Some people simplify the attitude of life represented by "organic farm" to "slow life". So what should such a "slow life" look like? In addition to deliberately slowing down the pace of life, opposing pollution and noise, supporting green energy and traditional manual labor, I always feel more relaxed. If the heart is slow, life will be slow, and in the face of green mountains and green waters and pastoral tastes, it will be more persistent.
Series (1) organic farmer Charles
As early as 1986, Charles began to adopt organic agriculture. At that time, most people knew nothing about organic food, which was contrary to "modern agriculture". For the lack of appreciation of the outside world, Charles laughed and said that "it is boring without laughter." Fortunately, now people have realized that environmental protection is really important. Maybe people will say, "Charles did the right thing in the past!" "
"I can only say that for some reason, I feel that if I don't treat nature well and can't keep my balance, she will repay you in the same way." Prince Charles wrote in the book Organic Manor Elements. He took good care of every detail of Hargreaves Manor, hoping to inspire others to protect the rural scenery of England together.
Every year, Prince Charles shows his new trend of environmental protection on his farm. Like his organic kitchen. The ingredients in his kitchen are all grown on organic farms, and vegetables and fruits are everywhere. The prince even wrote an organic cookbook with great interest. If people want to know what special royal recipes the organic prince has studied, just go to the bookstore and buy one. The menu is divided into four seasons, and the ingredients are, of course, organic vegetables and fruits that Charles admires. See what Prince Charles named his special dishes: Prince's chicken wings, Queen's barbecue and Camilla macaroni.
As many as 30,000 people visit Prince Charles' organic farm every year. It's easy to be a visitor. Just write to the administrator of the manor. When the number of applicants reaches 25, the administrator will organize the registered visitors to visit Prince Organic Farm from April to 10. But there is no need to bring a camera, because it is strictly forbidden to take pictures in the prince's experimental field.
Charles knows a lot about running organic farms. 10 years ago, he founded his own food company, which specializes in planting and cultivating crops by organic methods. The company's products are called "Duke Original Flavor", the most famous of which are bacon and Yorkshire pies, as well as hamburgers and old-fashioned rock candy made by local families in Yorkshire. The company brings Charles millions of pounds in profits every year, which is an important part of his income.
Promoting English Taoyuan Life
Hargreaves Manor is only a part of Prince Charles' family's environmental protection home life, and he even promoted this return to traditional life in a small town. The town of Poundbury, located in Dorset, southwest England, is another experimental field for the prince-trying a traditional and environmentally friendly lifestyle.
There are no environmental protection facilities that need huge investment, and buildings that have no sense of industrial design. What you can see is only low-rise residential buildings. Besides, there are several small factories, schools and post offices. These houses are built in the style of traditional farmhouses, along streets several meters wide. Most of the building materials used are traditional materials that have been used locally for thousands of years, and even the sidewalks are paved with pebbles instead of cement. Narrow streets, convenient living quarters and even factories are close to residential buildings. Prince Charles's purpose is very clear, and local residents are not encouraged to drive.
All this gives people the illusion of going back in time. No wonder when Prince Charles put forward this plan, he was strongly opposed by many economists, urban planners and architects. Now, it has become the "Peach Blossom Garden" of Britain. In terms of personal travel, Prince Charles himself set an example. The prince converted his Aston car to "drink" wine instead of gasoline. This Aston car consumes an average of 65,438+0 gallons of fuel per 65,438+00 miles, which is equivalent to four and a half bottles of wine per mile. Biofuels are only a little cheaper than traditional gasoline, but carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 85%. "Although this Aston only runs 300 miles a year, the prince still hopes that this car is environmentally friendly." Charles defender Mike Pitt said.
Series (2) Beijing Garden Garden: Organic food changes life
Core Tip: The idea of Zhu Jian's organic farm is to create pure nature and return to nature. Therefore, on his farm, he completely abides by the traditional agricultural laws and natural laws of China, does not use pesticides and fertilizers, but relies on the natural circulation system between organisms to establish the circulation of nutrients in the system.
The roast duck is on the table, and Zhu Jian enthusiastically suggested that we use perilla leaves instead of lotus leaf cakes. I tried it with a grain of salt, and the taste was unique, which lured everyone to do it again and again. A plate of perilla immediately bottomed out. Zhu Jian asked the waiter to add another dish, while regretfully saying, "It's cold now, and the perilla leaves are a little small. It is hot in spring and summer, long and big, and it is also enjoyable to eat. " As soon as the topic changed, he began to talk to us about the properties of perilla and how it was recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica.
Sitting in the "Bird's Nest" of the National Stadium, this restaurant thought its unique geographical location was its main card game, but I didn't expect the food to be so amazing. It may not be appropriate to say amazing. The food here is so simple that your taste buds seem to taste the fragrance of the field breeze. For example, ordinary ingredients such as Chinese cabbage, simply mix a salad without fancy sauce, so that you can taste a touch of sweetness between chewing. It is surprising that Chinese cabbage stutters so sweetly. At this time, Zhu Jian showed a sly smile and told us that all these ingredients were grown on his own organic farm. No wonder they taste so original. He turned around and said solemnly, "Actually, I am a farmer."
Opening a restaurant is more like an interest, and organic farms are Zhu Jian's serious business. In the early 1990s, he was still working in Agricultural University, when he cooperated with a Japanese company on a project to produce and distribute nutritious meals for students in the school cafeteria. This cooperation made him understand "organic food" for the first time. At that time, the concept of "organic" had not appeared in China. Since then, he has been thinking about the idea of "organic agriculture". Two years later, he participated in another project, building a comprehensive building, with the aim of providing standard research animals for scientific research institutions such as universities and hospitals. When the building was built, he was very shocked that "standard animals" could hardly be found. Before that, he didn't deeply realize the influence of environmental pollution on our lives. So he began to look for suitable land, although it was not smooth. After about four or five years, I finally found a nearly perfect land in Lixian Town, Daxing, Beijing.
Daxing's ecological environment has been very superior since ancient times. The land belongs to the Yongding River impact plain, and the groundwater resources are very rich. The climate belongs to warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. The royal gardens of Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties were all built there. The 200 mu of land found by Zhu Jian has basically been idle for nearly ten years, and has not used chemical fertilizers and pesticides and has not been polluted by industry. The surrounding environment also meets the requirements and standards of international "organic agriculture". His garden organic farm was finally established.
In this 200-mu farm, about 150 mu is used to grow fruits and vegetables, and the rest is used for breeding. This ratio has been carefully calculated.
The idea of Zhu Jian's organic farm is to create pure nature and return to nature. Therefore, on his farm, he completely abides by the traditional agricultural laws and natural laws of China, does not use pesticides and fertilizers, but relies on the natural circulation system between organisms to establish the circulation of nutrients in the system. For example, leafy vegetables should be avoided when the temperature is high and the pests are intensified and the damage to leafy vegetables is very great. If the temperature rises rapidly and the leafy vegetables that have not been grown or harvested are chewed seriously by insects, they will no longer be considered for sale, but will be used as feed for chickens or pigs.
Similarly, the feces of chickens and pigs are natural fertilizers for plant crops. How much land can be fertilized by the feces of a chicken or pig can be calculated in advance. On the farm, the laws of nature are the only laws. "Eating from time to time" is the same in agricultural planting, following the natural attributes of living things, and planting what should be planted when; You can't use pesticides to repel insects, you have to find a way to solve it through the wonderful relationship between physical means and living things. The most basic thing is to use insect nets to prevent butterflies and moths from laying eggs on leafy vegetables and minimize the chance of pests; In addition, insect traps, yellow boards and other tools should be used to attract flying insects, and then artificial treatment should be carried out.
Burning some grass leaves and smoking is also a method, but Zhu Jian does not tend to adopt it. He is more willing to plant some herbs with natural taste that can alternately repel mosquitoes, so that creatures can naturally "coexist", but they must carefully choose the species that are suitable for each other and cannot affect the taste of fruits and vegetables. Now the farm is preparing to raise fish. In addition to rich varieties, pond mud is a good organic fertilizer, which can help the nutrient circulation system of the farm to be more complete and stable.
With academic background and more than ten years of practice, Zhu Jian has both the experimental temperament of researchers and the practical spirit of farmers. His organic farm also has strong advantages. Relying on the technical support of Agricultural University and Academy of Agricultural Sciences in planting and breeding, some parks on the farm have also been designated as experimental bases of Agricultural University. He is most proud of practicing on the farm land, failing, practicing again, failing again ... and finally solving the problems that many university researchers failed to solve. Because of various objective conditions and reasons, most researchers in the school only focus on a single major, such as only studying fruits and vegetables or leafy vegetables, and there is little overlap between disciplines. Organic farm is a big experimental field, which is also difficult for professional colleges to do.
The products of his organic farm have been sent to government canteens, school canteens and supermarkets in Hong Kong. During the 2008 Olympic Games, be responsible for food delivery in designated venues. Later, the "Bird's Nest" had the demand for commercial development and successfully reached cooperation. For Zhu Jian, he hopes to provide a window for his organic farm through the carrier of Bird's Nest Restaurant, so that more people have the opportunity to understand what organic products, organic agriculture and the impact of organic products on our lives and environment, and realize his dream of "organic food changing life".
Series of organic experimental field beside Yangcheng Lake (III)
Stephanie (Zhu Xiumei) is a farmer in Yuefeng Island. She studied environmental science and was very good at agricultural production. She told me that it was all about "watching the weather". "We prohibit the use of pesticides, fertilizers and plant growth hormones, and do not plant genetically modified organisms during the planting process, so that the land can be managed sustainably and biodiversity can be protected from external chemical pollution." Moreover, Yuefeng Island is also eaten from time to time, that is, fruits and vegetables that are not out of season will not be planted, and they will be cultivated in full accordance with the growth law of plants. In this way, the same piece of soil may not appear in different seasons, and several different vegetables may be planted. In this way, Yuefeng Island can harvest almost 70 kinds of vegetables and 10 kinds of fruits a year.
In the planning of Yangcheng Lake Fermon Hotel, Yuefeng Island is not only a vegetable basket of the hotel, but also a green community for the surrounding residents. It wants to promote a healthy and organic life, taking a road called "community supported agriculture", that is, one end is connected with producers and the other is connected with consumers. It is hoped that through the joint efforts of both sides, thousands of years of farming tradition in the south of the Yangtze River will become the antidote to the current food system full of potential safety hazards.
In Yuefeng Island, there are two main ways for guests to participate in this organic community. First, you can rent land, one year 1500 yuan, and you can rent 30 square meters of land; Second, the distribution share, vegetables 12 yuan/kg, customers pay in advance, and distribute according to the farm output every Friday. "According to the current situation, guests prefer the latter," Stephanie said. "More than 80 families have participated in our vegetable distribution project, and this number is gradually increasing."
This year, they also plan to build several houses on the farm. "They all use local building materials and invite famous designers, but the building will be simpler and advocate nature, mainly to provide guests with a place to rest." Stephanie said. She and several colleagues are working happily on this land by the lake, perhaps as they recorded on their blogs: organic agriculture is a state of mind. "City life is like hollowing you out. It keeps taking things from you, and finally you have no money or energy; However, nature gave you everything without asking. There are stars, the moon, rivers and the best food. Here, every day will be full of strength. "
Series (4) Bali: Green School in Taoyuan
Core Tip: At present, the school provides environmental education for children aged 3-/kloc-0-6. In each class, a local person will lead the students to farm, and the children will harvest, thresh and thresh themselves, and then take the rice to the mill and grind it into brown rice instead of polished rice. Students come from all over the world, most of whom are foreign children who have settled in Bali with their parents.
About 30 years ago, John Hardy, a young Canadian, just turned 25. He intended to travel around the world, but the trip was only the beginning and the end. At the first stop of his journey, he met his future wife Cynthia. They fell in love at first sight and were fascinated by Bali where they met.
Because they also have great enthusiasm for jewelry design, they bought land in Bali, built their own house and factory, and jointly founded the jewelry brand John Hardy. The customs of Bali have influenced the couple's creative style and made them more and more famous in the jewelry industry. After more than 20 years' efforts, John Hardy has changed from a very small company to a large enterprise with 65,438+0,200 employees.
Just as their career was booming, the couple decided to sell the jewelry company and turn to the education industry. Many reports said that it was because Cynthia took her husband to watch the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which made him feel the same way and determined to do his best to let more children study and live in a better environment. So, preparations began in 2006, and in 2008, a school named Green School was born, where children not only learned knowledge, but also learned about organic life.
The school is located in Sibang, Katia, far from Denpasar and Ubud, where there are tourists everywhere. This is a school without walls, built between the mountains at one end of the Argonne River. I can only park my car in the distance and walk there by car. Starting from the giant bamboo bridge across the Agung River-no, it should start from the bamboo house on this side of the bridge-Green School shows its love for the environment with the attitude of "bamboo paradise". For example, in the bamboo bridge, apart from bamboo and local thatch Alang Alang, we can't find a screw, and there is also a school theater. The roof with a span of more than 30 meters is unique in the world and becomes the largest bamboo building. Similar buildings can be seen everywhere in green schools. Their designer, Aldo Landweher from the United States, died two years ago and spent five years thinking about how to build huge buildings with bamboo. Here, it was awarded the "Asian Design Award" by Hong Kong Design Center.
However, green schools are not only "green" in appearance, but also "green" in content. This is a school with low energy consumption. In all aspects of implementation, schools take green as the top priority. The open architecture makes the school full of wind and does not need air conditioning at all. At the same time, the school relies on water and electricity, replacing perishable canvas roofs with recyclable plastics, and replacing writing whiteboards with car windshields. The food is also quite green. Teachers and schools have an organic lunch at school every day. They eat simple rice, only salads mixed with bread, vegetables, tomato slices and cucumbers, and meat without frying. No soup, no drinks, only boiled water.
At present, the school provides environmental education for children aged 3 to 16, creating a real experience of living and studying in the jungle for these children. Students come from all over the world, most of them are foreign children who have settled in Bali with their parents, and local children account for about 20%. Schools are also slowly compiling their own textbooks, and teachers even learn the essence from universities around the world, such as Oxford University, to find content and courses suitable for teaching children. But the outdoor stadium is a feature here. Each grade has its own vegetable garden, and a local leads the students in farming. Children will harvest, thresh and beat their own rice, and then take the rice to the mill and grind it into brown rice instead of polished rice. They will also cook and eat by themselves, so that they can understand that every grain on the plate is hard. On the one hand, it helps them to know all kinds of vegetables, on the other hand, it is a kind of physical exercise, on the other hand, it ensures the self-sufficiency of the school.
Tourists visit the school every day, and sometimes they stay for a free organic lunch. It is hard for outsiders to imagine such a life, but they are immersed in it. Fortunately, green schools gradually promoted the development of surrounding green industries, people built green houses, environmental protection enterprises settled in, and green hotels opened. This area is gradually developing into a green community, approaching the green dream of the Hardys step by step.
Series (5) Thousand Island Lakeside: Organic and Luxury
Core Tip: "Xianggu" has its charm all year round. Autumn is the season when fruits are ripe, including peaches, pears, handfuls, oranges and chestnuts. The fruits that have not been picked this year will eventually fall into the soil and become fertilizer in the coming year. In winter, friends will cheerfully move the kitchen tables and chairs to the terrace by the lake, and then put a plate of charcoal fire to keep warm, and that terrace is the smallest place in Xianggu.
In 2002, Chen Yaoguang, the design director of Hangzhou E-commerce and a master of interior design, hit it off with two friends and rented a peninsula with 350 acres of orchards in Qiandao Lake for 50 years. Three people have different occupations, one is a designer, the other is a professor who studies media, and the other is a doctor of biological science. At first, there was a lot of imagination about the use of the peninsula. As a friend of biological science, I want to plant organic plants that can extract aromatherapy and essential oil all over the mountains, which can provide natural fragrance for my friends in addition to research; A friend who studies media has a beautiful view of Xanadu in his mind. He hopes that Chen Yaoguang can give full play to his advantages and design interesting buildings and interesting landscapes. However, Chen Yaoguang thinks that design is redundant here. "We originally chose this place to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city. If we continue to build luxurious buildings here, it will be tantamount to entering a small space in the city after arriving in a rural area. "
So, he just drew a simple sketch, invited local craftsmen, and asked them to build two huts with the craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation and local wood and stones. Like the local beauty, this peninsula also has a poetic name called "Xianggu". The reason for this nickname is that the doctor of biology wants to grow flowers and plants.
It takes about two hours to reach Xianggufang near Qiandao Lake from downtown Hangzhou. In fact, Chen Yaoguang often drives there because he is very concerned about some things on the island. Sometimes he thinks whether the peach blossoms on the island are in full bloom, sometimes he misses the local eggs on the island, and sometimes he feels that he hasn't seen the "island life" for a long time.
Daosheng is a little boy who lives in Aromatherapy Valley. His parents are from Jiangxi. Seven years ago, he began to help Chen Yaoguang and them look after everything on the peninsula. Daosheng was born there. He is six years old this year. Because he was born and raised on the island, Chen Yaoguang gave him a name "Daosheng".
For the students on the island, the happiest thing is to see Chen Yaoguang coming to the island with a group of people. There are new faces every time, but the same thing is that he will receive many gifts. Chen Yaoguang will run around the island with classmates on the island, see flowers when there are flowers, pick fruits when there are fruits, or row boats in the lake. The happiest thing for island parents is to prepare delicious meals for island owners and their friends. Eating eggs laid by native chickens on the island, vegetables grown on private plots, local pork cut in small towns and cooking with firewood and earthen stoves are the real green foods.
"Xianggu" has its charm all year round. In spring, peach blossoms are in full bloom, which is a good time for an outing; In summer, some people like to go boating to the small island in the middle of the lake for fishing, while Chen Yaoguang often spends half a day in the lake wearing a star-spangled banner bath towel. Autumn is the season when fruits are ripe. There are peaches, pears, stalks, oranges and chestnuts, all of which grow naturally. The fruits that have not been picked this year will eventually fall into the soil and become fertilizer in the coming year. It's a little cold in winter, but friends will move the kitchen tables and chairs to the terrace by the lake with great interest, put a plate of charcoal fire to keep warm, and sometimes simply barbecue them, and that terrace is the smallest place in the Aromatherapy Valley. When these city people want to leave, Chen Yaoguang will put the instant fruit into a small bag and let them take it home in the trunk of the car.
Sometimes, Chen Yaoguang and others will be jealous of the happy family on the island. They can live in such a beautiful place all day. Although they are the masters here, they are often not here, so they can only wander around and fight for a better life. But sometimes I feel happy when I think of such a peninsula waiting for me in a beautiful place. At least I feel happier than others. Because no matter how busy and tired, there is still this warm corner.
For Chen Yaoguang, who is bent on returning to nature, real relaxation is hard to achieve and find in the city, but he can approach this luxury infinitely in Xianggufang. This island is like one of his children, where he can completely relax, feel the four distinct seasons, experience the tranquility of water waves and the cool breeze blowing from the lake, which is the most natural thing and does not need any machines.
He said that his favorite thing in a day is the evening, especially in nature, which is different from the evening in the city. He often sits on the steps of the hut, lights a cigarette and makes a pot of tea, quietly watching the sunshine disappear in front of Qiandao Lake. "The morning sunshine gives people hope, but the evening is memorable. Remember what you did on this day. The sunset glow is the most beautiful, because it disappears the most.