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Along Seogwipo¡¯s Olle trails, eco-farms get government support
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¡ã An organic greenhouse at Hwanggeumryung Farm Co-op. Photo by Kim Jung Lim


A new “eco-experience farm” will be constructed near an Olle walking trail in Seogwipo City, the third in a government project starting last year to connect Olle eco-tourism to organic agriculture, as well as to increase profits for local farmers.

According to a Seogwipo City announcement on Feb. 27, the third farm site will be selected at the end of March and will be eligible for about 80 million won (US$70,000) in funding (50 million won from the central government, 30 million won from the province).

To qualify, applicant farms are required to be a co-op of at least five certified eco-farms that have been selling organic produce for at least a year. The farming area must be over 3,000m2 and should be accessible to an Olle trail.

According to Seogwipo City officer Lee Byeong Jin, the benefits will be two-fold. Tourists will have the chance to get a first-hand experience of eco-farming, while organic products store profits and a new stream of regular customers will benefit farmers and the local economy.

The Weekly went to one of two eco-farms established last year. Bae Sang Woon, head of Hwanggeumryung Farm Co-op, located near Olle Course No. 12 in Seogwipo City, explained how the farm and burger restaurant, which uses almost entirely locally grown ingredients, operate.

Bae’s eco-experience farm consists of 500 pyeong (1,652m2) of main green houses, two supporting greenhouses of the same size, an 800 pyeong (2,644m2) and a 300 pyeong (991m2) farm, and a building for the organic products store, and a hands-on eco-experience room where people can make soap, perfume, and other organic products.

   
¡ã The experience room for making organic products. Photo by Kim Jung Lim


The main green house was filled with vegetables, most of which are the ingredients for the burgers he sells, like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other plants including gomchwi (Ligularia fischeri, a kind of groundsel). He said the visitors can pick these vegetables and take them home. Bae picked a lettuce leaf straight from the plant and gave it to the reporter. It was indeed sweet and fresh.

As for the bigger farm outside filled with yuchae flowers, he said that he will plant lavender, rosemary, lemon grass, lemon-scented tea tree, bay tree, three kinds of mint, and more. On the other small farm, orderly rows of all these herbs will be on display for the convenience of visitors.

Bae told The Weekly he bought his relatives’ farm 10 years ago and started herb farming and the burger restaurant, though his full-time job was in Seoul. Five years ago, he settled on Jeju.

“When I came to Jeju I found that the farmers are working hard, but those who get the profit were not them but other merchants. I felt there was a structural problem and I wanted to make it right. I hoped to build the system that clients can buy the products directly from the farmers.”

For this reason, Bae decided to form the farm co-op in 2009, then converted his farm into a tourist attraction with experience activities, and applied for the project in 2011. The eco-experience aspect of the farm will open this May at a fee of 15,000 won. He expects to begin promoting the eco-experience farm soon and ramp up the business in 2013 with activities like a May lavender festival.

While the project has fit nicely with Bae’s overall plans, he did say that it’s not ideal for every farm. The government funding only covers construction costs and so there is significant risk of funding problems. He said that in addition to the money the government supplied last year, he had to invest an additional 100 million won himself to get the eco-experience farm off the ground.

“In my case, I already had the system that I can get the ingredients [for the burger] from the members of the co-op, which makes it possible to keep this business and the project. The farmers who applied this year should know that.”

He added, “We aim to build a high value-added business. For example, we can make and sell the oil, soap, or toner cosmetics from the herbs we planted. If other experience farms don’t have that kind of system, the support is just pie in the sky. Without preparation, the risk is very high.”

Finally, he gave advice to future farmers who will manage the eco-experience farms supported by the city. First, marketing is important. Also, the business should be connected to crops the farmer is growing. He recommended that the farm have its own special theme to attract tourists.

“The title and appearance [of this project] is good. I think, however, the city should take more care [of how the farmers spend the money efficiently] when supporting. Because I went through the process, now I know it.”

The eco-experience farm project will end in 2016, with one farm per year set for construction.

¨Ï Jeju Weekly 2009 (http://www.jejuweekly.com)
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