On December 8, Amisewaka – DLCC launched “AmiMart”, our first market day open to the general public.
This initiative started with wanting to find an alternative use for the excess vegetables we had when the students went on their internships. The idea of starting a weekly market day to sell off surplus vegetables to the local community fit the bill perfectly.
Aside from selling homegrown vegetables, we included Amisewaka’s organic compost, worm fertilizer, seeds, and seedlings. From the kitchen, we added local produce, moringa ravioli, moringa soup, gluten-free pasta al pesto, and fresh fruit drinks, including our signature rambutan refresher. In doing this it has allowed our kitchen staff to experiment with new, natural and local food items. Our bestsellers to date are vegetables, tarts, cupcakes, and cookies.
To create awareness of what is happening at DLCC – Amisewaka and what has been accomplished so far, we invited officials from the different departments of education, manpower, forestry and tourism, hotel management, and village officials. Our executive chef prepared some excellent dishes for them to taste, offering an insight into the nutritious food we provide for our students.
The market is planned as a weekly event, and we aim to serve both the local and ex-pat market with our affordable organic vegetables and sweets. We are confident that by January, we will have a solid clientele. All earnings will feed back into Amisewaka – DLCC: what a great win-win for everyone.
It is worth mentioning that we are plastic-free, which is a challenge, both by way of materials and financially (as plastic bags are easy and cheap), but it does serve to educate the public about going natural.
