Little Donkey Farm

I’ve mentioned Beijing’s Little Donkey Farm a couple of times already.  I finally had the chance to visit.

Food safety has been a huge issue in China in recent years, and wealthy urban dwellers are starting to scramble for food that will not render them sterile or cancerous.  Little Donkey Farm capitalizes on this fear by giving Beijingers a few options for access to less-toxic food.  Insecure urbanites can subscribe to a weekly order of in-season vegetables, or they can rent a plot of land at the farm and either tend it themselves on the weekends or pay the farm to raise vegetables on it.

The farm looks to be quite successful – most of the plots are rented, and almost all of the available land was under cultivation.  In addition to organic vegetables, the farm also raises chickens and pigs “naturally”.

I have a feeling that the market for “safe” food in China will grow dramatically in the upcoming years.  Urban dwellers are becoming more and more aware of the dangers of industrially produced food, and as their incomes grow, they’ll become more willing to pay a premium for peace of mind.  Already, I’ve heard of people leasing cows in the countryside for milk and chickens for eggs.   This should be a huge investment opportunity.

recyclables, compostables (worm food), metals, garbage

recycle bin from the back, with more friendly messages

a welcoming toilet

the design of this toilet looks pretty simple

the secret ingredient is........sawdust

...i assume the toilet contents eventually reach these fields

it's been a long time since i've seen urban Chinese kids playing in the dirt.

Chinese yuppies/hipsters/bobos enjoying a picnic in the dirt, complete with red wine