Witnessing lush vegetable gardens flourishing in a village in Sorens, Switzerland, one would naturally assume they're tended by local farmers. However, the reality is quite different the 5,000 square meter plot, boasting 22 varieties of salad, eight types of tomatoes, five kinds of cucumbers, along with cabbage, broccoli, radishes, and assorted vegetables, is managed by Eryzal Zainal, a 41-year-old Malaysian residing in a village called Sorens. Originally from Ipoh, Perak, Eryzal has been traversing Switzerland with his Hungarian wife, Zsuzsanna, 40, and their five-year-old daughter, Inez, since 2017.
Reflecting on his journey from being an engineer in a telecommunications and oil and gas (O&G) company to becoming a farmer in Europe, Eryzal's agricultural venture began with a realization of the importance of appreciating the sources of sustenance for his family. "Starting with about a quarter-acre of land next to our house, my wife and I were later invited by our local neighbours to expand the garden area and cultivate their land. Our garden now covers approximately 5,000 square meters. It is organically managed, without the use of any prohibited substances, and crops are planted according to lunar cycles and seasons," he explained.
Initially, the third of six siblings toil tirelessly, tending to the land without the aid of machinery or heavy equipment like tractors, relying instead on manual methods. Most other equipment is repurposed when managing the vegetables from recycled materials. "We simply used whatever was available to us initially, gradually improving our farming equipment to better suit our needs," he says, now cultivating his vegetable garden with the help of a two-wheeled tractor.
As a result, he is able to harvest about 100 heads of various types and colours of lettuce, 20 kilograms (kg) of mixed salad, as well as 50 kg of red radishes and 70 kg of tomatoes every week, which are then sold at the market. Previously, Eryzal had taken odd jobs in the village where he now resides, before ultimately deciding to become a full-time farmer after being offered land for agricultural purposes. This approach ensures that villagers have access to quality vegetables from his garden. Among the village work he has undertaken is assisting in managing the livestock and vegetable farms of the locals, for which he is compensated with cash and cheese.
"In most European countries, Switzerland is the most stable. I love this country because it is clean, beautiful, and has a well-functioning system of governance." Having travelled to 60 countries, Eryzal spent his post-2014 retirement reading and traveling, before returning to Kedah to participate in conservation projects in Sungai Batu and Pulau Bidan, Yan, Kedah. Here, he practised environmental conservation alongside friends until he was reunited with his wife a few years later.
"My wife and I share a common interest in nature. We decided to travel and volunteer on farms in the countries we visited. This way, we can gain a deeper understanding of local culture and people. We learn how to manage plants and animals. After several months of travelling, we arrived in Switzerland and decided to try our hand at farming, a skill we had carried for years. "Alhamdulillah, we are now entering our sixth season as vegetable farm entrepreneurs," he said.
