Family Fun Farming the Weekend Away in Korea

It’s the last Saturday of the month and families in Korea are wondering what to do with the nice weather… Less than an hour’s drive out from Seoul, 25 families have found a constructive way to spend the day—as weekend farmers at Ilusan folk farm!

Begun in 2012 as an eco-friendly social contribution activity, this program is a farming initiative by Toyota Motor Korea. Though limited to only 25 families, one hundred families applied this year as the popularity of the program booms. May 23, 2015 marked the kick-off of the fourth year running and the CEO of Toyota Motor Korea joined employees in participating in a little down-to-earth weekend action. 

Each family participating in Toyota Weekend Farmer receives a 16.5 m² patch of earth to farm where they can grow and nurture a variety of vegetables. With the expertise of a farming specialist to hand, the families can learn about their weekend trade as they go.

The program not only provides families a chance to grow their own vegetables, it gives them a chance to contribute to charity, as well. In November of 2014, 850 Chinese cabbages were harvested and made into kimchi for donation to homeless shelters.

Meanwhile, if the joy of working in the earth with one’s own hands isn’t quite enough, there’s plenty of fun to be had for the kids with traditional games and natural decoration of a nameplate for each farm. It’s a fabulous natural environment where families can bond and grow without digital distractions keeping them apart.

All they have to do… is drive there and get back to basics!