Growing Wheat, Making Biscuits: Five Young People’s Farm Internship Diary | Food Talk Vol. 41

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In this episode of Food Talk, we connected remotely with five interns who took part in Foodthink’s Lianhe Programme, to hear what keeps them busy on the farm each day. These young people, hailing from every corner of the country, travelled to intern at Green Me Farm in Jingyang, Shaanxi, one after another.

You might think farm life is just simple vegetable-growing and weeding? In reality, it’s so much more than that — on a farm, you do everything: growing vegetables, raising seedlings, watering the wheat and vegetable plots, planting chamomile, pruning fruit trees and fruit thinning, clearing weeds; picking chamomile, roses and other flowers to make hydrosols or for air-drying; learning to drive a tractor and working green manure into the soil; packing and shipping orders, learning to drive a car; cleaning the workshop; working on the biscuit production line; manning a stall at the Ye De Life Market; learning to repair simple field installations; foraging for edible wild plants; making eco-enzyme, compost and fermented vegetables; building simple furniture by hand; mending village roads; attending Instructor Da Hei’s biodynamic farming classes…

From the fields at dawn to the late-night biscuit packaging line, the interns faced many unexpected challenges and encountered all manner of surprises. They built an intimate connection with the soil, tried their hands at operating farm machinery, and experienced the unique “magic” behind Green Me Farm’s practice of ecological agriculture — green manure and biodynamic farming — all of which wove together into a rich internship experience. Stepping out from the city into the vast, wide-open fields, each intern gathered their own story. What growth did they each find along the way?

If you’re interested in ecological agriculture, rural life or internship experiences, this episode brings you an authentic and vivid share of their world. Follow the link and listen in to their stories together.

This Episode’s Guests

Ci Nao

Passing lightly through the world of organic agriculture

 

 

 

 

Cheng Jin

Intern at Green Me Farm, learning the basics of how to improve soil through biodynamic farming & finding their own rhythm, hoping to keep working and living in the countryside

 

 

 

 

A Yue

The dog-owning farmer who finished their internship last year and became a full-time employee

 

 

 

 

 

Chang Hongliang

The very driver of the “Hongliang” himself, Dog Farmer 2

 

 

 

 

Ya

Loves weeding

 

 

 

 

This Episode’s Hosts

Mei Ying

Foodthink project officer, brimming with energy after just returning from Green Me

 

 

 

 

Xiaojing

Loves Green Me’s chocolate biscuits, so she’s always wanted a visit to the farm. Never expected there’d also be a puppy there named “Biscuit” — made her want to go even more!

 

 

 

 

Timeline

03:26 Accountant, translator, new media specialist, repairing hydroelectric stations in the mountains of Indonesia… where do Green Me Farm’s interns come from?

05:47 Experiencing the countryside and returning to it — why did everyone decide to come and intern at the farm?

09:58 What time exactly do you need to get up for farm life?

18:32 From sowing wheat to making biscuits — how did the farm’s actual work differ from initial expectations?

21:16 Green Me Farm uses unique farming methods, such as green manure rotation. How did the interns adapt to the philosophy of “biodynamic farming”?

40:47 City dwellers accustomed to big-company SOP and OKRs — how do they view the operations of a farm?

42:24 What self-awareness and changes did the farm internship bring, and will they continue working in agriculture?

48:02 Can you cultivate “philosophy” from farming?

52:49 How do you find balance between work and life? Is leaving the city for a farm all it takes?

This year, Green Me Farm in Xianyang, Shaanxi had a bumper harvest of interns, with the team reaching an all-time high. Friends from every corner of the country came drawn by “biodynamic farming”.
When Farm Mentor Da Hei led a few interns on field walks to observe the soil and green manure, he snapped a group photo that could have doubled as an idol debut shot. From initial complaints to adapting to the rhythm and bursting with energy — thus the “Green Me Troupe” was born.
At Green Me, you can learn to build vehicles.
Learn to drive a tractor.
Or DIY a wooden table and master all manner of skills.
Learn to make eco-enzyme, compost and fermented vegetables.
Picking dandelions.
After a long, scorching heatwave, the rain finally came — and the friends picking flowers in the fields got an early taste of their own “rose shower”.
Everyone weeding — both the team and “Biscuit” (the dog), who was on supervisor duty, were completely exhausted and fell asleep the moment they lay down.
To restore the soil for the long term, the team gave up the harvest in front of them and gathered all the crops from the polytunnel and the MAX Life Lab vegetable plot early.
J-type Ci Nao refused to give up, putting together a daily work plan on the whiteboard — a great help to everyone.
Here’s a question: why are there only four friends on this episode’s cover image? That’s because another one of them — A Yue, now a full-time employee — is the photographer!
The “Hongliang”, created from scratch by Green Me Farm Mentor Da Hei and intern Chang Hongliang.
Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme

The Lianhe Programme’s Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme was launched by Foodthink in 2021. It aims to support young people aspiring to work in ecological agriculture as well as established ecological farms, enabling young people to gain practical farming knowledge and skills through hands-on experience, while also documenting and passing on the accumulated wisdom of seasoned farmers. The programme supplies high-calibre talent to farms and injects fresh energy into rural communities.

To date, three rounds of recruitment have been completed, supporting over 60 participants in joining more than ten ecological farms across the country for internships lasting between three months and one year.

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All images in this article are provided by the guests

Podcast production team

Show music: Banong

Production: Xiaojing

Podcast cover art: Wan Lin

Post editor: Wang Hao

Contact email: [email protected]

Published by Foodthink