La May Farm is located in Thach That district, Hanoi, is an ecological forest garden that grows herbs to produce green - clean - healthy products and distribute them to consumers. La May Farm is also the "farm" of Maya Farm School, with the mission of guiding students to study and practice agricultural projects.
A place to develop clean and sustainable agricultural systems
La May Farm builds a sustainable supply chain to produce and develop green products, while nurturing and caring for the plant ecosystem in the direction of "forest garden".
Ms. Nguyen Le Mai Trinh - Co-founder of La May Farm said: "La May creates an ecosystem that simulates a forest according to Syntropic Agroforestry - a sustainable agricultural farming method, helping to regenerate and preserve the ecosystem of the Maya village and Thach That forest. When trees grow thanks to nutrients from the soil and energy from the sun, humans use a part, animals share a part, the rest is returned as green manure to the soil, continuing to nourish the next generation of trees."
With the viewpoint of respecting the operating mechanism of nature, La May promotes the balanced existence of the whole system, including crops and harmful agents such as pests. Instead of using pesticides, the farm will build a sustainable ecosystem so that all components grow in harmony and support each other. Therefore, the plants here are all grown on good soil, nourished by the sweet sunlight, soaked in the cool dew drops of the mountains and forests in the morning without any "brutal" intervention from humans.
Although applying this farming method results in much lower yields than traditional farming methods, and the supply of products depends on the season and is therefore unstable, La May still accepts the trade-off with the desire to develop a clean and sustainable agricultural model.
“It takes up to 10 years to restore the ecosystem to its original state. La May has now been working hard for the third year and will continue to persevere on that path,” Trinh shared.
At La May, people can find all kinds of carefully tended crops and agricultural products: there are Hibicus trees scattered on terraced fields, there is a bamboo forest with young bamboo shoots growing, there is a garden with many kinds of green vegetables such as sweet cabbage, tomatoes, cabbage interwoven with yellow chrysanthemums,... That simple and peaceful beauty exists halfway up the mountain forest as a peaceful place, a refuge for souls in need of the soothing of nature.
All farming and production activities at La May are accompanied by responsibility in using energy, natural, safe and easily recycled materials, and at the same time do not create dirty waste that is harmful to the environment. In particular, to join hands to enrich the forest ecosystem in the Thach That mountain area, La May also spreads the activity of Sowing seeds for the forest, giving small bags of seeds to mountain climbing and trekking groups passing through the area, so that they can join hands in spreading seeds on their paths.
A place to nurture a peaceful childhood
Built with Maya Farm School amidst green mountains and forests, La May is where students can observe the development and impact of humans on the ecosystem, learn how to plant and care for trees and agricultural products, and acquire knowledge about geography, fauna and botany.
The children here grow up, study and work in the midst of a vast green nature, filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass, something that the generation growing up in crowded cities can hardly imagine. The tranquility of life close to nature, along with practical experiences right on the farm, gives children an understanding of the world around them, while nurturing a sense of sustainable development.
At Maya School, there are seven workshops including: La May Farm, Agricultural Processing Workshop, Carpentry and Automation Workshop, Art Workshop, Embroidery and Knitting Workshop, Pottery Workshop and Maya Kitchen. At the beginning of each semester, students will choose a workshop to participate in projects that suit their interests and personalities.
Ms. Trinh shared that last fall, the children participating in the La May agricultural workshop practiced the project "Tea practice". Under the guidance of Mr. Tuan Linh from Dong Lai tea room, they learned how tea buds absorb the essence of heaven and earth, how to filter clear drops of water from the mountain stream or morning dew on flower petals to make tea, and how to calm down to prepare and enjoy a delicious pot of tea.
The project ended on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival with the Tea Ceremony, attended by both parents and students. Wearing brocade ao dai and sitting on flowered mats, the children applied their knowledge and techniques to slowly brew fragrant pots of white lotus tea for their parents.
A lush green farm full of fruit trees, a peaceful community filled with children's laughter, a sweet and airy atmosphere of nature are the first achievements that La May has achieved. The road ahead is still long, but love and respect for nature will be a great driving force on the journey towards sustainable development that La May farm is pursuing every day.
