Campus Digest

HKBU hosts harvest carnival for young organic farmers and recruits ambassadors to promote local organic farming

07 Jul 2015

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Experienced and newly inducted farmers and volunteers celebrate harvest happiness
A young farmer shares her experience of managing the garden at her school
The Best Participation Award and the Best Organic Ambassador Awards are presented to outstanding participants at the ceremony

 

The Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre of HKBU organised on 29 June an organic harvest carnival cum graduation ceremony, the culmination of the scheme entitled Organic Farming at Primary Schools 2014-15. Ms Wendy Ko, Senior Crop Development Officer, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR Government, Mrs Louisa Chan, General Manager, Amway Hong Kong Ltd, Professor Rick Wong, Vice President (Research and Development) and Professor Jonathan Wong, Director of the Centre officiated at the ceremony.

 

In his welcome remarks, Professor Rick Wong said “This is the fourth year since HKBU first launched the Programme. The event has successfully facilitated the setting up of organic farms in 40 primary schools in Hong Kong and provided more than 200 workshops and school talks on organic farming. These activities empowered primary school students to grow organic produce in their local community.”

 

At the ceremony, St Francis of Assisi’s Caritas School was awarded the Best Organic Garden award for the exemplary efforts of their students and teachers in organic garden maintenance. The Centre published a list of primary schools that have an organic garden to encourage more students to carry out organic farming. This year, the Centre also organised a letter-writing competition entitled “Your will to Hong Kong’s new agricultural development” which encouraged students to pen their concerns about local food and agricultural development to the government.

 

In addition, the Centre hosted a graduation ceremony for the Organic Ambassador Training Scheme 2014-2015 on 4 July. More than 250 ambassadors who completed training on organic farming were awarded graduation certificates at the ceremony. TWGHs Wong Fut Nam College was awarded the Best Participation Award for attaining both the largest number of participants (44 participants) and certificates (16 certificates). This year, the Scheme recruited more than 450 organic ambassadors from over 40 secondary schools and tertiary institutions.