Farm food

Last Sunday we went shopping for organic produce at a farm in Fanling 粉嶺 - more accurately, in Hok Tau 鶴藪.  

There weren’t too much available.  We did find some 洛神花, but the farmers had planned to make jam out of them.  

We found some taro - mothers and babies.  We bought some babies. 

We found white turnips.  These were the first fruits of the season, so called 早水蘿蔔. They were really small but really good. 

Our greatest reward, however, was that we were invited to stay for lunch.  It was literally salted fish and vegetables 鹹魚青菜, which we enjoyed very much.  Equally enjoyable and also educational was the conversation.  

We learned (not for the first time) that it is very difficult to make it profitable growing organic vegetables.  They do not actually bring their produce to the market.  They grow vegetables for themselves and their friends, and to sell to the occasional passers-by like us.  Their main business is providing flowers and plants for housing estates.  Their flower business feeds their vegetable business.  At least it seems to be working.  We are happy for them.  

Further, they do not own the land.  It is rather ironic that the people who own the land in Hong Kong do not want to farm.  On the other hand, the people who want to farm have no land.   Land in Hong Kong is indeed scarce, but not to the extend that we cannot grow at least part of our food.  A responsible government would see to it that we are in control of the food that we eat.  But that does not seem to be the kind of government that we are having.