On April 9, 2017 from 3 to 5 in the afternoon, invited by Prof. Chung Ling, Master of Cheng Yu Tung College, Mr. James Lam, Bachelor of Arts of the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, a Sangwoodgoon permaculture farmer, came to University of Macau to deliver a speech. Mr. Lam and his fellow farmers have been working hard for the belief “to plant in local soil” and the idea of “no pain, no gain.” Mr. Lam’s organic vegetables are experiencing a shortage in supply to meet the demand of the market.
“Saving Earth, Starting with me”
At the beginning, Mr. Lam raised the issue that modern civilization needs to deal with – earth resources. He also mentioned three concepts. First is care for mankind, care for civilization, and care for culture. Second is care for the Earth. “I want to save the planet Earth, but this is a personal stress. I do not mean we need a superman; I just need everyone to do their part in managing the earth resources.” Third is the fair share of resources. “It is not all for me and what remains is for you, or all for me and nothing for you.”
“Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale” is the world’s largest international outdoor festival that happens once every three years. The artist completed his artwork in order to bring smiles to the local elderly. Mr. Lam gave positive insights about this work and said, “It successfully made the residents of the cities think about going back to the countryside to visit the elderly. This makes everyone happy.”
Mr. Lam also mentioned, “Every spot in this world is interrelated, but what we can manage are limited. We can only be conscientious and be responsible for what’s under our feet, then we slowly accumulate good things. I also hope that every spot in different corners of this world is into accumulating good things.”
“Let the citizens of Hong Kong eat rice produced locally again”
In 2009, “No to high-speed rail, yes to vegetable farm” activity remained fresh in Mr. Lam’s memory. To understand this situation, Mr. Lam said, “Because we are against some things, we want to tear down Cheng Yu Tung College and it is easy. The point was what to build after making the destruction.” Hence, in a small place in Yuen Long, Mr. Lam built a Life Museum. Collecting kitchen waste, giving vegetables natural, to provide nutrients. After knowing that their vegetables do not contain pesticides, people one after another came to buy the products. People who are interested in environment of their farm also came to paint and take photos. Mr. Lam worried that no one from the next generation would continue this kind of work. He also thought about partnering with secondary schools to introduce farming education and at the same time promote planting.
The talk attracted many students to come and learn. According to some students, to be able to listen to such speech in University of Macau is a rare opportunity. For the ones who loved to plant, the talk was such a valuable learning experience. To end the speech, a college staff Steven conducted a summary.
Student Reporter Wang ZiQi
