Nurtured by nature

Children living in cities rarely get close to nature. Learning about agriculture in the farm gives them a sense of where food comes from. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Like Sun, many city dwellers are showing increasing interest in farming and agricultural technologies. Wang Mian, co-owner of Nature-dance, a farm in the suburbs of Beijing that uses biological technology to cultivate healthy and pesticide-free vegetables and fruits, says the farm appeals to people not only because it supplies healthy, chemical-free food, but also because people are interested in the technology it uses.

Wang co-founded the farm in 2012 in south Beijing, and moved it to north Beijing, where there was more space.

His farm relies on bees to pollinate the crops instead of adding growth hormones, and uses organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones. It also uses various predator insects to prevent and control pest damage. Many of the predators are imported, and domestic laboratories donate some.

Wang established the startup because he found most of the so-called organic products on the market were not organic at all, but used a profusion of hormones and pesticides, and since the farm was set up it has generated a buzz among agriculturalists, and researchers from across China have offered him free guidance and support.

Customers can buy produce on a one-off basis or pay a six-month or annual fee for membership to have it delivered to their homes every week. The farm offers free lectures on biological technology the farms uses, and encourages people to work on the farm.

"Many people come to the farm to find out more about the technology we use, and some come very often" Wang says, adding that the farm is looking for financing to expand, and will begin raising pigs, chickens and edible insects later this year.