SLOWOOD Local Project: Interview with Freshiepick

Tony
Founder of Freshiepick

Why have you chosen to do organic farming rather than conventional farming? As I remember, your crops were once ruined by the pest, could you share some photos with us?

Tony and Adrian, the two owners of Freshiepick met in PolyU during their Master of Design studies where they engaged a lot in topics like ecology, healthy lifestyle and future studies. As they had the chance to take over farmland in Hong Kong in May 2020 they saw it as a great opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge into practice and make a contribution that Hong Kong citizens can eat healthier. That's why it was clear from the beginning that the farm needs to be operated organically in co-existence with its natural ecosystem. Despite the higher effort which is needed to grow organically we see only benefits as the vegetables are not only healthier it also tastes better. We want people to know what they eat and where it comes from.

為什麼你們會選擇有機耕作?

Tony和Adrian於理工大學修讀碩士時認識，他們於讀書期間談論了不少關於生態、健康生活以及讀書方向的話題。於2020年的5月，Tony和Adrian接手Tony爺爺的農地，繼而成立Freshiepick，他們希望將日常討論的想法化為行動，為香港人提供更健康的選擇。毫無懸念，他們選擇了有機耕作 - 雖然有機耕作比一般的耕作辛苦很多，但有機菜不只健康，而且亦更美味!

What do you expect in Hong Kong Agriculture future development?

At the moment the majority of vegetables in Hong Kong is not produced here and is coming from Mainland China. These vegetables are mostly full of chemicals whereas organic vegetables mostly coming from overseas which is also not eco-friendly. However, we are seeing an increasing demand for locally produced organic vegetables in Hong Kong but farmland is limited in Hong Kong and will be more and more reduced. That's why it would be important for organic farmers in Hong Kong to build a strong alliance together that fosters a sense of community and creates an organic farming ecosystem where customers have easy access to locally produced organic vegetables. We are also thinking that farming in Hong Kong will transform more into a learning and leisure experience for the community in the future instead of only producing that people learn how to grow their vegetables by themselves.

你對香港的農業發展有什麼期望?

 「現在香港市場絕大部分的菜來自於內地，當中很多的農作物亦有機會受到滅蟲劑和各種農藥的污染。而香港售賣的有機菜亦多數來自於海外地方，所以運送期間亦會比本地菜排出更多的廢氣。

最近，我們有留意到香港人對本地有機菜的需求增高，但由於香港寸土尺金的限制，我們根本沒有足夠土地去發展本地農業。因此，我們認為本地農夫應設立一個組織，去凝聚有機農夫和促進本地農業發展的方向。我們亦認為香港的農業將會轉型，成為一個學習和休憩的活動。」

As I know, the farm you owned in Sheung Shui is from your grandparents, do they inspire you to start your organic farming?

Despite the hard work that farming is, it is also a privilege to be outdoors and in nature compared with sitting in an office the whole day. Tony inherits the farmer gene and it makes him proud to operate the land again that was operated by his grandfather years ago. We are also using traditional farming methods that are taught to us by Tony's grandmother who is checking the land from time to time.  In this sense, it is a learning experience for us too where we combine the traditional knowledge in today's world to build the future of urban farming in Hong Kong.

以我們所知，你上水的農地本來是屬於爺爺的，他們在你有機耕作上帶來什麼啟發?

除了耕作期間需要的勞力和汗水，在大自然中工作比一整天坐在寫字樓快樂太多! Tony很自豪可以繼承爺爺的田地，而Tony的嫲嫲閒時仍會到農地幫忙，教授Tony和Adrian傳統耕作的方法，「我們想將傳統耕作的知識帶入香港未來的城市耕作。」Tony說。