Conservation vision
Farms that make room for wildlife.
Gene's work doesn't stop at the farm gate. These are the ideas he is championing: ways Malaysian farming, tourism and conservation can help each other thrive.
Grassland management
Grasslands for Malaysia's giants.
Elephants, gaur, banteng and sambar deer all depend on open grazing land, and it is getting harder to find. Gene advocates managing grasslands in strategic locations to help their numbers recover. More of these animals means more food for Malaysia's big cats.
Well-placed grasslands also become natural viewing stations, where visitors can see wildlife that is almost impossible to spot in dense forest. Studying neighbouring countries convinced Gene this could transform wildlife tourism here, and that oil palm plantations could play a real part through pasture management.
Reintroduction
Bringing back the green peafowl.
The green peafowl is no longer found in the wild in Malaysia. It is a large bird that needs open country to flourish, and dense jungle holds it back.
One project Gene is developing would turn a struggling golf course into a wildlife sanctuary for a green peafowl reintroduction program, with space for endangered sambar deer, gaur and banteng. The aim is a safe foothold where these species can grow their numbers and spread out, while the public learns about and experiences this kind of ecosystem first-hand.
Highland farm concept
Hill pastures for everyone to enjoy.
Open hill pastures guarded by Gene's fluffy working dogs, home to Valais Blacknose sheep, French Ouessant sheep (one of the smallest sheep breeds in the world) and alpacas, which are too often poorly kept in Malaysia and deserve a place to flourish.
Visitors would get a Western-style farm experience close to home, and the tourism it brings would help the surrounding area thrive.
More ideas in motion
Smaller steps toward the same vision.
Working dogs
Tropical guardian dogs
Farm guardian dogs are very different from most breeds available in Malaysia. In 2020 Gene imported 16 working dogs from the USA, and he continues to cross them with local dogs to create guardians with the right temperament in bodies built for the tropical heat.
Local tourism
Fields of flowers
Lavender fields, sunflower fields and roads lined with hydrangeas: simple, beautiful ideas that could draw Malaysians out to rural areas and give local tourism a lift.
Every farm starts with a walk.
Gene visits, listens, and looks at your soil, water, animals and goals. You leave the first meeting with a clear picture of what is possible.
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