Hansar Samui adds solar power system and third green house to thriving organic garden and aquaponic fish and vegetable farm

Two years ago Hansar Samui took the innovative step of creating an organic garden and aquaponic fish and vegetable farm on a former piece of wasteland adjacent to the hotel. Produce from these facilities is used by the hotel to create fresh, chemical free herbs, fruit and veggies for guests and staff, as well as for their CSR program in the local community. Last year the hotel held its first charity bazaar, selling produce from the last harvest from which funds were donated to a local school for needy children. Future bazaars will continue to fund CSR projects for school and temples in the area.
 

This year Hansar Samui will add solar a solar power system to power the irrigation pump for the aquaponic farm as well as a third greenhouse. The greenhouses are used to grow organic imported produce, aquaponic produce and the third one will be used to grow flowers for use in the hotel.    
 

Since its inception the project has thrived and the hotel has harvested and extensive range of produce including: herbs (3 different varieties of ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, rosemary, holy basil, thyme, tarragon, Italian basil – vegetables: morning glory, chinese kale, several varieties of lettuce, green cabbage, bunching onions and green pai tsai. Fruit: Sweet potatoes, sweet corn, baby corn, pea eggplant, cucumber, round egg plant, seedless yellow water melon, seedless red watermelon, Tomatoes ( cherry varieties: yellow, black, purple), bell peppers, chilies and papaya. Dried leaves and refuse are used for compost and harvested back into the ground.
 

The property practices sustainable purchase for its seedlings and hatchlings for the organic and aquaponic projects so that it can deliver continuous supply and a high quality product, rather than use artificially boosted or modified products. Additionally, this enables them to reduce cost, ensure high quality (and therefore guest experience) and ensure there is not a negative environmental impact.   
 

Intercropping - Using One Plant to Protect Another (Natural pesticide)

Intercropping is also being used in the hotel’s organic garden – where one plant creates natural enzymes can that kill any disease or bugs on another plant – for example; if lemongrass is grown together with chili or tomatoes, it will provide a natural remedy for the tomatoes or chill plants to be immune from white spots as the enzymes created by the lemongrass are beneficial to the neighboring plant, without using any chemicals.
 

Cooking Class 

Hotel guests participating in the popular cooking classes can now pick their own herbs and veggies for use in their class – it doesn’t come any fresher than that. Produce from the farm is also used in food for the staff restaurant.
 

Fish Farming

The land being used has two large ponds that were being used for water tanks previously and the hotel team has converted these to fish farms. Currently there are 3500 Tilapia fish being farmed and 1000 pieces of Fry which were hatched at the hotel. The fish are harvested each quarter and provide nutritious protein in the hotel’s staff restaurant which serves four meals daily.  
 

Team Effort

Rather than have only the kitchen and landscaping teams involved, Hansar Samui’s management have the whole hotel team working on the project. Each department has their own plot within the land and are provided with seeds to plant; whereby they enjoy a friendly competition to provide the best farming result. Each year there will be four seasons for planting/harvesting and the team with the best result will receive a sustainable certificate award.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia