Homegrown Foods is one of the few companies in HK who supply us with organic vegetables grown in the New Territories. Situated near Fanling on the China border (so close that we missed the turn and were nearly asked for our passports...), their farm is called Zen Organic and offers guided tours Tuesday - Sunday, 10am-5pm, as long as you book in advance. With zero traffic thanks to the protests, it took us around 30 minutes to drive from Aberdeen.
The tour costs $30 a head and you can pick some of their fruit and vegetables as long as they are ripe. A guide will advise on this. It's an ideal outing therefore for children, while Daddies, it would appear, tend to moan a bit about the heat and being bitten by insects. Do wear long clothing.
The farm recommended today that we harvest the eggplant and figs, which we duly did along with a sneaky bit of sweet basil and red chillis, for which we naturally asked permission before brandishing the secateurs.
Having grown up with a vegetable patch at the end of the garden, I am sad in some ways that my HK born children are not experiencing the same upbringing, and have little concept of the pea's journey from pod to the plate. Going to Zen Organic Farm is therefore somewhat of an education for them, if not ourselves, regarding the more exotic fruits. Did you know, for example, that this is how pineapples grow?
And dragonfruit?
After around 30 minutes of picking eggplants and figs, we returned to the farm shop where you can add other seasonal pickings to your bill. We bought papaya, plantains and some locally made honey.
Despite us driving to the border and picking the goods ourselves, the prices remained "organic" (!) with the below items totalling $360. But hey, it was a pleasant morning learning about veggies, involving the kids and now we have a bounty of fresh produce to cook over the holiday.
For enquiries, call Joey Ng on 6692 2671 or email joey@zeno.com.hk and be sure to ask for an English speaking guide if required.
Click here to read our other reviews of HK vegetable farms and delivery services.