[Consumerwide_Jinil, Kang Reporter / Yohan, Bok Reporter] Eunjung Yoon, International Herbalist and third year city-farmer (female, in her 40s) takes care of a small ecological garden with her two children every weekend. Not only so, she spends time with people who share common interests, which is a wellness book club. For Eunjung, her gardening and book club is a part of value consumption based on eco-friendlyness, health, and sharing. She pours out her time and energy into these activities (which are gardening and facilitating the book club), hoping to see a society where people and the earth live together healthily.
"Ecological gardening and wellness book club are my value consumption that aims for healthy living together for both me and the earth."
Eunjung has begun her vegetable garden as she practices a vegetarian diet for health after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. In the early stage of farming, she did not feel comfortable frequently watching neighbourhood farmers mulching with vinyl covers or using plastic materials for plant support and agricultural implements. Because she felt like the vegetable garden which she grew plants for health was eventually polluting the land. At that time, she was using a farm property near her home. After a year, she chose to use other land within 1 hour's driving distance for her vegetable farm. It was a land where only her family, including the children, could use exclusively. On their ecological farm, they have been cultivating without using chemical substances (pesticides, chemical fertilizer, vinyl mulching). It can be a double task compared to an ordinary farm. Nevertheless, they are choosing this way without hesitation, considering the health of herself and her family, and the earth.
Eunjung said, "In this ecological farm, the owner is not a man, but every living creature, including man, vegetables, insects, and animals. On our ecological farms, we tend to do more than just produce vegetables. There are flowers, herbs, insects, weeds, and birds. For human beings, larvae can be perceived as harmful insects to their crops during the year. However, for me, it is a beneficial insect. The Larva takes the role of transferring flowerspots among flowers while it is busy getting honey when it gets to mature as a butterfly, which ultimately contributes to yielding fruit and seeds. Hence, it is a crucial being for nature to survive. For this reason, I try to cultivate our garden in the way butterflies and insects sense easily by not using chemical substances and clearing insects but planting more flowers."
She continued her speech, "Instead of vinyl-mulching, which is easier to get rid of weeds, I take natural material for mulching even if it costs more effort. The natural mulching uses fallen leaves and grasses. Once the land is covered with vinyl mulching, plastic pieces from the cover scatter into numberless pieces of microplastic in the soil. Eventually, this microplastic entered into the stream, river, sea, and the air. Fish and clams and sealives fed on microplastic-contained feed are served on our food table. By eating the food containing microplastics piles up in our body. In the end, this microplastic which has begun killing the environment also harms our body. This is the reason I pursue ecological farming, though it takes more time and effort. Ecological farm is my own value-consumption based on eco-friendliness and wellness."
Besides, Eunjung has been facilitating a wellness book club since last year as a part of her social responsibility contribution. This is her authentic way of value-consumption by sharing her knowledge of environmental care and awareness with the neighbourhood.
Eunjung said, "When the earth is healthy, we who live on the earth are healthy accordingly. And, when the soil, the foundational ground for vegetables and animals, is healthy, healthy vegetable and animal habits. Concerning a healthy life without the sickness of our future generation, children, I perceive that the environment needs to be cared for in a social aspect. Thus, I run a wellness book club.
Because of the Covid19, we have not been able to meet offline, but replaced the meeting on an online space. However, we began to meet again at Seongnam in a cozy space to talk about books as we approached the endemic. Come and check us out in offline space. Here we can discuss various aspects of wellness along with healthy food with fresh vegetable and herb ingredients from my family garden. I wish that many people would come and join us. Our book club is a consumption based on a value that benefit health of ourselve, nature, and environment."
