ZAINAL and Fatimah cannot have a better arrangement in their lives. This couple enjoy an urban lifestyle in the federal capital but retreat to their goat farm about one-and-a-half hours away in Negri Sembilan.
They have dual lifestyles — living in an urban environment; and breathing fresh air surrounded by greens and numerous types of plants.
They commute between Kuala Lumpur and Serting in the Jempol district tending to their home and farm.
The farm is called Boden, situated in Serting Ilir.
A leisurely ride to the farm from Kuala Lumpur will take you pass Sri Menanti and Kuala Pilah with scenic views of beautiful padi fields.
The couple has a dream, kept at the back of their minds when both were gainfully employed.
Now in their late 60s, both retirees continue to be productive. Part of their dream has been realised but the bigger one is still a work in progress.
They started working on their dream almost 15 years ago soon after retirement. Zainal, full name Datuk Zainal Abd Ghani, has a habit of going off on the road less travelled.
Often, he would pick seedlings which are not easily found and plant them in his garden.
His wife, Fatimah Abdullah, is a plant lover, being a landscape artist and all.
The couple has a special bond that has stood the test of time and is now manifested in their farm.
It started as a goat farm but has now grown to include many other agricultural produce.
The farm is now primed to become an agricultural training centre for those who intend to venture into agriculture.
I first visited the farm in its early years. The couple bred Boer goats, which were acquired from South Africa and Australia.
Zainal said: “Getting the goats from various parts of the world would enhance the quality of goats bred here. Every single goat produced at the farm has a birth certificate. Every birth is recorded to enable us to track its lineage. This is one way of monitoring the quality of our goats.”
How did the name Boden come about? Zainal explained: “I’m from Negri Sembilan. Since they are Boer goats, we decided to name the farm Boden, ‘den’ being the Negri slang for ‘me’ or ‘I’. Makes sense, right?”
Over the years, the couple expanded their operations. They now have a herb garden, which produces various types of tea, kelulut (honey from stingless bees) and vegetables.
Zainal used all his experience to manage the farm meticulously. All data is computerised, operational systems put in place to ensure optimum efficiency while research and development is pursued to keep themselves up to speed with the latest in the industry.
Their passion for the farm is quite obvious, judging from the enthusiasm when they show visitors around.
Visitors include local and foreign students who are eager to know about farming and groups from church and mosques who wish to learn about agriculture.
Even tourist guides looking for eco-tourism spots to promote visited the farm, an ideal location for a healthy weekend visit.
Zainal hopes Boden could collaborate with the government. Boden has plenty to offer. This is not a normal goat farm, neither it is an ordinary herb garden.
The way the couple has developed Boden, the farm is indeed an ideal setting for a model for others to follow.
Zainal said: “We hope Boden can be the first practical training farm for kampung communities. We have adopted some of technical best practices with emphasis on quality and optimisation of output. We can share our knowledge of commercial understanding of returns plus cost and productivity.
“We want to share our first- hand knowledge gathered over more than 15 years. Let us develop knowledge farmers, increase agriculture output and go big into micro enterprise where we can help value-add products.”
Boden has survived almost entirely on its own resources. Perhaps it would be timely for the government to come in as a partner in the proposed training initiative by sponsoring trainees who may include kampung folks, veterans who want to venture into agriculture and farmers who wish to take their knowledge to another level.
The government may also want to invest in equipment and tools besides its applied research findings. In fact, farming can also be made attractive to children and students where they can get acquainted with agriculture as a rich source of employment and income.
“Farm-based education for schoolchildren can really be attractive and profitable,” he said.
Visit the farm when you can. The couple will be on hand to greet and assist you on Wednesdays and weekends. Walk around and enjoy the fresh air besides trying to identify the many types of herbs grown there. You can also sample the madu kelulut, said to have medicinal qualities.
You can visit the goat sheds and see how the goats are being fed and cared.
Cleanliness is a hallmark of Boden’s goat sheds. If this country is to go big on agriculture, it is worth picking up the knowledge acquired by people like Zainal and Fatimah. Boden can be a hands-on teaching centre for the future.
Twitter: @aatpahitmanis
The writer is a former NST group editor. His first column appeared on Aug 27, 1995 as ‘Kurang Manis’