Flores soil is very fertile. On the fresh markets you will find a variety of Flores grown produce. A great variety of crops are grown, some of which: peanuts, vanilla, cashew and kamiri nuts, rice, corn, sorghum, banana, mango, apples, oranges, ginger, cloves, cassava, carrots, tomato, cabbage, spinach, onions and the famous Flores coffee, both Arabica and Robusta.

Most families on Flores are smallholder farmers, who own plots of land on which they grow subsistence crops. They sell their crops mostly on local fresh markets and to middlemen. Farmers on Flores face many challenges, which are related to low developed infrastructure and the impact of droughts. Many farming communities are located in remote regions and it can takes hours to reach the larger local markets. In general – and especially when not part of a cooperation – farmers do not have direct access to the international markets and most farmers are not familiar with the up dated commodity prices.

Some communities in our network offer farming activities to their guests. Homestay Werong – Lelak has made a transition to organic farming methods. In below video the village chief tells their story.

Fish is brought in daily by local fishermen. The price per kilo varies depending on the season. During the rain season fishermen often can’t go out to sea and these months are harsh, because they have very little income. In the fish markets you will find fresh fish kept on ice and sun dried fish.

In local communities you can try traditional local food, such as Papaya flowers with Cassava leaves, Ubi – roots, roasted or boiled and they come in a lot of varieties. In some communities dog is on the menu, mostly in Ngadha. Just explain that you prefer to eat vegetarian. In East Flores is famous for Jagung Titi, a corn patty.

© Flores Homestay Network by Eco Flores