organic produce - where to buy

[femi fan]

I don't think this has been tried before (and i got the idea from the hang dong veggie farm thread just now)...

Can posters who like to buy organic fruits and vegetables share on this thread where they buy them from? if this takes off we may end up with a nice long list which covers various areas of chiang mai. I notice more and more eating places in town saying they are serving organic foods, and one can usually tell by the increase in taste.

And to be clear, i don't mean restaurants, i mean places where we can go to to buy our own fruits and vegetables and herbs.

The idea is this: give

• the name (if you know it), and it may be a shop, a market or a farm itself
• a good brief description of its location (not coordinates on gps, rather good old fashioned use of the english language)
• the days and/or times it's open

I can kick things off with two places.

1. JJ market which is south of the huge tesco and the huge plant market, on the left hand side of the road coming down south from the superhighway. Go through the first set of lights where you turn in for the plant market, and it's just after that on the left. This is the road with loads of bars on it. It is north of the city centre. Open early on sundays, not sure when it stops, probably about lunch time.

2. The organic market on the canal road, south of suthep road. If you imagine the junction of suthep road and the canal road where the royal project is located on the north-west corner of the junction, then just head south on the canal road from this junction about 2kms i think, and it's on the left hand side in a few stalls. It does have a sign up in english. It's open on tuesdays and thursdays from about 1.30 i think, although it may be 2pm.

I've heard of many others, but as yet have never managed to find them. Hopefully the thread will produce more! There are of course health food shops, but they usually cost a lot. I'm more thinking about local farmers selling their own produce.

Cheers and good health!

[jko]

Rimping Supermarket are the most eco-aware and reliable of the big suppliers, and colour-label their veg into categories, ranging from 100% Organic down to what is sold in the market.

They test incoming batches for purity: http://www.rimping.com/?page=promotion&no=18

Yesterday one of the staff told me they are planning a completely new & revamped web site, much more informative than the existing one.

[femi fan]

Rimping are definitely a good resource. Great to have all their branches for people who like to eat healthy foods. We're way luckier than people living in bangkok, or anywhere else in the country!

But when i buy in other places, cheap cheap cheap! Having said that, rimping are not really expensive for their organic vegetables, although i don't recall seeing many organic fruits.

[Jangot]

There is a Doi Kham (Royal project) shop in "Chiangmai 69" on Saraphee road, Nong Hoi area. They sell 'organic' fruit & veg. On the Tex Mex (nee Miguel's) side behind the big noodle place.

[muchogra]

'...I've heard of many others, but as yet have never managed to find them....'

I suppose they must have given the directions similar to the way you did. Hope you don't treat it seriously, femi fan!

Bangkok, in fact, has a few places that sell a great variety of organic fruits and vegetables. One of them is called Golden Land, not sure if it's a royal project. It's close to the vet I frequently visit and I shop there sometimes. The veggies are mostly the hydroponic kinds I believe.

As for CM, Rimping is the only place I know which has already been suggested by the previous posters. Sometimes, I do see street stalls outside the Ruamchok Market (behind Ruamchok Plaza where a Rimping is) who claim their veggies are organic. You have to trust them, I guess!

[Marcel1]

I use Amway organic dish cleaner for my veggies, it claims it rinses away all the chemicals used if soaking for a few minutes.

After reading an article that pretty much everyone in Thailand can put 'organic' on its products without much checks I am lost also about how to get healty and clean food so for now, amway seems to do the trick

[muchogra]

People with some land may trying growing some veggie on their own. I did experiment with it. 100% organic and no fertilizer at all.

Here's one harvest.

Hardly lasted for two bites, but It's fun growing though. I lost 4 kg from all that sweating and my body was getting tuned and trimmed. Got lazy lately and gained it back. Now back to my normal 76 kg. Damn...

I actually made a small plot for some ambitious plan of growing more veggie. But, you know how it is...

Our one lone papaya tree has yielded more than a dozen pieces and still more than a dozen hanging up there riping. They are good! And t sure feels good when I see the wife all smiling after harvesting a couple and show me how big and heavy they are!

[muchogra]

It may not be a bad idea for a retiree with a sizable land plot (quite common here in Thai Visa) to grow organic veggie and fruits and sell them to the expat community here in CM.

It's not a money making venture, I understand; but it should be fun, and getting healthy in the process. It's helping others while helping yourself at the same time.

I saw on You Tube a family in Califonia (Pasadena?) with a land plot of less than 10,000 sq feet close to an expressway growing all kinds of veggie and also raising some animals. They cater to restaurants, many are the top-tier ones, and making a good living. The whole family (6?) is involved. They also generate their own energy for their home, and fuel for their cars. A close knit family by virtue of working and sharing together. I envy, needless to say!

Edited May 21, 2014 by muchogra

[NancyL]

Actually JJ Market has a organic market every Saturday morning and a farmers market (good wholesome food, but not necessarily organic) every Sunday mornings.

There's a special Food Fair at JJ Market, now too. Starting today, May 22 through June 1, the JJ Market Food Fair with many food ventures, some are organic. Monday-Friday, 11.00-20.00 and Saturday-Sunday, 11.00 - 21.00

http://www.city-now.com/image_details.php?eid=4656&lang=English

[Windhorse]

"I'm more thinking about local farmers selling their own produce"

but we can not self promote unfortunatly

[sleepingsheep]

Doi Kham has something like "outlet" or whole sale shop on the way to Doi Kham hill, behind of Royal flora. They are A LOT cheaper than buying Doi Kham products from supermarkets (for example, big bag of tomatos, about 20 or more, cost less than 40B, 5 bags of doi kham pachaged spinach for less than 60B). However, not all Doi Kham products are organic, they are less chemical and safe they say. And at the outlet shop, you have to buy a lot, so great for sharing with friends/neighbors etc.

There are several organic veggie shops in Tarad Mae Hia, however, I see they are selling many from the Doi Kham shop I mentioned above.

I always go to the Doi Kham shop first to get whatever things they have, and then go to Tarad Mea Hia to get some more stuff which I could not find at Doi Kham shop.

[NancyL]

I went to the JJ Market Food Fair today and talked with one of the vendors, an organic produce farm that normally sells at the Sunday farmers market at JJ Market. They are an American/Thai couple and call their farm "McCormick Family Farm". Charlie is a Michigan State graduate and it took me back to my days of selling at farmers markets in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. He and his wife PJ had beautiful organic lettuce, corn and spaghetti sauce plus other products. They said they often sell out by 8 am on Sundays at JJ Market.

He did confirm that the Sunday morning market at JJ Market is larger than the Saturday morning market.

For me, part of the fun of a farmers market is the chance to talk with the people who actually produced the products you're buying. The stalls at the JJ Food Fair have some good English speaking vendors to explain their products and make the buying experience fun. But, I never thought I'd be listening to another person from Michigan selling at that Food Fair.

The Food Fair is now thru June 1 and the farmers markets are at JJ Market on Saturdays and Sundays. I guess that's going to make for a very long weekend for the vendors that are selling at both the Food Fair and the Farmers Market (they're on different sides of JJ Market at different times -- the farmers market early, the Food Fair later in the day)

Edited May 22, 2014 by NancyL

[femi fan]

I use Amway organic dish cleaner for my veggies, it claims it rinses away all the chemicals used if soaking for a few minutes.

After reading an article that pretty much everyone in Thailand can put 'organic' on its products without much checks I am lost also about how to get healty and clean food so for now, amway seems to do the trick

The chemicals they spray on our crops go on the crops, into the soil and into the water. So i assume the chemicals get right into the roots and the whole vegetable or fruit. I don't know this is the case, but our whole earth on big farms is riddled with chemicals which of course washes into the whole water system, so even organic produce is probably tainted by nearby use of chemicals.

One can often tell what is organic by looking at it and then tasting it. Plus if you find the farmers and growers themselves (eg the two places i mentioned in the OP), then you can talk to them and know that way.

[femi fan]

Doi Kham has something like "outlet" or whole sale shop on the way to Doi Kham hill, behind of Royal flora. They are A LOT cheaper than buying Doi Kham products from supermarkets (for example, big bag of tomatos, about 20 or more, cost less than 40B, 5 bags of doi kham pachaged spinach for less than 60B). However, not all Doi Kham products are organic, they are less chemical and safe they say. And at the outlet shop, you have to buy a lot, so great for sharing with friends/neighbors etc.

There are several organic veggie shops in Tarad Mae Hia, however, I see they are selling many from the Doi Kham shop I mentioned above.

I always go to the Doi Kham shop first to get whatever things they have, and then go to Tarad Mea Hia to get some more stuff which I could not find at Doi Kham shop.

Can you direct me to these places? I know the road that leads from the hang dong road up to the rachapreuk place.

[sleepingsheep]

Doi Kham has something like "outlet" or whole sale shop on the way to Doi Kham hill, behind of Royal flora. They are A LOT cheaper than buying Doi Kham products from supermarkets (for example, big bag of tomatos, about 20 or more, cost less than 40B, 5 bags of doi kham pachaged spinach for less than 60B). However, not all Doi Kham products are organic, they are less chemical and safe they say. And at the outlet shop, you have to buy a lot, so great for sharing with friends/neighbors etc.

There are several organic veggie shops in Tarad Mae Hia, however, I see they are selling many from the Doi Kham shop I mentioned above.

I always go to the Doi Kham shop first to get whatever things they have, and then go to Tarad Mea Hia to get some more stuff which I could not find at Doi Kham shop.

Can you direct me to these places? I know the road that leads from the hang dong road up to the rachapreuk place.

You head to Chiang Mai Night Safari-Royal Flora, there is a traffic circle which direct you to the night safari, royal flora and one more road behind of royal flora which leads you to Doi Kham Temple. Take that road and go along, you fill find the doi kham whole sale shop on the right hand, about 300m or little more before you actually go up to Doi Kham mountain. The shop looks very simple they only have roof when they are open, after the shop there are several Royal Project related buildings. You see the bug statues in Royal Flora at the opposite side of the shop.

Tarad Mea Hia is one junction northern than the rachapruek junction on canal road. The organic veggie shops are near the meat-fish section.

I remember one more, there is a organic market called "Chiang Mai Organic Home", which opens Tuesday and Thursday, 14.00-`18.00 I think. This is on Canal road, much more closer to the city. You see many signs of "Chiang Mai Organic Home" when you drive down from the city.

However, I have read some articles that many of "organic" products here in Thailand are not organic, so the veggies they sell might not be organic either.

Also I sometimes go to an organic farm in Samoeng for organic farming experience. They are really organic as myself also did the firming. Their manure, pesticide are also organic, but the farm next door uses chemical, so their products might have some chemicals from neighbors. I think there are many more organic farms out there, it would be nice to visit them to confirm their products are really organic or not.

[femi fan]

sleepingsheep...

where in samoeng? I'd really like to visit it!

chaing mai organic home is my number 2 in my OP!

Thanks very much for the other tips, fantastic. I shall go along to see them, but not after 10pm!!!

[sleepingsheep]

sleepingsheep...

where in samoeng? I'd really like to visit it!

chaing mai organic home is my number 2 in my OP!

Thanks very much for the other tips, fantastic. I shall go along to see them, but not after 10pm!!!

The one I go sometimes called "Mindful Farm", I can't explain how to get there, but 30 min drive from samoeng center. From Hang Dong about 1.5 hour drive.

The owner of the farm used to be a monk for over 20 years, so they do something mindful such as meditation, yoga or some kind of retreat. You can stay there about 200B/night with 3 meals. Life there is super simple, nothing fancy. They drink water from well, shower is the water pumped up from the river.

Many farang volunteers/visitors there working on farming. Touching soil and working on farming is actually very therapeutic. Their farm is small, so they don't produce enough veggies to sell in CM. They also have some unique veggies such as Shishito, Mitsuba etc from Japan, as the wife of the farm is Japanese.

I want to try some other farms too, seems like some more in Samoeng, and many more around chiang mai too. If anyone have been to other organic farms, I would like to know about it.

[MESmith]

I use Amway organic dish cleaner for my veggies, it claims it rinses away all the chemicals used if soaking for a few minutes.

After reading an article that pretty much everyone in Thailand can put 'organic' on its products without much checks I am lost also about how to get healty and clean food so for now, amway seems to do the trick

The chemicals they spray on our crops go on the crops, into the soil and into the water. So i assume the chemicals get right into the roots and the whole vegetable or fruit. I don't know this is the case, but our whole earth on big farms is riddled with chemicals which of course washes into the whole water system, so even organic produce is probably tainted by nearby use of chemicals.

One can often tell what is organic by looking at it and then tasting it. Plus if you find the farmers and growers themselves (eg the two places i mentioned in the OP), then you can talk to them and know that way.

I've seen garbage (plastics) being burned on the banks of water tanks (small reservoirs) from which the water is pumped to irrigate crops. Also very common to see garbage being burned in dry irrigation canals that when full are used to irrigate fields. Loverly isn't it. NOT!!

[wigantojapan]

sent you a PM

[Greeen]

this thread contains a list of organic produce suppliers in Chiang Mai

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630240-where-do-you-buy-your-organic-produce-in-chiang-mai/

[ladyinthai]

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=227

Farmers Markets in Chiang Mai

1. Organic Agriculture Market Fair ‘JJ Market’

Every Wednesday, Saturday from 5 a.m. till noon.

2. Regional Health Promotion Centre 10

Every Wednesday from morning till late afternoon.

3. Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University

At the back entrance of the cafeteria, every Monday from 7 a.m. till noon.

4. MCC Market Fair, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University.

Across CMU Meeting Hall, every Wednesday and Saturday from 5 a.m. till noon.

5. Cowboy Market, Mae Jo University

Every Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m.

6. Baan Kiw Lae Market

From Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

7. Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital

Near the cafeteria at the back of the hospital, every Tuesday from 7 a.m. till noon.

8. Warorot Market (Kaad Luang)

At the entrance near Thanachat Bank, Every Monday and Friday from 6 a.m. till noon

9. Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office

Next to CMU Meeting Hall near the junction to Ton Payom Market

10. Nong Hoi Market

In the vegetables zone Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. Look for the sign and Mo Hom shirts.

11. San Pa Koi Market

Look for the separate vegetable panel, every Monday and Friday from 5 a.m. – 6 p.m.

12. Wat Chiang Yuen School

Every Friday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

13. San Patong Hospital

From Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

14. Montfort College (Secondary Section)

Every Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

15. Nakornping Hospital

Look for the bamboo booth near the wall on the right, every Monday and Friday from 7 a.m. till noon.

[Thighlander]

There is a big difference in "no pesticides" and "certified organic." A lot of it has to do with what was being done n the soil for the 8 years prior to someone deciding to grow "organic."

[Tokay]

There is a market that has two organic stalls in it. It's called Tharnin Market I think. Not far from Kwang Sing intersection about 700m, on the right if you're coming from the highway road where Lanna Hospital is. Pardon the spelling, it's probably wrong. I'm spelling how it sounds. I'm horrible about street names.

I'll see if I can map it the next time I go if you have not found it by then.

The stalls are not huge, but they have a lot of stuff packed in them. Usually open until 6:30pm or 7pm. It's a huge market, the organic spots are in the middle, closer to the main road.

[btsfreak]

There is a new purely organic shop open every day except Thursday at JJ market (opposite of the market area), where all the shops are.

Small but good selection of organic products, many officially certified.

Their website here: Organic Box

[MadMac]

Doi Kham Royal Project was already mentioned. You drive towards Royal Flora, pass it taking the next exit at the roundabout, ignore all the holy flower sellers, 2 90 degree turns, first right, second left, then after 500m on the right. Can't miss it. They don't open on Saturdays.

[alfieconn]

We go to a lady in San Pakha (close to Borsang) mostly grows different lettuces, Puk Boom ( Morning glory) and Amaranth ( Thai Spinach) other Thai vegs available but not in large quantities.

Edited March 13, 2016 by alfieconn