China: A growing trend in urban farming
Chen notes that many of his customers are parents who rent plots primarily to teach their kids about science and nature and how farming works.
By He Qi
China Daily Global
2023-03-03
Excerpt:
Eager for a quick escape from hectic city life, more and more people are picking up hoes and shovels to grow their own vegetables in the countryside, He Qi reports.
Shanghai is known as a highly urbanized megacity that is home to futuristic skyscrapers, but behind this modern facade lies a growing movement that hearkens back to its past.
In recent years, shared vegetable plots have been sprouting in the city’s suburban districts of Minhang, Baoshan and Qingpu as more white-collar workers turn to farming to unwind and escape the pressures of city life.
Among these individuals is Yang Rui, who, on weekends, drives his family from their home in downtown Shanghai to the All-Happy City, a shared ecological farm in Minhang, where he has rented a 20-square-meter vegetable plot for 1,600 yuan ($233.6) per year.
The family tends radish, lettuce and other vegetables they have planted.
When they aren’t around during the week, professionals take over the reins and perform whatever chores are needed.
This farm has about 200 members, some of whom even rear chickens and ducks that roam in the fields.
Founded by Chen Yougui in October, the shared farm spans about 13.33 hectares and comes with shared vegetable plots, barbecue pits and leisure areas.
The rental fees of farming plots can range from 199 yuan for a 5-square-meter plot for six months to more than 10,000 yuan, depending on the size and services provided.
