Location: Hoi An, Vietnam
By Chopt Creative Director Julia Sherman
I like to describe my own gardening style as rogue, improvised, carefree. Historically, I have taken great pride in that loosey-goosey approach, that was before I visited the Tra Que organic farms outside of Hoi An.
Tra Que is a small farming community village 3km north of Hoi An’s Old Town. The village cultivates over 20 different varieties of herbs alone including basil, knotweed, Vietnamese mint, coriander, perilla, rau ram and more. Those piles of fresh herbs that are served with every meal have to come from somewhere! The scientifically placed rows of chives, herbs and mystery salad greens are so meticulously arranged, it’s hard to imagine they were put there by human hands, using organic farming techniques, no less.
Touring by bike, we cruised through the succession of thriving plots, strategically built between the De Vong River and the Tra Que alga pond. This specific location creates especially rich soil and great access to water. The farmers don’t use chemical or fertilizers, instead they source algae from the lagoon, taking great pride in their completely organic and safe farming techniques. Tourists can sign up for organized tours of the farm, and even take cooking classes at the nearby Watermill restaurant, or, just rent a bike and cruise on through.
