What day is November 11th? It is a ‘Ppaeppaero Day’! It is pronounced Pep Paw Row. Ppaeppaero is the name of a snack. It’s a long thin pretzel covered in chocolate. On this day, Korean students give their friends and teachers Ppaeppaero sticks and small notes. However, now there is another reason to celebrate November 11th. It is “Farmers’ Day”. Did you know that? These days there is a large agricultural crisis. To honor all farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry arranged to commemorate November 11th as “Farmers’ Day”. This event has been held since 1996. So many people may not know “Farmers’ Day.” However, there is a problem that threatens to aggravate the situation. Our national anniversaries are being defused as time goes by.

 

For example, March 3rd is actually taxpayer’s day. However, it has changed to “Eating Day of Boned Ribs.” The reason is ‘Three’, which is pronounced ‘Sam’ in Korean. Boned rib is the name for ‘Samgyeopsal’, a three layered meat from pork back ribs. This includes pork meat, the fat, and fat back. So, March 3rd is read ‘Samwol Samil’ in Korean. From this, someone can guess the day is “Eating Day of Boned rib”. We have forgotten the meaning, because of ignorance about our memorial days. Not anymore, it is better that we give thanks for the labor of farmers than give and take Ppaeppaero to each other on November 11th.

 

So, how can we give thanks to farmers? One way is to help farmers with their work. To carry out this idea, CAH (Chung-Ang Herald) has made a ‘farm stay’. Farm stay is set up all around the country, with the objective to help those who suffer from a shortage of hands, and in return receive the gift of giving and experience a life on a farm for those who are city dwellers.

 

So as city dwellers, CAH goes and returns in one day at the farm stay. We started at Cheongnyang-ri Station and goting on a bus. CAH then left for Yangsury(region name) farm stay. It took 2 hours. The program would begin at ten thirty in the morning. On arrival, dozens of people including CAH pick up the program list. The list included rice reaping, plucking red peppers, plucking pears, picking up chestnuts, digging-up sweat potatoes, watering Chinese cabbage and radishes, and weeding. CAH members choose the three programs: weeding, picking up chestnuts and pears and digging-up sweet potatoes.

 

 
Before noon, we put on gloves, and chose a weeding hoe. Then bending low in the field, we started to pull up weeds. We worked hard for two hours. At break time, CAH talked with Sungshin Women’s University students, who were on our team. One of the five said that the volunteer activities for farmers was an on going university program. So, we came to the farm stay to help with the farm work and gain experience. Another student said even though she is already tired of weeding, her heart was too full for words. Break time was soon over and we arranged to heap up the weeds.

 

After that, we had lunchtime. The entire menu was made up of materials made from organic farming. For example, there were foods such as seasoned green pumpkin and greens. When we had finished lunchtime, CAH had a chance to talk freely with the Farmer. Our topic and concerned was about the ‘Forum for Agricultural Policy Research in North East Asia (FANEA).’ On September 5, 2006, the 4th FANEA International symposium was held. The key subject of the symposium was the potential of agricultural economy. At this time, there is limitless competition, and they emphasized to use of biomass. Biomass is a source of energy. It is created from trees, grains, plants, and dregs of the crops and garbage. These types of energy resources have become a trend around the world.

 

So, what does the farmer think of such a movement? The Farmer said that an agricultural cooperation welcomes the resolution, but above all, we hope to find a solution to these problems with concerned for real life applications. The agricultural population is still in a labor shortage. So labor is not only expensive but also hard to obtain locally. In addition, welfare work is poor. Therefore, the government must rearrange its line of policy. So that people realize the value of life on a farm and must know the problems of rural communities. In addition, there needs to be made an effort to make policies about improvement of elder welfare. By doing these things, there will be a drift of large numbers of people from the urban areas to rural areas. Thanks to the movement of our population, the problem of disproportion of local labor is being solved.

 

Our good lunchtime was over; everyone got ready to do another work for the afternoon program. For CAH, our next assignment was to pick chestnuts and to pluck pears. We went towards the mountains. Shelled chestnuts look delicious so we immediately started to crack and eat what we picked. For one hour, our team filled up plastic bags of chestnuts. The average bag’s weight was 1kg. The Farmer told us that chestnuts have taken an important role in Korean history.

Yulgok, who foresaw the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, insisted planting chestnuts as much as possible. So when wars suddenly occur, chestnuts can be used as emergency rations. Chestnuts have also aided in the growth of the Korean economy from 1960 to 1970. However, recently there has been strong competition, so there are imported Chinese chestnuts. On this account, Farm families have a hard time to cultivate chestnuts. Our team descended the mountain and headed to the place for plucking pears. Using scissors, we quickly filled boxes. The Farmer gave us two pears, thanking us for our help. On the way back to the Farmer’s house, we got off the cultivator, and retrieve our childish innocence. We caught grasshoppers, and oriental long-headed locusts. We had a good time for a while.

 

Finally, we agreed to dig-up sweet potatoes. Stooping over in the field, we took a black vinyl cover, and start digging sweet potatoes. After 30 minutes all the work was done, and the Farmer’s wife took our sweat potatoes. Even though our bodies had run out of gas, our minds are filled with satisfaction. The Farmer and his wife gave us a lift by the cultivator. What a priceless day! CAH decide that we would regularly come to the farmstay as long as the voluntary activities are available for farmers through our university program.

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