My visit to Green Acres, 7 June, 2016

Group shot with poor Eric and his freshly stung lips! From left to right are Daniela, Lindsay, Eric, Liow (previous owner of Green Acres), Kim and me. (7 June 2016)


I visited Green Acres for the first time on 7 June, 2016. It was my durian friend Lindsay Gasik who arranged that visit. Kim and Eric were on hand to receive me. When I met them, Kim told me that she has in fact met my wife a number of times. Apparently Kim and Eric often stage teambuilding programmes for various multi-national corporations, and so my wife has participated in a number of Kim and Eric's teambuilding programmes.

It so happens that on the day of my visit - or just before I arrived, Eric was stung by a bee on his lips, and thus it puffed up like an inflated tyre when I met him.

Green Acres is an incredibly remote place, deep in the hills of Balik Pulau. It is served by a winding country road that is wide enough for one vehicle to pass at any one time. When Lindsay and I arrived at the farm, a young German woman who came running down the steps. That's Daniella, a friend who is on a visit the farm, and happens to be a dear friend of Lindsay. The two gave each other a deep hug - something we locals do not usually do with anybody!

Then along came Adric and Jean, the daughter of a close friend. The kids seem to be having the time of their life playing in the dipping pool. How cool it is, to have your own private pool, in your own home, right here surrounded by nature! No such luck for me when I grew up.

A Chinese lady came down the steps to greet us. She is Kim, who with her husband Eric, bought the estate and renamed it Green Acres, after the sixties TV show.

As we walked up towards the house, I learned that Green Acres is an organic farm where the fruit trees are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers.

We went up to the main house, a three-storey structure overlooking the durian plantation. Next to it is a three-storey tree house they built for their son. Again, how marvellous to have such parents! The view from the main house was gorgeous here. It is a lovely, spacious home.

Kim welcoming us into their home. (7 June 2016)


Kim plucking the leaf of the clove tree to let me smell it. (7 June 2016)


Kim and Eris's home has a deck overlooking the gorgeous view of the plantation below. (7 June 2016)


I got into conversation with Kim about her house. I learned that the floorboards in the living area are planks fashioned from durian tree trunks. The trunks came from their own farm. However, as durian lumber is soft wood, it is not suitable for the exterior deck, which are built using a large amount of recycled hardwood.

Constructing the main house was a huge undertaking. The two lodges and the treehouse were built after they had the land. But to do that, they had to carry all the building material to the site by hand, as no vehicle could reach the spot. Take a look at the size of the house and imagine the amount of carrying involved! Certainly a task not for the fainthearted.

It is not surprising for me to learn that this property has a high maintenance cost. The tug-of-war between man and Mother Nature means a constant pruning, weeding and clearing to keep the jungle at bay. All the work could not be accomplished by two people, so the Chongs have to bring in outside labour to assist them. For that, they supplement the expenses by taking in guests as well as by organising durian tasting sessions. In addition to that, the couple also make nutmeg syrup and jam. Even so, the farm isn't completely funding itself, and so the Chongs have to maintain their other business - mainly teambuilding programmes for multinationals - to feed this ever hungry country beast.

After visiting the main house, we continued to the Dewan (that's what I heard Kim calling it). It was once a Malay community hall. The Chongs bought up the building, had it dismantled, and reassembled on their farm. They now use it as the site for durian tasting sessions. Lindsay and I joined the Chongs and Daniella here to try out various types of durians.

First Eric opened a jackfruit to treat us. It was a small jackfruit, only the size of a big durian. According to Eric, it is not common to find ripe jackfruits this small. The majority grew to be the size of piglets.

I had the chance to try out a number of durians at Green Acres. The first one I tasted was from a tree the previous owner had grown from the seed of a durian he obtained in Gertak Sanggul. That durian did not have a name, other than it having come from Gertak Sanggul.

The next durian we tried was the D24. This was one of the really small D24 durians. And then, in rapid succession, we tried a Xiǎo Hóng and a Hor Lor, and finished off with a kampung durian, which Lindsay said she liked very much. To me, all the durians are very tasty. I was told the Hor Lor has a slight bitter taste, but it felt sweet to me, which is fine, for I like sweet durians. In addition, we also had some bananas, but when Eric brought along some petai, I drew my line on that. I love petai with sambal and hot white rice, but not on its own, it's smell is simply overpowering.

All in all, it was a wonderful visit. Eric and Kim are a joy to know, and I can only wish them all the best in this monumental endeavour of running this farm. Just as we had to scale the steps to reach the house on Green Acres, maintaining this high-maintenance farm is an uphill task. I do want to see Green Acres surviving and thriving for years to come and even through the decades, as one of those few green oases in a rapidly developing Balik Pulau.

Address

Green Acres Orchard & Ecolodge
Batu Itam,
Balik Pulau, Penang.
Email: greenacrespenang@gmail.com

As Green Acres is a private residence and most guests who visit it go there to enjoy its seclusion and privacy, visitors are urged to get in touch with Green Acres rather than dropping by unannounced. Please contact the orchard should you be interested in making a visit. Kim and Eric will be delighted to welcome you.

Eric opening a jackfruit to treat us. (7 June 2016)


The "Gertak Sanggul" durian at Green Acres (7 June 2016)


Another piece of "Gertak Sanggul" durian at Green Acres (7 June 2016)


Another piece of "Gertak Sanggul" durian at Green Acres (7 June 2016)


Lindsay Gasik at Green Acres Orchard (7 June 2016)

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