Babahan Subak Association

Indonesia

The Babahan Subak Association in the Tabanan province of Bali is a water-sharing farmer cooperative that upholds traditional organic farming methods and maintains an educational gathering space to share the practice, history, and spiritual and cultural significance of rice farming with locals and visitors. The association grows heritage varieties of rice according to the Balinese calendar, creates its own organic fertilizer from cow manure, and – among other traditional practices – builds owl boxes to encourage these natural predators to control rodent populations. Educational tours of the village provide an opportunity to hear local elders and community leaders explain how rice cultivation maintains a deep synchronicity between seasonal cycles, humans, and the Balinese Hindu religion, and to eat meals prepared directly from the fields and forests of a traditional organic agro-ecosystem. Learn more about the association’s organic rice growing activities by visiting the Uma Wali Facebook page (in Indonesian), and learn more about current educational programs by contacting Emas Hitam Indonesia (English and Indonesian).