We’ve been thinking about the future and we want it to make it better.

Right now, the economic impacts of Covid-19 are leaving a massive dent in the tourism industry. And things aren’t improving in a hurry. So, we’ve turned two plots of hotel and restaurant land in west Bali into farms. The project also offers allotment gardens to our family members to grow their own food on top of that we are providing equipment , seedling and knowledge to turn existing land into agriculture land all around Bali. No land is wasted. We are also distributing ready cooked meals (nasi bungkus) weekly to our family members across Bali, using as much of the produce we receive from the Sweet Potato farm.

The idea is to reconnect the community with agriculture and provide families with access to free food that’s locally-grown, more nutritious and better for the planet.

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Potato Head Study Chair, Kaleido, 100% recycled PET plastic, Max Lamb, 2019 – Product of a Potato Head 

Kaleido plastic is a combination of upcycled yoghurt pots and waste cosmetic bottles pressed into a single large sheet, a technique mastered and crafted by Smile Plastics.

Max’s technique of cutting instinctive shapes from these single sheets and rearranging them to form a chair celebrates the inherent decorative qualities of the recycled plastic and demonstrates Max’s resourcefulness as a designer. The chair consists of only one material and the offcuts are used as the weld to hold the chair together – creating a zero-waste product. The chair was made in Bali with Max and the artisans of Kalpataru.

The chair is part of the studio interior at Potato Head Studios.

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World Oceans Day is a moment to ask ourselves what we want our future to look like and how we need to change. We asked a handful of young potato heads who grew up in Bali to share their thoughts on the state of the ocean. Here’s what they had to say.

On a February morning, we joined a group of Bali’s young guns for a beach clean-up along the island’s west coast – kids who grew up on the island and live for the ocean. Who have experienced it in all its glory and some of its darker moments too. As we sorted through the litter – rubber sandals, shards of plastic and other fragments of human waste peppered across the sand – we were prompted to think about our role as custodians and how the next generation might feel about inheriting the marine environment in the state that it’s in. So, we asked a few of them for their sentiments on the ocean. Here, they share some of their happiest memories in the water, the steps they take to protect it, the things that inspire them to nurture and give back, plus a handful of tunes that remind them of the big blue.

REMI, 17

What appears in your mind when you hear the word “ocean”?
When I went for a surf in Malang, Java,  I caught the longest, most beautiful wave ever. The best thing about the ocean is the animals that live within these deep waters, literally all of them. But when I went to north Bali, I didn’t only see trash in the ocean but we went to go see dolphins in the water. We saw about 15 dolphins being chased by 120 boats. It was devastating.

What are you doing to help protect the ocean?
I am a conscious consumer. I make sure my trash does not go near the ocean.

What can other people do to help?
To be aware of where your waste goes and to be aware of how it is produced.

Name three tracks that remind you of the ocean.
Com Você Sou, Bebeto
Closer, Project Pablo
O Pato, João Gilberto

BONO, 18

What appears in your mind when you hear the word “ocean”?
Being a young child exploring new beaches with my best friends and family. We would do this almost every week – having picnics and chilling at the beach the whole day. Also, going to the beach helps clear my mind and lets me free from the busy streets of Bali.

What are you doing to help protect the planet and the ocean?
Using water wisely and reducing the use of plastic by bringing tote bags to grocery stores when shopping. Also, bringing reusable water bottles everywhere I go and only using electricity when need, replacing a motorbike with a bicycle for short distances and eating less meat.

What can other people do to help?
Spreading awareness to use less ‘one-time-use’ plastic bags and other containers.

What’s your top sustainability hack?
Recycling old clothes – making art on them and deconstructing them.

Name a cultural icon that inspires you.
Leonardo DiCaprio – environmentalist and a great actor.

And three tracks that remind you of the ocean.
Goodie Bag, Still Woozy
By Your Side (Neptunes remix), Sade
Fly Away, Laidback

ITALO, 17

What appears in your mind when you hear the word “ocean”?
My best memory in the ocean is really difficult to think of as I’ve had so many. It could be one of the countess barrels I’ve had while surfing. It could be times swimming or freediving trying to bring rocks to the top. For me, the most enchanting moments I’ve had in any body of water are when I am at the bottom. The bottom of the sea, lake, river or pool is the calmest I’ve ever felt anywhere. You can feel totally part of the environment, and that is why I feel so affected by the build-up of rubbish. Unfortunately The older and more socially aware I’ve become has led me to see my beloved ocean differently. Instead of swimming down to the bottom to admire the beauty, I find myself looking at the trash all over. Happy Ocean day. One day soon I hope to swim in a clean one.

Name three tracks that remind you of the ocean.
Beyond the Reef, Santo & Johnny
Feel Flows ( Remastered 2009), The Beach Boys
Ma Il Cielo E Sempre Piu Blu, Rino Gaetano

NAR, 18

What appears in your mind when you hear the word “ocean”?
My best memory of the ocean is of me free diving down to the seafloor in Flores and getting surrounded by manta rays, there is something about the ocean that feels very free. It’s like this big magical place, it keeps me alive by creating oxygen and food and such. The worst thing I’ve personally seen in the ocean is big industry hotels releasing their sewage waste into the water. Not only was there a gross layer of oil and probably shit everywhere, but you could see that they had been doing this for a while and all the coral had died.

What are you doing to help protect the ocean?
I guess in general, I like to think that I’m more conscious of things I buy and consume because in the end everything somehow makes its way into the ocean.

What can other people do to help?
Something easy would be to just have a conversation with someone about the ocean, learn about it. Maybe you’ll find something that stands out to you. Any small thing you do would probably help, but it’s up to you to find out what that is.

Give us three tracks that remind you of the ocean?
Ocean Man, Ween
Upside Down, Jack Johnson
Sakura, Susumu Yokota

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Family Market.

During this difficult time, some members of our family have used their potato heads to create new businesses for themselves and their families, providing a range of food delivery services. Take a look and support where you can.

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A super-scrub for the body, a soothing ritual for the soul which you can make in minutes.

Unrefined sea salt has been used around the world for centuries by cooks and healers, alike. It keeps you hydrated, balances electrolytes and is a wonderful source of minerals.

While we normally associate salt with the kitchen, it does wonders for the external body, too. This sea-salt scrub is a solid example. It’s detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and the roughness of its texture exfoliates the skin and sends blood pumping through the body. Adding essential oils takes the scrubbing ritual to another level, reducing stress and massaging the mind into a more relaxed state.

And what’s more, you only need two base ingredients to make the magic happen.

Our easy homemade sea salt scrub

Ingredients:
1 cup coarse sea salt
½ cup liquid coconut oil
10-ounce glass container

Method
Pour salt into the empty glass container and combine it with the coconut oil. Stir all the ingredients until they’re well combined. Essential oils should be added in the end. Seal the jar and store.

Use scrub sparingly, about once or twice a week, by spooning a small amount into your hands, gently rubbing it in, rinsing it off with warm water and drying your hands thoroughly. It’ll last in the fridge for up to two months.

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From the beach to your bath or shower in a few easy steps. This super-simple scrub is the ultimate exfoliator and comes straight from Mother Nature.

Photo courtesy of Welikebali

The art of exfoliating is all about granules. So it makes perfect sense, then, that beach sand is a great base for body scrubs. If you have access to clean sand, pick some up and give this process a go. You’ll just need coconut oil and an oven to create a polishing scrub that’ll cleanse the pores, help fade scars and get rid of dead skin cells.

Our home-made beach body scrub

You’ll need
½ cup beach sand
½ cup coconut oil
A jar for mixing

The process
Preheat your oven to 150℃ (300 ℉). Drain as much water from the sand as possible, then transfer it onto baking sheets and into the oven for 45 minutes to sanitize. For an even deeper clean, you can bake the sand after rinsing it. Combine it with the coconut oil in a jar and gently apply to the body in a circular motion. Rinse thoroughly.

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Turning your kitchen waste into compost is the best gift you can give your garden, your plants will thank you for this.

Composting your organic leftovers is a great way to give back to Mother Earth – quite literally. At Desa Potato Head, we separate the likes of cuttings, citrus rinds, coffee grounds, seashells, pineapple leaves and coconut shells for composting, which later go back into our gardens and help them flourish. Composting at home means creating a rich humus for your soil, bringing nutrients to your plants in an environment-friendly way, free of harmful chemicals. Composting also saves waste from ending up in landfills, in-turn protecting our wild spaces in nature.

What to Compost:
All compostable materials are either carbon- or nitrogen-based to varying degrees. The secret to a healthy compost pile is to maintain a working balance between these two elements.
– Carbon: Carbon-rich matter – such as branches, stems, dried leaves, peels, bits of wood, bark dust or sawdust pellets, shredded brown paper bags, corn stalks, coffee filters, coffee grounds, eggshells, peat moss, wood ash – gives compost its light, fluffy body.
– Nitrogen: Nitrogen- or protein-rich matter– manures, food scraps, green lawn clippings, kitchen waste, and green leaves – provides raw materials for making enzymes.

A healthy compost pile should have much more carbon than nitrogen. A simple rule of thumb is to use one-third green and two-thirds brown materials. The bulkiness of the brown materials allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms that reside there. Too much nitrogen makes for a dense, smelly, slowly decomposing anaerobic mass. Good composting hygiene means covering fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odours if exposed to open air, with carbon-rich material, which often exudes a fresh and earthy smell.

How to Compost:
1. Start your compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden.
2. Lay carbon material (branches, stems, etc.) a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.
3. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist (nitrogen) and dry (carbon). Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves, sawdust pellets and wood ashes.
4. Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along.
5. Keep compost moist. Water it occasionally, or let the rain do the job.
6. Cover with anything you have – wood, waterproof sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered by rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked.
7. Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning “adds” oxygen. Once you’ve established your compost pile, add new materials by mixing them in, rather than by adding them in layers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion.

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A zero-waste household spray that gives citrus peels a second life. At Desa Potato Head, we turn citrus waste into a natural cleaning spray that is gentle on the Earth and smells great, too.

It only takes three ingredients and a few steps to make this spray at home. It’s totally natural, economical and will save lots of lemon, lime and orange peels from ending up in landfill – which is why we love it.

Here’s how to make it.

Our fresh homemade citrus cleaner

You’ll need
Vinegar
Orange, lemon or lime peels
Water
An empty jar for infusing (at least 300 ml)
An empty spray bottle (preferably glass)

Method
Fill the jar with vinegar, two thirds of the way full. Throw your citrus (orange, lemon, lime) peels in and let them infuse in the vinegar for at least one week. After a week, fill a spray bottle with one part citrus-infused vinegar and one part water, and you’re done.

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Turn waste into natural, chemical-free colours. At Potato Head, all our rugs, robes, throws and other textiles are naturally dyed. We’re constantly amazed at the colours our landscape provides us with.

You don’t need to be a professional to experiment with natural dyes. These paints are quick-and-easy to whip together – creative souls of all ages can make them home. The pigment can be drawn from flowers, fruit and veg or organic kitchen waste. Make the most of whatever’s available and don’t be afraid to play. Use this activity to take your scraps further, entertain the kids, or as a quiet meditative practice. All you’ll need aside from the ingredients is a pestle and mortar to extract the pigment, a sieve, and, of course, a good set of brushes to bring the paint to life on the page.

You’ll need
Plant-based materials such as flowers, soil, leaves, fruit, vegetables
Mortar and pestle
Sieve
Hot water
Brushes and containers
Paper

The process
Gather your materials and extract the pigment by crushing them using pestle and mortar. We suggest items like beets, dragon fruit, strawberries, spinach, red cabbage and turmeric for great colours. Add a small amount of hot water to pull out the dye. The less water you add, the stronger the colour will be. Allow the crushed matter to sit for at least five minutes before straining it through a sieve so it’s ready to use. Also, the longer it sits the stronger the colour will be. Check the consistency. If you’d like it thicker, add limestone or cornstarch and give it a good stir.

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