. And you know, we have to remind people that it's not those Indonesians over there doing that deforestation of burning forest. It's happened everywhere like decolonize it Yeah. And we have to understand that and appreciate that. There is so much abundance here and they are it is really Stress is the point that people who aren't poor they're actually quite rich with resources and knowledge and food around them. It's the modern day in what is it the modern day Western influence i think that that we're dealing with here, you know, whether that be agriculture or whether that be the industrialization or the plastics that's coming. So part of our global responsibility is helping however we can. It's raising awareness. Whether it's people who want to volunteer now this this time in the world, I don't know how it is with waters we haven't had any since before COVID although the places opened up again, but that's a conversation if anyone's interested they can get in contact and we can see what's the situation Yeah, donations are very welcome. Oh, community cafe here his support is running itself and and supporting a community of people working in it. But there's other parts of the farm that you know need attention and need infrastructure support and also the land we're on is borrowed land you know, if on has the feeling and the inner movement to you know, maybe we could purchase land for permanent again, it's all coming from someone's you know, someone's moved. Yeah, then please get in contact with us.

Jeremy Melder: 51:34

Yeah, absolutely. How many Hector's DNA? How many Hector's? Let me rephrase that question. How many Hector's? Would you love? Ah, well,

Frederika: 51:48

let me just say what we're doing is already such an amazing sight here. I don't know if you can see out of the window. And this is done on half. Where, what quarter? What? 2200 square meters? Oh, wow. Okay.

Jeremy Melder: 52:06

So that means someone in Australia could do that on their own block as well put in a Yeah,

Frederika: 52:12

so I don't know. Like, it would be great to purchase this lands as a permanent thing. I don't know that owners wouldn't sell it to us or not. Um, anyway, that's something but yeah, I mean, it does take a lot to maintain. But it's really fantastic that we do have a site that's always available for any community, any person that wants to come and visit, it's, it's the best that we can do, I think is alongside educating local people, or strategies in which to do it.

Jeremy Melder: 52:45

I'm really grateful for you know, your time they've given given the show today. And I think that you and Jayadi have done an amazing job. And I just want to wish you guys all the best, you know, with what you guys are doing. And you know, onwards and upwards, I say and look, I think you guys are powerhouses in what you're doing the Energizer battery person, you know, that keeps on keeping on you guys are like that. And yeah. But I just want to say thank you. Now, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your very busy. four girls at home under COVID situation looking after them, and their needs and a coffee shop and, and a permaculture Foundation, and you know all those things that you've done, and you're amazing. And so thank you so much. Thank you for being part of the beaming green podcast. The music for this podcast is produced by Dave eir, we're now we need more peop e to get on board and raise awar ness about sustainability and cl mate change. The more of us tha are shining the light on hese issues, the more govern ent, business leaders will liste. We would love you to subscri e to our podcast, and shar and engage in social media so that we can get some traction. et's support one another and env sion a broader future. Thank for listening and see you next