In an alley behind the College of Business Administration at Chonnam National University (CNU), you will easily find a place named “Plant Village.” From time to time, you can see seasonal flowers or agricultural products on sale. It is run by students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The Chonnam Tribune met the prospective farmers and listened to their stories in detail.

Plant Village: Student-Run Farmer’s Market
The Plant Village (PV) project was organized by the CNU SMART Farming Start-up Specialization Project Team in 2016. Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, this project is aimed at fostering young farmers. One of the highlights of the project is a retail outlet for selling horticultural crops cultivated by CALS students. PV members are divided into several teams based on the types of crops, such as Team Flower, Team Cherry Tomato, Team Melon and so on.

Currently, four members from the Department of Horticulture Science are playing a leading role in operating the PV. Kim Seung-chan (Senior), a former leader of Team Flower, has been helping the retail outlet while preparing to start his own business at the same time. Kim Hee-won (Senior), who was the leader of Team Flower last year, is now in charge of crop harvesting, sales, and flower decoration. Kim Tae-min (Junior) is currently playing a vital role in growing flowers as the team leader. Koo Jong-seo (Senior), as a joint team leader, focuses on crop management.

Ways to Enjoy Flowers Everyday
Since April of last year, the Plant Village has been carrying out the “In My Room Project.” This project originated from the current status of the flower industry in Korea. Kim Seung-chan said, “Flowers are mainly consumed for special occasions. As there is no culture of enjoying flowers in our daily lives, we wished many students would enjoy them daily.” The members thought it would be nice if flowers could be placed in each student's room as an everyday item. The flowers produced and consumed in this project are selected from the most popular flowers such as campanula and tulips. “Now packaging is done using basic clear wrappings and fine strings only. The purpose is to keep it away from ordinary flower shops and make simple packaging, but focus on the flowers,” the members said.

Originally, it is common for the flower industry to go through trials, wholesalers, and private businesses from farmers to consumers. The PV takes the form of direct trading between farmers and consumers who are both students. The previous project was to order carnations every May and to sell timely agricultural products such as lettuce salad. Kim Hee-won said, “While continuing the In My Room Project, we recently launched a new project. It is called ‘3P (Pet Plant Project)’. Pet Plant means a companion plant, and this project aims to raise awareness of pet plants and ultimately promote the development of the flower industry. The reason why we came up with this project was that the PV has only sold cut flowers, but the members also hope the students love a pot plant.”

Challenging but Worthwhile
What are some challenges with these projects? The gap between their expectations and the actual quality of grown crops was raised as the biggest issue by all members. “It is hard to predict the variables when growing plants. There is no guarantee of quality. We always doubt whether the crop will be grown well just by following theoretical methods, which is the most worrisome part of the entire process,” Koo Jong-seo said.

However, as much as they are challenging, there are some rewarding moments. Kim Tae-min said, “We feel proud and it is very rewarding when the consumers look very happy getting the products, and also when the customers tell us that they liked the crops they had previously purchased. It is a valuable moment for producers and consumers to share mutual joy.” The relationship between producers and consumers at the Plant Village is beyond ordinary as the members of the project do not focus on it. This is such a unique experience.

Learning from Experiences
When asked to give some advice for students who are concerned about their career and hesitant about participating in job-related activities, the members advised the students to join a challenge. Kim Tae-min emphasized, “The university is not only for academics. It is essential to meet many people in various fields and challenge anything you find interesting. The accumulation of such challenges will definitely help students find their way to pursue their dreams.” Also, Kim Seung-chan recommended to utilize as many programs as possible supported by the university, such as the group project they are part of.

The members said that there is no need to be full of confidence when trying something new. The members also had concerns about their career in the past. They also had a lot of hesitation to participate in these activities and invest their time and effort in them. What really matters is to learn from new experiences to improve. Even if no one is sure about their future, take a chance just like the PV members did. Through struggles, your dreams will eventually bloom like a flower.

By Song Su-min, Editor