Notes from the Field 2009

Given the climate in this part of Yunnan, many crops grow year-round. Chenggong is said to be one of the largest areas for growing vegetables and flowers in all of China--a credible claim given these statistics and its proximity to the World-Horticulture Expo Garden. After viewing the amateur footage of my first pass through the area; I wanted to return to see what was going on under all that plastic. Since then, I've returned three times: twice by bus and once by bicycle. Through brief discussions with farmers, I have found that much of the produce is packed on ice in Styrofoam boxes and hauled to other Asian countries, Macau, and heavily populated provinces to the east of Yunnan. For two countries with roughly the same land area, China is feeding more than 4 times as many people as the U.S. with 30% less arable land. It is particularly astonishing that China is able to export as much produce as it does. Please see parts 1, 2, and 3 below for pictures and video of Chenggong.

For most of the last week, I have been at the PEAC office digging through the survey results, preparing a final presentation for PEAC staff, helping with article translations, and having English discussions on farming issues. I have also been spending more time with another public-health based NGO called YHDRA (Yunnan Health and Development Research Association) doing similar work. They have invited me to attend a conference on Anthropology that will be held in Kunming next week. Hopefully things fall into place so I can attend.

Less than two weeks remain for my field experience. Besides cramming in last minute plans, I must begin thinking about how to thank everyone who has worked with me over the last 45 days. This is no small task. Ideas welcome!

P.S. one final note:
In case you're reading this, just wanted to say Happy Birthday Dad!

1. GREENHOUSE EXTERIOR:

2. GREENHOUSE INTERIOR:

3. FROM GREENHOUSE TO THE ROAD: