Our Restore Fund recipients have been working hard in their transition towards regenerative farming. Despite numerous resources online, with so many successful examples across the globe adopting farm management practices proven to be effective in improving soil health, implementing regenerative farming in a local context is not always straightforward.
Every place has a unique set of environmental conditions and resources. It is very important to localize farming practices instead of copying everything from other places. Hong Kong has 4 seasons in a year, so we can plant crops that originate from tropical to temperate climate zones as long as we plant them at the right time. However, the heavy rainfall in summer that often leads to flooding poses a huge challenge for vegetable farmers. Also, Hong Kong often lacks resources that can be obtained easily at low prices in other places with a large agricultural sector.
That is where our professional consultant and technical assistance providers (TAPs) can help. They work with farmers to understand their needs and locate the suitable local resources, and come up with practices that yield good results at a lower cost.
It is also important to evaluate the result of newly adopted farming practices. Our consultant and TAPs monitor key indicators of soil health using field tools to make sure the practices are going in the right direction of regeneration. While farmers are busy taking care of their farms, TAPs give a helping hand to document and collect data for the farms’ work.
Cham Shan Farm Observing a 20cm cross-section of the soil that reveals soil aggregate structure to understand the habitat for the biology within (an earthworm hanging at the bottom of the soil block!)
Sun Fung Farm
Measuring soil moisture can better inform how to water the field so that the soil is kept at optimum moisture
Hong Miu Farm
Measuring electrical conductivity of the soil to inform fertilization plan
Flower Hut Farm
Using penetrometer to test for any hardpan underneath which may block drainage and cause anoxic condition
Sun Fung Farm
Active soil biology breathes out so much carbon dioxide that we can measure different carbon dioxide levels between soil surface and ambient.