Monday, July 25, 2011

rooftop gardening - harvest festival!

It is Pesta Menuai in Malay langguage or Tadau Kaamatan in  Kadazan langguage or the more popular  Harvest Festival. So the day finally came to rejoice over 3 months long endurance  with  rooftop gardening.  Dato Sri Mustapha Mohamed came to grace the occasion. Over a thousand turned up to support the colourful event, ranging from kindergarden children, students, mothers, fathers and as Sulong noted even elderly grandmothers.

The first chili harvested.


Dato Sri Mustapha put it in a decorative basket.

As planned, there were colouring contest for kindergarden children, essay competition for secondary school students, photography contest, flower and veggie arrangements for the ladies. So the crowd came in large numbers for the day. Exhibition booths were set for agencies/companies with agriculture interest. If tarian Sumazau is popular in Sabah during Tadau Kaamatan, over here kindergarden children showed something colourful with their steps.


the crowd, mothers, fathers and children

The crowd, front row

a little girl wishing to have clearer view

pa system spaghetti wires..... and the crowd

Front row:  Fauzi, Kamarudin, Shab and Zairon

Dato Rohani was happy with the large turnout

Dato Ikmal came too.

Tanah Merah DO, Dato Ikmal and Hj Md Nor
Nik sharing a joke.


girls from nearby school



The registration going on..

The ladies helping out.

Kakdah was there too, far right, accompanying Pn Normah.

MC..... Radio Kelantan DJ Kak Wan and Rugayah
handling earlier events; 
singing, dancing and nasyid.

boys and girls queuing up for their show.

Dancing

a different group, a different dance

the smile..., confidence building up.

the children holding hands

another show, nasyid ready to get up the stage

nasyid

nasyid


Dikir Barat

Mail Anak Kala,  an icon in Dikir Barat

MC..... ready for the main event.

Kakdah, front row with spectacles and her friends.

Dato Sri Mustapha Mohamed going up to the rooftop.

crowding over TokPa 

Group Photo for the day.

It is about putting rooftop gardening across to the community,
about educating younger generation to be innovative
about saying Thank You God for bountiful harvest.

Rooftop gardening is no more foreign to the community. Everyone who get to the rooftop and briefed about rooftop gardening will get a certificate ~ friends of rooftop gardening. The number should swell to thousands by the end of the year. The team is targeting to be in Malaysian Book Of Record on the biggest number of rooftop gardening visitors!  Now the team is entering into the next phase, that is marketing. They should work out where to sell chili centil. There is a long list of potential buyers. The first harvest is about 80 kilogram, sold the same day!


(Thanks Nik for hundreds of lovely photos)

Earlier posts on rooftop gardening. 

bangchik and kakdah

16 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Bangchik! This rooftop gardening is very serious matter indeed. You must have been the inspiration to many new rooftop gardeners.

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  2. Looks to have been very successful.
    With lack of gardening space rooftops can provide a great way of growing. I think some of our cities are starting to try our some projects.

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  3. Thank you for sharing the "Harvest Festival" with us....very interesting.

    I grow vegetables in 5-gallon buckets.

    donna

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  4. Tahniah. This will be very inspiring for people to start growing their own food.

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  5. Tahniah. This will be very inspiring for people to start growing their own food.

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  6. Well Done! Very successful project indeed!
    The function look so "meriah"!
    By the way which one is you? I have seen Kak Dah but not you...

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  7. bagusnya... dgn pak menteri pun datang... ;p

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  8. what a superb crowd!! congratulations bangchik and kak dah...!!

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  9. what a great accomplishment!
    Congratulations!

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  10. Congratulations, Bangchik and Kakdah! It is a very well supported and attended affair. I hope it gets contagious for all people with solid rooftops. For me it is not favorable as we have the traditional rooftop, haha.

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  11. I can feel the excitement even though i'm not there at that time..congratulation Bangchik, Kak Dah and PJK...

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  12. One
    ~ rooftop gardening is an option to handle "idle lands" in cities. It's all about setting a committed team and see it through. I hope more rooftop gardens would appear...

    Sue@G.L. Allotments
    ~ many cities had rooftop gardening. Hanging garden of Babylon was in fact a version of rooftop garden.

    donna
    ~ It is good to grow our own veggie on land or rooftop.

    Malay-Kadazan girl
    ~ the team is trying to get a rooftop in KL as a landmark for rooftop gardening...

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  13. Malar
    ~ Any activity with children around is always cheerful and colourful. Children always give honest smile.... Bangchik appeared in few pictures here, but since you ask i probably reveal which one is "bangchik" and his role in the festival. Next post, Malar.

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  14. Hi Bangchik
    This is a great article and a fantastic idea. We alot of awareness here at our garden centre for young children to get involved in growing veg and the seasons. Rooftop gardening is clearly a winner when you are limited for space. Thank you for sharing.

    Mark

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  15. Wah so many Datos Datins came for this! Congratulations Bangchik & Kakdah!

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  16. Congratulations on the success of rooftop gardening! This is a proud moment indeed! Planning to grow other veggies besides chilies?

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