My First Days at the Farm

Do you know the game where there is a piece of good news and a piece of bad news? Well, the good news is that I finally get to tell you about leaving Seoul and heading to a farm near Busan for my second month in South Korea. The bad news is that I forgot the name of the place and have not managed to find my notes from back then. Oops!

Still, while I can only blame myself for the lack of details, I can at least tell you about the highlights of my days there. Let’s get started!

After spending about ten days in the hostel on the third floor (the fourth floor in Korea, since the ground floor is not counted), I packed my bags once again and boarded a train heading south. This time, I got off before reaching Busan at a small station whose name has long escaped me. One of the workers from the farm, who went by the English nickname Leo, came to pick me up.

Along the way, I finally discovered the famous rice fields stretching between the hills, divided into neat squares by irrigation canals. One of the first things that surprised me was what people called a « farm. » That was the description used on the volunteering website, but it looked nothing like the farms I knew from my native France.

If I had to define it myself, I would probably describe it as a giant greenhouse. They grew lettuce during the summer season and strawberries during the winter months.

Once I arrived, I met the owner of the farm as well as the other volunteers. Several travelers from abroad would stay for a few weeks, helping out in exchange for food and accommodation. I met people from Germany, Spain, and even Kazakhstan, not to mention a few fellow French volunteers. The shared dormitory rooms made socializing easy and helped create a friendly atmosphere.

That being said, the summer temperatures did not make sleeping particularly comfortable. Our host was not to blame for that, of course.

The arrangement was simple: around four hours of work per day, five or six days a week, in exchange for food, lodging, and laundry. Tasks could involve helping in the nursery or working with children. Part of the site was dedicated to introducing elementary school students to farming and agricultural life. Activities ranged from cooking classes and planting workshops to arts and crafts projects or simply recreational outings.

As for me, I spent most of my time working in the nursery. We worked early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid the worst of the heat. Even so, it was not unusual to be sweating by six o’clock in the morning.

Having grown up in the countryside, worked in a family garden with my father, and earned a degree in landscape gardening, I sometimes found it difficult to keep my opinions to myself. I did not always agree with the methods being used, nor with some of the tools chosen for the work.

I did not want to criticize for the sake of criticizing, so I kept my thoughts to myself. After all, farming practices vary from one person to another and even more so from one country to another. That did not make it any less challenging at times.

Despite these small internal disagreements, I had a wonderful time at the farm. We celebrated whenever an opportunity presented itself. It was also great to go out together to enjoy the rivers, barbecues, and saunas, or simply take a walk through the countryside to the little convenience store at the end of the road.

I am only at the beginning of my stay there. I will tell you more about it next time.