CHINA-choosing my paradise to be. Permaculture in China. Asia

[pebble]

Thanks for the update. Sorry you've had those problems but it does sound wise to step back a bit. Do the leases have rights of renewal?

[sourdoughmudmaven]

Hi!
I am almost ready to buy a ticket to china (one way) and am hoping to visit permaculture farms. I am thinking of leaving colorado in June or July and staying indefinitely. I just spent the last 4 months getting Toby Hemenway to boulder, and planning that event, but now I am unsettled and need to figure out what to do. If you have found land or have contacts for people who are working on permaculture in China, I would love for their contact information. Also, it would be great to get updates of what you are doing! I have been practicing and learning permaculture for 6 years, I have created intentional community, I have worked on a permacluture farm in palestine, I have lived in china, and I am easy and fun to be around! Would you have room to have me hanging around for a bit?
Thanks for any information!
Tiffany

[Hongyun Wu]

Hi, Kevin:

There is a little donkey farm in Beijing that you can visit http://www.littledonkeyfarm.com/index.aspx ). The farm is supported by Renmin University of China, they are experimenting "CSA" (Community supports Agriculture) and sustainable farming is integral part of what they are promoting, and as I know there is a CSA network forming in China. Through this network, you might now more organic farming, or permaculture or what ever labled agriculture. China has thousand of years of farming pratice, a lot of farming wisdoms just being abandoned in the recent 30 years. So much to know before you start. Good luck.

That's not my blog Kelvin (I haven't been to China), but the person who wrote has been to China and I'd suggest contacting them.

Also in the other link are several people, including one in China currently:

[Hongyun Wu]

Hi, Kevin:

Are you in Shenzhen now? I am in Hong Kong? Hope we can meet some time.

Cheers,
Hongyun(If you log in WPN and you will be able to find me)

[rabble]

Hi there,

This is my first post. I was reading the forum to see if I could get any information about doing some volunteering on a farm while I am in holidays in Australia when I came across Kevin's post.

I have been living and working in China for nearly 10 years. I live in a large city, Dongguan in Guangdong province.

I am lucky in that I have a small garden. The apartment was new when I moved in 3 years ago and just basically clay. I have improved it no end and things are growing more by luck than design. A papaya tree self seeded while I was on holidays and is enormous, flowers are begnning to form near the trunk. I digress. A friend of a friend (Chinese) is in the process of renting more land that would adjoin his land, he wants to make some sort of living a tourist thing. Once he has signed a contract we will go and have a look (prices automaticaly go up if seen sniffing around) and come up with ideas. I like the idea of an eco village. I remember hearing about a very famous man that wrote the encyclopedia of farming. He gave advice on every aspect of running a farm and a household. I thought that was interesting at the time but I didn't write down his name. If any readers could give me his name or a link, most grateful.
I was thinking that to make reference to ancient farming methods in the eco village would be more successful and relevent than imposing a forieng blueprint, if you catch my meaning. Chinese are becoming more interested in green and clean food. I can now buy organic rice, buckwheat and loads of others in my local supermarket
Kevin last October holidays I was invited to a beautiful spot in the neighbouring province. We traveled in a convoy of 5 cars and stayed in a very small village, like you I fell in love with the place and wanted to rent land build a house and so on. It is truely fantastic. I slept on the roof one night beneath a sky filled with more stars than I had seen since I camped in the desert in Australia.
The landlord wanted me to rent his land 3000Rmb for 1 mu a year and attract tourists. This wonderfull little hamlet had great attractions brillilliant caves stone mountains home to moinority groups. The area has a reputation for long life. There is a river that looks like the Chinese character for long life.
Wonderful mud brick houses.
Unfortunately the locals are turningthe stone mountains (which are protected) into building bricks. It ischeaper for them to build with these bricks than the labour to make the mud ones.

I really think I am a frustrated farmer, living in isolation from like minded people. The closest I get to a farming community is when I commandeered the plastic bags of grass clippings and dig them into my garden. I gave some of the gardeners some hot chestnuts for their afternoon tea and was rewarded with a bag of white crystals which I took to be fertilizer. I sprinkled them on the my camelias (I think they are camelias) and they actually flowered for the first time.

I am rabbiting on a bit, I get few opportunitiesto talk about gardens/farming.

Anyway I will have 2 months holiday, July and August. I would love to offer my labour for the chance to work on a farm.

Also I can offer accommodation for any of the forum members who may be passing through.

Regards
Rabble

[rabble]

Hi
I am new to the forum. I wrote a very long post which for some resson hasn't been posted. I did write to the MOD team.
I alos live and work in China and have a small garden which I started from scratch more a flower.shrub garden than anything edible. Although my grape vine is in it's second year and bearing fruit. Last year something ate the fruit as it ripened. I blame it on a couple of suspicious butterflies.

Anyway today I have created a raised bed into which I have been putting vegggie scraps and grass clippings over the years, it is fairly friable although mostly clay. I dug in some bags of potting mix. Spread seeds, lettuce, both cos and rocket, bell chili peppers, dill, basil and some parlsley.
I have been trying with limited success in small pots and now I am going out on a limb and sowing directly in the ground. The garden bed gets full direct sunlight for most of the day, so I have erected a shade cloth over the bed. I will look up how to make a natural pesticide as they get into the seedlings.

I will go back to Australia at the end of the month for 2 months holiday and would be interested in doing some volunteer work on a farm.

Thanks for the link to the worms, may look into it when I get back.
Rabble

[yunnan_sam]

Hi,

For all of you with an interest in permaculture in China, you might be interested in the new thread I just started: http://forums.permaculture.org.au/sh...5-PDC-in-China

Sam

[fmaglia]

Dear Kelvin, I wonder if you have already chosen the place to establish and how is it going!? Me and my girlfriend are heading to China and would highly consider to volunteer in such project.
All the best!