Thanh Dong Organic Vegetable Garden — the birthplace of organic agriculture in Central Vietnam

Herbs — the guardians of the vegetable garden

Herbs and flowers in pest management

Instead of using pesticides, herbal preparations made from plants readily available in the garden are used to repel harmful insects. The preparation method is extremely simple: mix 1 kg of crushed ginger, garlic, and chili into 6 liters of alcohol, soak for 12 hours, then add 300 grams of sugar; it is ready to use after 4 to 5 days.

Flowers are planted interspersed between almost all vegetable beds. In addition to beautifying the garden, flowers are an ideal habitat for natural predators and attract pests to feed on them instead of eating the vegetables.

Crop rotation, intercropping, and crop diversification

All types of vegetables are grown following two fundamental methods: rotation–intercropping and crop diversification. Instead of planting only taproot plants in a bed, farmers intercrop fibrous root plants to save space and balance soil nutrients.

Crop diversification is an effective method to improve soil quality. The most fascinating feature here is that instead of a "high-walled, gated" garden, bamboo and plants are used exclusively to form fences.

Elephant grass is used as livestock feed; its leaves are very hairy, providing strong wind resistance. To prevent pesticides from drifting in from surrounding fields and to deter external animals, elephant grass is an ideal plant for boundary barriers, while also serving as a shelter for beneficial natural predators.

Love for organic agriculture

Mr. Pham Meo shared: "When we first started gardening, it was extremely arduous; the weather was harsh, with heavy rains and strong winds. We hadn't mastered organic farming techniques yet, facilities were lacking, and capital was limited." Despite these challenges, with the dedicated support of ACCD, Thanh Dong Organic Vegetable Garden has now become a source of safe vegetables for city residents.

This place has become a tourist attraction for both domestic and international visitors, and it regularly organizes extracurricular activities for children to learn about organic agriculture.

Alongside Thanh Dong, an additional organic vegetable garden has been established at the community house of Cam Thanh Commune. The ACCD Center also runs an organic corn cultivation project in Cam Nam, Hoi An. With viable projects and a passion for organic agriculture, Hoi An will in the near future become a safe city with clean food and an eco-friendly environment.