Cuchi Organic Eco Farm

Since the Vietnam War is over in late 70s, the country suddenly joined the global capitalism caravan. Dramatic urbanization and economic growth drove food industry to be overcapacity-grown. Nowadays, food crisis awareness is controversially urges among Vietnamese society. COEF is Masterplan design proposal for 600-Hectares-decommissioned rubber plantation in Cuchi, Vietnam. The client acquired the land and aimed to transform the under-utilized site to be an organic food production farm provided from animal feed, livestock, fruit, and vegetation in the closed-cycle operation. The first phase of 50 Ha. is an agro-tourism destination offering visitor holistic experience of food cycle. The first question that urged from very beginning of the project is how can we earn trust from consumer? To answer this question, we propose experience of organic food cycle through journey in the farm. Relationship among animal and plant is boldly emphasized, from agricultural requirement to visitor route and activities. At the intersection of different farming zones define as leaning node, such as Agro-forestry node, Food cycle node, and Livestock node. Visitor route is designed to pass each node as learning spot concluding main idea of each area some can also further explore deeper in each farming area and learning by doing in some farming activities such as, grow & harvest class or learn to produce organic fertilizer. These learning nodes are key to understand how organic process works in reality, offer visitor empirical knowledge of food production. Eventually, understanding leads to trust in sincerity of the farm. The project also offers facility like farm-stay accommodation, farm-to-table restaurant, farmer market, and co-farming area where one can rent certain plot area to farm his/her order. Existing rubber tree is selectively kept as a windbreaker for filter air contamination and almost 80 percent preserved in the tourist and accommodation area. Each node explanation The Agroforestry node, is at the intersection of three different type of plants, exhibits the ecosystem among fruit tree, scrub, vegetable, and herbs. The idea is to show the visitors the natural way how these plants and support each other naturally. The core idea of organic approach is visualized at the water reservoir area where planting and livestock meet. The food cycle walkway offer visitor realization of how food produced from the water supply as the beginning of life - corn and glass that feed for livestock animal - then animal manure is fermented to use as fertilizer for plants - then again, some plant go to processing warehouse while some are animal food as an organic loop. The livestock node alternatively shows the visitor how water creature and animal can be co-inhabited in the local wisdom way.