Simply Abstracting: March 2015

Inside a grow house at the Green Heart Organic Farms UAE.

A bunch of people concerned with what they eat, were invited to a trip to an Organic farm on the first weekend of this month. Green Heart Organic Farms as the name speaks for itself, aims to provide its customers with healthier, and most importantly organic fruit and vegetable options. Produce, free from any kinds of pesticides, herbicides (chemical sprays) and synthetic fertilizers are eligible to be called organic.

We, along with a few others, the loyal customers of Green Heart Organic Farms, embarked on our journey in the afternoon from their Arjan Farm shop in Dubai, drove through the city into Sharjah and arrived an hour later on to a farm on the outskirts of the latter. The first sight of a pile of dried plants and peels and we were all gripped. Anyone who is trying to eat nature’s best, understands the drying of plants, peels, manure and other organic matter, as Composting; a crucial step for Organic farming.

Elena, the owner of Green Heart Organic Farms, boards our bus.

At the farm, Elena the passionate organic farmer and owner of Green Heart Organic Farms boarded our bus, introduced herself and told us what Green Heart Farms was all about. While on the bus, she went on to show us the goats, cows and chickens on the farm. All of the animals on the farm produce manure, which as mentioned earlier is an ingredient for composting. Since UAE is desert land, pasture grazing for the cows is impossible and thus the cows and goats are not milked in sufficient quantities to be sold commercially, and the milk produced is only enough to be used within the farm, and for the best kind of manure the farm grows their own organic alfalfa, the best food possible for cattle instead of the conventional and common; genetically modified corn.

Some of the chickens on the farm, yes there were lots more! After all they yield delicious eggs.

The cattle on the farm is useful for producing manure for composting.

On the right, the ready compost pile that takes around 6 months to ready
for being used in grow beds.

We got off the bus at the farm entrance and were led in by Elena, who gave us some important instructions for proceeding further into the indoor grow houses and fields. The climate in the United Arab Emirates is dry and arid and as it is desert land, it is not very fertile. Indoor grow houses are vital to growing any produce here along with the type of soil, compost, maintaining good moisture and temperature.

Elena gives instructions on proceeding into the farm.

As we entered the first grow house we saw rows and rows of bean and cucumber vines along with different varieties of Kale; Curly, Tuscan, Scarlet, to name a few.

Lemon cucumbers; an heirloom variety.

For best results in organic farming, growing different vegetables and herbs together is important, this is known as Biodiversity. The inter-growing of vegetables and herbs helps keep pests at bay, its just like tomatoes and basil sauce taste good in your pastas, they work well together in farming as well.

Test your eyes: Find green beans and cucmbers.

Different varieties of Kale, a highly nutritious super food growing inside a grow house.

One grow house to another we saw tomato and cherry tomato vines along with heirloom varieties, different herbs, salad greens, cabbages, broccoli, a variety of chilies, peppers and lemon cucumbers; an heirloom variety long lost in the hybridization and industrialization of our natural produce overtime. Green Heart Farms has been trying to grow vegetables that were known to our ancestors for their taste and benefits, without the poisoning effects of pesticides or genetic modifications.

A flowering Kale, useful for collecting seeds for the next season.

Different varieties of lettuce being grown on the farm.

Herbs such as Parsley and Thyme are
being grown along with Kale varieties.

Fresh Mint herb on the farm next to Kale.

Different varieties and colors of Tomatoes are
grown on the farm.

Cherry Tomatoes on a vine.

A perfect example of Biodiversity being implemented on the farm outside as well.
Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Corn, Sunflowers, herbs and Fennel are seen here.

A row of Golden Bantam Corn.

As we came out of the grow houses, we walked through a row of golden bantam corn; a variety specifically being grown by Green Heart Farms. Cabbages, herbs, kohlrabi, beetroot, potatoes, celery, chamomile, spring onions and leeks are all inter-planted. In fruits they are growing, cantaloupe melons, figs, chine apples and strawberries and of course U.A.E’s indigenous dates. The date palm trees create a wonderful shade for growing the vegetables outside in the harsh sun of the desert. We saw a chicken coop up close with loads of chickens and roosters roosting away and a number of eggs.

Elena also showed us their desalination plant on the farm that removes the salt from the natural water as farming requires sweet water.

Our weekly 1 and a 1/2 hour trip to the farm shop was made worth the while thanks to the farm visit. The open discussions and information sharing by Elena with the group introduced us to the farming process, with emphasis on going 'all natural' from the soil to your table. We are grateful to Elena and Aysha; co-owners of the farm and the rest of the Green Heart team for their passion and devotion in providing a healthier and safer option for our fruits and vegetables, giving us all, a glimpse of hope for a healthier us. After all, you are what you eat!