Youth learning, practice, reflections, and programme records in ecological farming settings.
A year ago, I decided to leave a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture and head straight to the frontlines of cultivation. I wanted to observe and reflect on the practical workings of ecological farming, experience rural life as a semi-farmer, and explore the possibilities of putting ecological agriculture…
Early in 2024, Foodthink opened applications for the third edition of our Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme. Our aim is to connect young people eager to pursue careers in ecological agriculture with established eco-farms. This will equip the newcomers with practical farming knowledge and skills, while allowing experienced growers to document…
Foodthink Says Organic farming is no pastoral idyll, and young people joining Foodthink’s Lianhe Project ecological farming internship programme have long been mentally prepared for this. Yet, once out in the fields, through day-to-day labour and observation, they develop an entirely fresh perspective on farmers, ecological agriculture and farm management,…
Since its establishment in August 2017, Foodthink has chronicled the stories of dozens of small-scale ecological farmers across the country. Standing apart from conventional agriculture, they have navigated numerous setbacks and learned through costly experience. Yet, after years of dedication, they have amassed a wealth of practical expertise in production…
In Part One of “Internship Notes from a Desert Oasis”, I attempted to revert to my instincts as a business journalist, examining the operational struggles faced by ecological farms. Yet, during my two-month internship at Zhiliangtian Farm in Alxa, being a barista was, in reality, my day-to-day routine at the…
In May, I left my job, said a temporary goodbye to Beijing, and headed to the Zhi Liang Tian Ecological Farm in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, where I spent two months. I didn’t expect that during my first month at the farm, I would be drinking every single day. Two-thirds of…
In early 2023, Foodthink opened applications for the second cohort of its “Eco-Agriculture Internship Programme”. Our aim is to connect young people aspiring to work in eco-agriculture with well-established eco-farms. This initiative equips newcomers with practical farming knowledge and techniques, ensures that the hard-won expertise of seasoned growers is documented…
Foodthink Says Last Monday, we shared why more than a dozen young people decided to hit pause on their city lives. So why, instead of choosing to ‘lie flat’, have they headed to the countryside to learn farming and embrace a more labour-intensive, challenging way of life? Here are a…
Foodthink’s Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme was originally conceived to foster a mutual learning and collaborative relationship between young people keen to return home and pursue ecological farming, and seasoned growers who have already amassed rich hands-on experience. The aim was to help the next generation of farmers reduce the trial-and-error…
Foodthink Says Since the launch of Foodthink’s Phase 2 Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme, we have received a steady stream of application forms. Thank you all for your interest and support! We have been progressively reaching out to suitable applicants and arranging in-depth interview discussions. By the end of this month,…
