The Story of Gangbuk-gu Beondong Middle School Students Rejoicing While Harvesting Altari Radishes...

Activation of 'Gangbuk-style Urban Agriculture' with Garden Sets, Rooftop & Fresh Gardens, Seed & Fertilizer Support... On the 11th, Beondong Middle School Student Club 'Beondong Angels' Harvested Cabbage and Altari Radish Themselves

Students from Beondong Middle School's club are pulling radishes in the school garden and enjoying themselves.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Park Kyum-soo) is receiving great response for its ‘Gangbuk-style Urban Garden Project,’ which is being promoted to revitalize urban agriculture.

Since launching the urban agriculture project in 2013, the district has focused on increasing ‘urban living area gardens’ within a 10-minute walking distance.

They distributed box sets that allow easy crop cultivation in residential spaces and allocated fresh gardens through horticultural programs at social welfare facilities. Gardens were also created in leftover spaces at local elementary, middle, and high schools, increasing green resting areas.

Since 2016, rooftop gardens on buildings have been virtually mandated. For apartment complexes subject to review during the building permit process, rooftop garden installation was made one of the final approval conditions, while private building owners were encouraged to install them. To promote gardening, building owners were also supported with fertilizer and seed purchase costs. Currently, gardens have been created at 32 public institutions and 534 apartment complexes.

The ‘Gangbuk-style Urban Garden’ is gradually shining as residents and students cultivate crops planted in areas created by the district. Beondong Middle School (Principal Yoo Heung-seok), a representative example, planted rice in the school garden to harvest rice and picked cabbage, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes from the garden. The rooftop garden at Beondong Middle School was established in 2015 with an area of 60㎡.

Beondong Middle School operates an ecological program linked to the school garden and curriculum. Although it is being operated in a limited way this year due to COVID-19, until last year, student-led experiential learning was conducted from sowing seeds to planting seedlings, crop management, and harvesting.

On the 11th, the student club ‘Beondong Angels,’ which manages the garden, gathered on the school rooftop to harvest eco-friendly crops. This club was named ‘Beondong Angels’ with the meaning of saving energy and protecting the environment at home and school. The students also serve as a hub for the ‘Seoul Energy Guardian Angels,’ which promotes energy-saving campaigns.

On that day, under the guidance of their teacher, the students joyfully harvested plump altari radishes and abundant cabbages. Yu Ji-woo (3rd grade), the club representative, said, “The process of growing agricultural products was fascinating and fun. Pulling out the cabbage and radish was rewarding and even touching,” adding, “I want to continue growing plants even when I become a high school student.”

Teacher Woo Yoon-sik, head of the Life Safety Department, said, “We started gardening with the children to raise awareness of the value of our agricultural products,” adding, “The students likely cultivated their emotions through experiential learning and felt the joy of harvest.” The school plans to distribute the harvested cabbage, radish, and chili peppers to students, parents, and staff. They also plan to build fences around the garden to grow crops more safely on the rooftop.

Gangbuk District Mayor Park Kyum-soo said, “Urban agriculture not only enriches residents’ lives but can also be a healing agent that offers warm comfort in the COVID-19 era,” adding, “We will continue the garden creation project to increase urban farmers who grow fresh vegetables with their own hands.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.