Resting in the saddle formed by Bali's central mountain range is the village of Pelaga. Hanging here in the space between heaven and earth are farmlands stretching away and up the slopes of the holy Mount Agung, Mount Batur and the Bedugul hill range. Billowy clouds skirt the mountains; their dark peaks above push up and into the realm of the gods.

It is cool and green here in this temperate zone, with soils enriched by past volcanic eruptions and good rainfall. Pelaga appears as a utopia on first discovery ' a place to farm crops and raise healthy children.

However, until recently, local farming families struggled to net as much as US$10 a month from their efforts growing cassava, corn and coffee ' all traditional foods sold at local markets. In desperation, some of these subsistence farmers sold off their heritage lands. Villas today dot a tapestry formed of ripening rice yellows, dark green channels of corn and the long chocolate lines of rich soil ready for cultivation.

Added to this tapestry is the soft sage green of a plant that is revolutionizing farming in Pelaga and bringing unexpected wealth to local farmers. Villa land sales have now almost stopped as farmers see a way forward. This newly introduced crop is today ensuring farmers can earn a living wage and rebuilding their pride in farming.

Three years ago, Su Tien Chi from Taiwan's International Corporation Development Fund (ICDF) arrived in this paradise-in-waiting. An agriculture graduate, Chi saw immediately the potential to expand crop types and modernize local farming. Testing soon proved that asparagus was the ideal crop, offering both year-round harvesting and top-dollar returns to farmers. Within just two short years, Pelaga has become Bali's center for the valuable and highly saleable asparagus that sells at $5 a kilo for grade-A spears.

Fresh: Baby beans are packed for the market at the cooperative.
'It has been a great success and one we would like to see achieved in other parts of Bali. The goal of ICDF is our hope to improve economies,' says Chi via telephone.

Pelaga's newly developed Mertanadi farmers' cooperative, founded on the back of asparagus success, is run by a local man, Ketut Sandi. Born into a local farming family, Ketut took off for the bright lights and brighter expectations of Kuta, working in the tourist trade, until he decided the farming life, while tough, might offer a better quality of life.

'I met Mr. Su here in Pelaga and we had this commitment to work together for farmers. We did a year's research growing broccoli, baby beans, cherry tomatoes and asparagus. Everything grew very well, but the asparagus was perfect and that has become our main crop selling to supermarkets and to restaurants as far away as Jakarta,' says Ketut, stressing that Pelaga farmers no longer see themselves as bottom-rung citizens, but as proud land owners who can save for the future using their newly created income.

'Before the asparagus people were leaving to find work away from the village. There was this feeling that farming was the poorest of all professions because it was hard, dirty work and money was always tight. Now people here see farming can be the best job in the world. Those that left the village are now coming back,' the 32-year-old said.

'We started two years ago with 15 farmers. We now have more than 150 growing asparagus and other high value crops. People are no longer selling off their lands ' they know if they do they will feel remorse. They see now a road to a good future. Before they did not understand what they have here,' he added.

Delicious: An employee at the cooperative packs asparagus farmed in the village for shipment to Bali's supermarkets and restaurants ' and to restaurants in Jakarta.Farmer Ibu Ketut Suriani says growing asparagus has changed her life. Gone are the days of worrying over money.

'The result has been very good. Daily I can earn Rp 40,000 (US$4) from my 800 plants. If I had more land I could make far more income. Asparagus can be harvested every day, so we have income every day. From this money I can put aside Rp 10,000 a day, so we are saving money,' the 45-year-old said. 'In the past, growing cassava and corn, we only made about Rp 500,000 over four to five months. That was very tough, so we farmers have all benefited very much from what Mr. Su has brought to us.'

Suriani grows broccoli, kale and baby beans, cultivating hedgerows between fields of jackfruit, bananas, papaya and durian.

As a farmer, Suriani also raises chickens, cattle and pigs. 'We only need to buy a bit of rice and tempeh and water and power. We grow everything else we need.

'We feel happy every day to see the view of Mount Agung, feel the cool breeze and tend our farms,' she added.

Switching from traditional crops to asparagus that was first grown in Pelaga from root stock imported from California and Taiwan has also changed the life of one of 15 cooperative employees, 32-year-old Kardani. Her husband had long grown cassava, corn and coffee, barely scratching out a living despite many hours of backbreaking toil. Today Kardani's family is doing well and has a disposable income that gives her greater choice in purchases.

'Life is far better since the asparagus. Mr. Su is a great man for the benefit he has brought our community. In the past we did make ends meet, but only just. We could buy rice, but not much else. These days we can shop for clothes and other things we need, we can buy more so we as a family are more relaxed and happy about the future. I think that's because we have a better standard of living and we can give that to our kids,' said Kardani.

The cooperative's goal is to expand asparagus farming across 50 hectares and further increase sales, says co-op head Ketut. Into the future these farmers that have taken a great step forward also hope to export their precious produce, become fully organic farms and share their newfound knowledge with other communities.

Astonishing: Pare, a very rare bitter gourd, is also grown in Pelaga for specialty markets.

Mist-skirted mountains: The farmers' cooperative in Pelaga now has more than 150 farmer members and 15 employees growing and preparing the asparagus that have brought new wealth to local farmers.

' Photos By J.B.Djwan