Forget the rat race: let the kids run wild on the farm! | Food Talk Vol.17
In Europe and Japan, there is a long history of children learning through nature and agriculture. Every year, primary school pupils are organised by their schools to visit the fields to learn how to sow, nurture, and produce food—moving from the classroom to the outdoors, and from spring ploughing to the autumn harvest. This trend has now reached China, and the “Birds and Singing Insects” farm in Miyun, Beijing, is one such place dedicated to nature and food education.
In this episode, we are joined by Yi Fang from the “Birds and Singing Insects” farm and Xiao Yunsheng from the Beijing Organic Farmers Market. Together with our host, Xiao Jing, these three mothers living in Beijing all work in fields related to nature and agriculture. In their conversation, they not only share heartwarming stories of their own children’s encounters with nature, but also uncover the unique significance of the farm for a child:
In today’s increasingly urbanised and industrialised environment, “Nature Deficit Disorder” is becoming more prevalent; a farm can serve as a vital catalyst for reconnecting with the natural world.
Food involves hidden production processes that exist far beyond urban life. By experiencing food production up close on a farm, children can gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and society.
Most importantly, the knowledge gained from books must be linked to the real world to move beyond abstraction and achieve a sense of authenticity. A farm is the perfect place to discover these tangible connections—replacing the sterility of the desk with the richness of nature, tempering the desire for instant gratification through the slow process of harvesting, and soothing the anxiety of hyper-competition with the uncertainty of “relying on the heavens” for one’s food.
Progress and growth are about more than just the relentless pressure of the academic rat race. Listen to what they have to say in the programme.
Our Guests
Yi Fang
Co-founded the Birds and Singing Insects farm in 2018 in partnership with Jinkuoluo Village, Miyun. Before becoming a farmer, she spent over a decade as an agricultural project officer for an international organisation, travelling the world.
Xiao Yunsheng
A former journalist and amateur farmer who has spent ten years selling produce at the Beijing Organic Farmers Market.
Our Host
Xiao Jing
A newcomer to the world of food and agriculture, currently studying food and biodiversity, and a mother of two. After being an adult for so long, she has found it strange and wonderful that no matter where they go, children’s favourite things are still playing in the sand and crunching through fallen leaves.
Timeline
06:59 A full cycle has passed, and the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market has been running for 12 years: vegetables taste like vegetables, meat tastes like meat, and shopping for food comes with a genuine human touch.
09:44 Do children have an innate love for nature? We discuss children visiting the market with their parents, those who spend 12 hours jumping around the farm, those who spent their childhoods on European farms, and those who overcame their fear of insects in Mongolian yurts.
17:16 Humans have evolved in nature for tens of millions of years; we won’t experience a genetic mutation just because of a century of industrialisation.
20:20 The Dutch documentary *The Garden School*: Nature education is a compulsory subject for primary and secondary students in countries across Europe and Japan. Is the goal for every child to master farming and become a high-tech farmer?
30:55 Children visiting the farmers’ market don’t experience a sense of food scarcity in their daily lives. Instead of forcing delayed gratification or sticking to a 100-day challenge, why not try planting a seed, or waiting through the summer for a peach to ripen naturally?
38:12 P-Cheng, the baker at “Birds & Singing Insects”: After graduating from Peking University Law School, what is it like to make bread on a farm?
41:31 The significance of agricultural life for children: The idea of “living by the weather” means embracing uncertainty to the fullest—something missing from contemporary education, which pursues probability and stability.
44:46 Rediscovering the biodiversity of the land on an ecological farm.
50:31 Young people are returning to the countryside: without a two-hour commute, it’s possible to find professional fulfilment and value in one’s hometown.
54:41 Every small choice a consumer makes shapes the future of society; every single egg you buy has meaning.
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Podcast Production Team
Planning & Production: Xiaojing
Cover Art: Wanlin
Music: Banong
Editor: Wang Hao
Contact email: xiaojing@foodthink.cn