Initial broadcast - 8:00 pm Friday July 31, 2015
To listen to the show's initial broadcast, please visit here and click on the headphone icon.
In our episode on Urban Farming, we sit down with local farmer Fai Hui of Wild Roots Organic Farm and co-founder of Gogreenhongkong.com to learn about the value of soil and organic farming. He also shares about some of the challenges facing farmers in Hong Kong -- yes, there’s farmers in Hong Kong! Fai explains what soil is and why it’s so special. It turns out that soil is a highly undervalued resource, and we’re using it up faster than it can be replaced, just like we’re doing with fossil fuels. We also discuss what “organic farming” really means and why it’s, in many ways, a better method for growing food. Fai also tells us how pesticides and herbicides, which you often find in conventional farms, are damaging to our environment and health.
In Hong Kong, very little of our vegetables and fruits are produced locally (around 2%), but there are some concerns about this low number. For example, Fai raised a very important point that Hong Kong has banned certain pesticides and herbicides, but these are still allowed in China. So, food grown with these banned substances can still be imported and sold in Hong Kong! In the show, we discuss the government’s plans to develop an “agripark” to help revitalize farming in Hong Kong, and Fai raises several concerns about the plans. But it is still encouraging, as Fai points out, that if we use our resources wisely we could potentially grow about 20% of our produce locally in Hong Kong.
A theme throughout the show is that we need to realign our priorities regarding food. Better farming practices involve more work, and thereby food grown sustainably costs more, but it’s an investment well worth making. Later in the series, we’ll continue to discuss about sustainable food choices and what “organic” labelling means.
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| (Photo by K. Davies) |
A theme throughout the show is that we need to realign our priorities regarding food. Better farming practices involve more work, and thereby food grown sustainably costs more, but it’s an investment well worth making. Later in the series, we’ll continue to discuss about sustainable food choices and what “organic” labelling means.
How You Can Get Involved
Eat Seasonally
Fai talked eating seasonally is good for the environment, which means eating vegetables during the time of the year they grow. Some examples in Hong Kong are:
Winter Vegetables
lettuce, broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, squash plants (zucchini), kale
Eat Seasonally
Fai talked eating seasonally is good for the environment, which means eating vegetables during the time of the year they grow. Some examples in Hong Kong are:
Winter Vegetables
lettuce, broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, squash plants (zucchini), kale
Summer Vegetables
cucumbers, okra (ladyfingers), eggplant (aubergine), long beans, Chinese leafy greens (water spinach, morning glory or ong choi), bitter melon
cucumbers, okra (ladyfingers), eggplant (aubergine), long beans, Chinese leafy greens (water spinach, morning glory or ong choi), bitter melon
Gardening Yourself
There are actually many opportunities to get involved with gardening yourself in Hong Kong! Here is a list of some gardens you can visit or join to grow your own vegetables:
- Leisure and Culture Services Department Community Gardening (Note: We’ve heard it’s hard to get one of the community plots, but still a lot of information on their site!)
- A friend has also recommended Mr. Chu who runs a garden, where you can pay for a plot and collect your vegetables when they’re ready.
Buy Local Vegetables
At markets:
- Star Ferry Pier Markets, every Wednesday and Sunday.
- Island East Market in Tai Koo runs seasonally every Sunday.
- Lions Nature Education Centre in Sai Kung sells local vegetables on Sunday.
- Kam Sheung Road Station often has local people selling some vegetables they grow.
- Wild Roots Organic Farm, contact Fai and pick up the vegetables in Central from his wife (the ultimate urban/farming duo!).
Local food delivery:
- Au Law Organic Farm (Site is in Chinese, but click “order form” and you can download an English order form, which is updated every Sunday. Delivery usually next day!)
Additional information about farmers markets is here: http://www.hkmarkets.org/en/
What community gardening plots or local farmers are we forgetting? Please share if you know of others!
Key Vocabulary
renewable resource 再生能源
soil 泥土
earth (soil) 土地
unsustainable 不能永續的
monoculture 單一栽培
agripark 農業園
highly undervalued 價值遠被低估
pesticides 農藥
herbicides 殺草劑
crop (farm crop)農作物
synthetic fertilizers 化學合成肥料
brown sites and greenfield sites 棕土和綠化地
Resources
Country park enclaves to revitalize farming: http://www.scmp.com/video/hong-kong/1823847/how-eco-tourism-may-help-revive-vacant-centuries-old-hong-kong-villages
Article about Hong Kong food: http://modernfarmer.com/2013/08/hong-kong-imports-over-90-of-its-food-can-it-learn-to-grow/
Credits
A special thank you to Fai Hui of Wild Roots Organic FarmKathryn Davies - Producer & Host
Fei Hung - Co-host
Music by Steve Reich (Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards; Tokyo, Vermont Counterpoint)
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