62 Graduates Complete Hwaseong Urban Farmer School Program

The Hwaseong Agricultural Technology Center (Director Kim Jin-il) will hold a completion ceremony on the 30th for its "Urban Farmer School" program, which began on March 22 and ran through June 23.

The Hwaseong Agricultural Technology Center conducted an Urban Farmer School program for 62 urban farmers in both evening and daytime classes, consisting of 10 lectures on theory including vegetable garden planning, crop-specific cultivation methods, soil basics, and native seeds and traditional farming techniques, as well as 14 practical sessions covering soil mixture preparation, seedling planting, eco-friendly pesticides, and homemade compost making.

One student participant in the Urban Farmer School said, "I attended classes with my family every weekend, and my son enjoyed it so much that he would suggest going to the vegetable garden every Saturday," adding, "Thanks to the Urban Farmer School, I've been spending more time with my family, and I've found peace waiting for crops to ripen."

A center official stated, "We plan to develop urban agriculture activists, such as vegetable garden instructors and monitoring staff, through an urban agriculture specialist course among the students," and added, "We will continue to provide opportunities for city residents to experience farming, ultimately creating a platform to broaden understanding of our agriculture and rural communities."