Jiushan Organic Farm Experience with Family

Duration: 1 Day
Time: November

Average Cost per Person: 400 Yuan
With Whom: Family
Style of Play: Cultural, Weekend Getaway
Published on November 30, 2020, at 13:59
Yue was one year old when I learned about a farm founded by my elementary school classmate (an architect, a doctor of architecture, and CEO of UN+ Architecture Firm in the United States) and her architect husband. I have been following their progress and have been feeding Yue with their organically grown vegetables and fruits, especially their winter strawberries which are truly astonishing. I remember using Jiushan’s strawberries to make strawberry jam in 2018 and sharing it with friends, who praised it highly. After three years of anticipation, Yue has finally reached the age to participate in farming activities. Let’s have a farm date with Sister Guoguo!

The week before the Saturday open day, it rained for five days, and the day before was still pouring down, causing much concern. The staff reminded everyone to bring rain boots, and I prepared an extra set of clothes for Yue. Surprisingly, the rain stopped on Saturday, and we miraculously saw the sun after a long absence. The 66-kilometer one-way distance was not an issue. In order to arrive on time, Yue woke up earlier than usual and actively cooperated with dressing and washing, her excitement was indescribable.

Upon entering the farm, Yue, who was visiting for the first time, seemed to be home, with no sense of unfamiliarity. She actively waved and greeted the uncles, aunts, and siblings she met; ran around on the grass; played with the magnetic stickers on the wall; and surprisingly agreed to let her mother leave briefly and play by herself… Yue, who is very sensitive to the environment and atmosphere, was quite satisfied with the place. As a mother, I was very relieved and thought of bringing her here more often.

Upon hearing that Sister Guoguo had arrived, Yue ran towards the gate, telling her brother (who was also the teacher leading the day), ‘Sister Guoguo is here, I’m going to meet her.’ The two little ones were overjoyed to be together again, running, playing in the sand, and washing their hands together… As more children arrived, the activities were about to begin. The farm provided homemade waffles and specially prepared lemongrass lemonade.

[Welcome Snacks] [Autumn Planting of Rapeseed] The teacher prepared rapeseed oil, rapeseed, rapeseed branches, and heating tools produced by the farm. First, a clip from Li Ziqi’s ‘The Life of Rapeseed Oil’ was played; then the teacher began to explain the origin of rapeseed oil, the cultivation process of rapeseed, and fried the rapeseed on the spot, allowing the children to touch the seeds themselves. Learning was enhanced through visual, taste, and touch senses. After the teacher’s lecture, it was time to start planting rapeseed for autumn. Collect rapeseed seedlings, take tools, turn the soil, fertilize, and plant the seedlings.

[Planting Garlic] After successfully completing the rapeseed planting, the teacher rewarded the children with an additional task of planting garlic. Sitting on the ‘field ridge,’ listening to the teacher’s explanation with a big smile, I learned that garlic planted in the fields acts as an organic pesticide, a trick I can also use in my garden.
Peeling garlic, loosening the soil, planting garlic (with the head facing down), and covering it (with soil). The two little ones were quick at planting, so I hurried to loosen the soil for them. They happily took turns snuggling into my arms. After completion, Aunt Shu gave each person a wildflower as a reward. [Feeding the Lambs] After planting, the teacher led us to feed the lambs. Passing by two rabbit homes, we arrived at the lamb’s house. The children competed and fed the lambs with all their might. Aunt Shu made earrings for the two hardworking little ones, truly showing her dexterity and praise. [Rustic Lunch] The highlight was the firewood-cooked vegetable rice and handmade wontons, along with various Chinese and Western meals, all with vegetables from their own farm. A piece of braised pork was placed on the rice, drizzled with a little sauce; Yue had two bowls of wontons by herself, showing how tempting it was. [Nature Walk – Seed Mobilization] Highly recommended, the teacher led the children up slopes, into warm greenhouses, and down to the fields… observing each plant and collecting their seeds. The gifts from the land and nature were thus simply implanted into the children’s hearts. Throughout the day’s activities, the fruits picked included: camphor, field bindweed, crape myrtle, wisteria, rose, mercury, cattail, dandelion, sunflower, cotton… During the breaks of the day’s activities, before and after lunch, in between events, and after the events, the two little ones made full use of every moment to enjoy themselves. Not only did the children like it, but I was also deeply attracted to this place. The original intention of my classmate who started this farm was, ‘I hope to find answers from the land, to treat a piece of land with a new attitude, to observe, nourish, and cultivate it with heart, to experience the essence of nature and life, to connect more with this essence, rather than squandering at the end of the chain.’ Starting from the second half of this year, I began to see videos of her two children on the farm’s public WeChat account, recording every moment in the farm, roasting persimmons, harvesting and threshing rice, weaving straw… These vivid and lovely scenes are heartwarming, and I couldn’t help but leave a message to praise her. She replied that she was touched by my ‘Growth Diary’ for Yue, writing travel notes, and editing photo albums… Although she couldn’t do these, she could take videos of the children in the farm as a gift for their growth. This time, when I met her, she was darker, and she laughed and said, ‘This is already a bit lighter; I was even darker in the summer.’ This is the pride of being down-to-earth, instantly秒杀 my white skin. During the conversation, there were constant whispers of ‘Oh, she is the boss.’ Seeing her evasive eyes, I couldn’t help but think of an interview with her as the president of an architectural design firm: she was unwilling to be called ‘boss.’ Just think, Master Zhang might give you a strategic plan or philosophical concept for urban development, Teacher Zhang might give you a detailed plan with full nodes, but Boss Zhang should give you a New Year’s package with a floor plan plus three effect drawings and a small perspective.
How much do I dread being called ‘boss’? The very mention of it makes me blush and gasp for breath… Is there a worse title than ‘boss’? Yes, there is – ‘boss’s wife’. When I saw this interview, I laughed so hard my stomach ached. After running the farm, she finally got what she wished for, hahaha. The greenhouse is the most attractive spot on the farm for me, look at how beautiful it is designed by this intelligent boss’s wife (original photo from mobile). With two children in mind, the farm has been meticulously planned for kids, even the family restrooms are captivating. At the end of the event, the two little ones were reluctant to leave. I’ve decided, I’ll bring Yue to see the seasons and be accompanied by plants and crops. Tips: 1/ Jiusan Farm operates on a membership basis and is not open to the public; 2/ There are members’ open days every month; occasionally, there are open days for individual visitors, with limited spots, which are quite hard to secure; 3/ Jiusan Farm promotes an organic lifestyle. The farm offers detailed introductions, and organic fruits and vegetables for sale. Thank you to all the friends who appeared on November 28th for the event!

Related Content：

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply