Our 2018 visit to Green Acres

Green Acres (7 April 2018)




It has been close to two years since we visited our friends Eric and Kim Chong at their organic orchard. We had wanted to visit last year, but the durian crop was very poor that year, so it was not possible for us to make the visit. 2018 was an entirely different story. This time around, the plantations in Penang enjoy bumper crops. So my wife and I were finally able to make a visit to Green Acres.

As I have described in my previous write up, Green Acres is an orchard in Balik Pulau where the fruit trees are grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The farm promotes an organic approach to sustainable agriculture.

My wife has known both Eric and Kim earlier than me, but unlike me, she has not visited Green Acres before. It was her maiden trip to the farm.

Upon our arrival at Balik Pulau pekan, we were fetched by Kim and driven up the winding hill road towards the farm. If you are planning to make a visit to Green Acres, it is highly recommended that you get in touch with Eric and Kim (call 012 428 6368) to make prior arrangement. It is not a good idea to drop in unannounced, as they are not geared for impromptu guests and moreover, if your visit is to enjoy their organically grown durians, you might be in for a disappointment if your trip does not coincide with any durian availability (or if all the durians have already been reserved by buyers). So, by all means, call first.

One of the flowering plants in the orchard. (7 April 2018)


One of the strange fruits in the farm. It has a sweet, fig-like taste, when eaten with lime. (7 April 2018)


This is part of the durian flower. There is some nectar inside which we can enjoy. (7 April 2018)


Eric showing me the nutmeg fruit, the nutmeg mace and the nutmeg seed. (7 April 2018)


Chempedak fruits in the tree. (7 April 2018)


On arrival at Green Acres, we were greeted by Sally. Who's Sally? Oh, that's their family Beagle. She a very friendly dog who would soon be trailing us all over the farm. Most of the time, Sally would be minding her own business as she loitered about or lofted under the sunshine.

We met up with Eric at the farm, and the first thing we did was to go on a tour of the orchard and chicken coop. The Chongs rear free-range chicken within an enclosed area. And as part of their diet, they feed on discarded durians!

This is Sally. (7 April 2018)


A fenced up area for the kampong chicken to roam freely. The chicken often feed on discarded durians! (7 April 2018)


Being the city boy that I am, I quickly became a feast for the mosquitoes. To kill the itchiness, Eric recommended that I dip my feet in their natural spring water pool. The water was cold and inviting, and on that hot day, it felt good to stand on the water.

Cooling my feet in the natural spring water pool. (7 April 2018)


After enjoying a foot dip in the spring water pool, we headed up to the Dewan, as the main house is called. There was a durian party specially for us to try out some of the durians that have been collected that morning. Eric opened for us several types of durians, beginning with the Kim Hu (or "Goldfish"). This was followed by the Chnae Phoay ("Green Skin") and the Xiao Hong ("Little Red").

Next came what came considered to be the king of durians, the Morsang Ong ("Musang King"), which we learned was formerly known as Raja Kunyit but was later rebranded to the present name. The Morsang Ong that we tried was a small fruit, but it is still marvellous.

The final durian we ate was the D15, which was quite a large fruit. According to Eric, the D15 has a Thai origin, and that explains its large size - many Thai durians tend to be bigger. Of the various durians we enjoyed that day, my wife enjoyed the last one, D15, the most, whereas I couldn't choose, I liked every one of them!

Kim and Eric treated us to a durian feast. (7 April 2018)


Eric opening a few freshly collected durians for our treat. (7 April 2018)


The first durian that we tried was the Kim Hu. (7 April 2018)


We were served a nutmeg drink. (7 April 2018)


Here I am enjoying the organically grown durians of Green Acres. (7 April 2018)


Eric and Kim showed us that they sell durians which are vacuum packed and delivered to various organic food stores in Penang. During our visit, they were also busy packing the durians to be delivered afterwards.

In addition to the fresh durians, Green Acres also sells various organic products such as Nutmeg Jam and Concentrated Nutmeg Drinks. To purchase any of their products, contact Green Acres (call 012 428 6368).

Durians at the farm are put into plastic containers and then vacuum sealed and delivered to organic food stores in various locations in Penang. (7 April 2018)


Freshly produced Concentrated Nutmeg Drink from Green Acres. (7 April 2018)


Nutmeg Jam from Green Acres. (7 April 2018)


Nutmeg Mace and Seed from Green Acres. (7 April 2018)


Spices and Natural Fresheners from Green Acres. (7 April 2018)


After our durian lunch, Eric took us to tour the rest of the farm. In fact, we have only covered less than half the acreage. Green Acres also have chalets and even a tree house which are let out to nature-loving guests. The farm continues uphill beyond the chalets, but we did not explore further.

We had an opportunity to visit the tree house. It is a gorgeous, almost luxurious ecolodge that stands on four poles. There is a durian tree that grows right through the tree house, and so the structure was built to encase the bough. The tree house is two storeys tall. On the lower level is a guestroom, complete with a bathroom. The furnishing of the lodge was plush, even though it is open air (hence, no air conditioning) with retractable blinds on all sides. There isn't a TV here either, so it is really a place for nature lovers to be surrounded by the greenery.

Above the guestroom is a verandah. From here, guests can enjoy a 360% view of the Balik Pulau hillside while enjoying a cup of coffee or nutmeg drink.

Green Acres stands as a triumph of organic farming. We are very impressed by the amount of effort as well as knowledge required to maintain this place. In an age where the pursuit of profit has forced many farms to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides, Green Acres remains a metaphorical oasis that celebrates nature as it has always been.

The Tree House. (7 April 2018)


The ecolodge within the Tree House. (7 April 2018)


The Verandah of the Tree House with splendid views of the orchard. There's a fridge and various beverages available to the guests. (7 April 2018)


View of the durians in the tree. (7 April 2018)

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