Bo.lan

Mar 3, from 8am-2:30pm, head to this farmer’s market in Bangkok at Bo.lan (see essentials). Meet some of the farmers and purchase some delicious vegetables, goat cheese or cold-pressed sesame oil from them. Make sure you bring your own bags.

Lulu and Daisy Dairy Goat Farm

This goat farm in Chonburi makes cheese, and while it started as the owner’s hobby, it’s now quite successful. Try No. 4, an ash-coated, aged and spicy variety. www.asiagoat.com.

Raitong Organics Farm

With European Union certification and their products’ great taste, this farm is becoming more and more famous. They offer a wide selection of organic rice, such as green-tea gaba, red jasmine rice and black sticky rice. Also, don’t forget to reserve a place for their upcoming CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project.

Urban Tree Organics

This organic shop has everything from palm oil-free soap, bamboo charcoal toothbrush, honey and a wide variety of shampoos. See more at www.urbantreeorganics.com.

Green Earth Farm

Shop for fresh vegetables grown without pesticides. Green Earth Farm grows their vegetables inside a net-covered area to keep insects out rather than use pesticides in Chachoengsao. You’ll find fresh veggies, like green cos lettuce, tiger herb, Chinese kale and more. See more at http://bit.ly/x9T2zj

How did it start?
It started since I was a baby. I have a wonderful father and grandfather who taught me to respect nature. You have to see my home; I’ve spent my life close to nature.

Why grow your own food?
The diversity, the organic produce and the freshness. Everyone was just doing the same global techniques, but I realized that what we were missing was the farm concept. And in Italy, we have four seasons, and each time of the year, nature gives you different products. I give guests what I feel when I go outside.

What are the difficulties?
Growing something of great quality takes a lot of experience. You have to focus on it every day. When you’re young, you don’t understand it, but as you get older, you appreciate the value more. And sometimes, the organic products don’t come out like GMO [genetically modified organisms] ones, which are all the same size, same color, and grow four times faster.

Do Europeans understand the farm-to-table ethos?
I would say yes, if you compare it with 20 years ago. I personally care a lot about what I eat, but today people live fast-paced, stressful lives. You eat fast food, stuff like McDonald’s. Please don’t go there. There are wonderful products and better options available.

How did it start?
It started in Phuket. We put our products in 4- to 5-star hotels, and then the tourists loved it so much that they wanted us to ship it out for them. So we started to export mainly to the US, Japan and Europe. We find it very complicated selling alcohol in Thailand as taxation is quite high relative to other countries.

Who drinks your beer?
We represent a chill lifestyle. We don’t want people to just drink to get drunk. We want them to enjoy what’s in their glasses. We’re not the best but we’re happy with what we are.

What makes it premium compared to other local beers?
We use 80% malt and 15% Thai jasmine rice. It’s been premium since we started because we really care about its taste from the aromatic hops, yeast and many things. But people have different tastes in beer, and we can’t force them to like ours.

Where can we get it?
Many outlets, such as Villa Market, and some restaurants, like Greyhound, Pladib, Hyde & Seek and others, sell our beer. We’re quite picky of where we will have our products sold.

What do you think about the craze over imported beers?
It’s really fantastic. Before this, people drank only what they’re familiar with, but now they’ve become much more open and more fun.