Just remember a very funny video “Grocery Story War” viewed 2 years ago when I am organizing my vegetarian info recently. Adapted from “StarWar,” this short video starring fresh food from organic farm! MAY THE FARM BE WITH YOU!
Also take a look at the Store War Website and meet the puppets and see what behind the scenes!
I have been to Liuzhou twice in September and November to film for my new RTHK commissioned project “Back to farm,” which is about a community-assisted-agriculture project there. Too lazy to write, I have uploaded and captioned the photos. To know more about the story, have to wait for the program launch early next year 
November trip:
September… mid-Autumn Festival!:
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Recently working on a documentary for RTHK about meat (over)consumption. The program will be broadcasted on Monday, 29 January at TVB Jade Channel. You can view it online concurrently or afterwards, and welcome to make comments at their forum to raise public concern on the issue! Another post Abandoned Pig tells the story about an abandoned boar in a garbage collection point.
In HK, we eat over 20 million chickens, over 2 million pigs and over 1 million tonnes meat products.
To meet such enomous meat demand, industrial farming is an inevitable solution.
“We used to spend 1 year to raise a pig, now we need only 6 months for a pig to reach 100 kg.” A pig farm operator says some people even use hormones, antibiotics and even steroids to accerate growth.
To further increase productivity, they had “raised pigs in elevated cages, and did not shower them to minimize energy loss.” With less energy loss, pigs will eat less, while meat will grow faster.
Even industrial farm operator are aware of the cons of industrial farming, “Such factory model of production is unfavorable to any animal habitat; animals need space to move around.”
The fate of chicken is as worse.
Chicken farmer said, “In the crowded environment, chicks become more violent. They will hurt others easily if we didn’t burn off their beaks”
3-day old chicks will be underwent such operation. Their heads pressed against a burning red metal, the tip of their beaks vanished instantly with the smoke!
Animal can get sick easier in crowded environment, and diseases spread faster too. The most efficient way to control diseases is using antibiotics. But virus mutate fast too, rendering lots of antibiotics ineffective nowadays,
“I still remember in the 80s, sickness like cold and coughing, respiratory problems or diarrhoea are easily dealt with using just little dosage of antibiotics.
In recent years, not much medicines are still effective. Pig farm operator says.
Organic farmer Hung told us that every 3 kg of animal feeds will only produce 1 kg of meat.
In the 2nd segment, we will take a look at his organic farm, learning how the combination of vegetable and animial farming can create a food chain that make recycling of resources possible.
The gist is to plan our production according to the carrying capacity of land, which required much less consumption if we want more farms to work on that model. The environment of his farm is impressive, so green and comfortable, pig farming could be a green trade!
Globally, 70 % of our farmland are used for raising food animals or producing animal feeds ( UN FAO figures)
“An adult pig will produce 6 kg wastes everyday.” Given the huge amount of food animals, even the simple act of breathing will produce enomous carbon dioxide to elevate global warming.
Globally, 18% of greenhouse gases are relating to animal farming (UN FAO figures).
Are you willing to cut meat consumption knowing their huge ecological footprints? Less meat, more veggie are good for your health too, why not act today?
2007 calendar using the green snapshots taken during my hikes in my hometown Hong Kong last year. Yes, we are more than a buzzling city — over 40% of land is countryside! Download…
There is also a Lunar Calendar version made with photos of a Community- Supported- Agriculture project in Liuzhou, Guangxi. download calendar…
A boar as big as a tiger was spotted on our way to a local pig farm today. At first, we thought it was dead, as it was motionless, soundly asleep. Its skin quite scratched, we then thought the boar is old and ill. After observing the animal for a while, my interviewee who manages a pig farm said the boar is just 3-5 years old, in good health. He’s right, the boar soon woke up and strolled around, even releasing a big poo — it has eaten quite well that morning! The boar was probably abandoned by a nearby farm due to the recent government policy to get back the licence of pig and poultry farms.
Each boar is obliged to fertilize 100 female pigs. After 5 years, the poor animal will be quite exhausted with lower productivity. Pigs can live up to 20 years or more, but boar off their peak performance are considered “uneconomical.” Meat of these pigs are tough but still tasty, good for making broth. But as meat prices plummet with the influx of frozen fresh meat and smuggled meat, boar meat can’t compete, particularly with the cost of slaughtering adds up to over HK$300! “Used boars” are often abandoned live or poisoned dead…
In a competitive city like HK, we are also harsh to humans. Aging employees with lower productivity are abandoned by their boss too!
This reminds me of the advocacy advertisement of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — abandoned pets are found guilty of being disfavored, old and sick. Pigs are not even pets, you can imagine their fate even worse!
Trip to learn more about community-assisted-agriculture (CSA) in Liuzhou of Guangxi (map).
Take a look at the photos first!
Dancing butterflies
In the last village we visited, we saw several beautiful butterflies feeding over the fields.
They are attracted to the manure which has been applied to the land not long ago.
Yes, butterflies feed on decomposing matters rather than flower honey. Bees do…
After joining INPUT (INternational PUblic Television showcase) in Taipei, I went to a friend’s mushroom farm in Hsinshi. Like other young people, my friend didn’t get into the family farm business, but start his IT career in Hsinchu.
He’s lucky to have a family farm for retreat during weekends. One day when he gets tired of the stressful life in the city, a real alternative is awaiting for him — farming in hometown! Farmers there say more young people are coming back for managing family farm with the weak economy in recent years. Farms there are quite modern and eco-friendly.
I mention the above with mom back in Hong Kong, “It would be nice if we still got a farm in the New Territories for retirement…” Mom replies, “Why shouldn’t we farm if we’ve got land? Sell it at good price and invest, and no more worries for your living!”
I am speechless…
no wonder pigs are smarter than most animals — they know so well the art of laziness…
