| I went to find out about a place called Sanan
village. It is a commune of 44 people (in Hwasung,Hwaseong.
Gyeonggido is 110km away to south from Seoul.) www.yamagishism.co.kr
It is a real commune -they share everything. They
are famous for the eggs.
Even though it was such short notice Mr Ryu agreed to me dropping by and kindly showed me around. It seemed to be the most successful community I have seen. After lunch I went with the 2 international volunteers to help collect eggs.
I was disappointed to learn I had missed an international workcamp there in August.
Interesting and successful, but I'm not sure I would live there. I bought their book about farming to send to my friend. |
Sanan Village picture |
My ticket is Oct4th but I can change to 10th. They have a weekend workcamp 8-9 October so I'll probably go back for it.
and hopefully have some interesting conversations.
View of the whole place ..the guest houses on the left their village is on the upper right. I'm not sure about the HT power lines !
The message board as you arrive ..says something like abandon all the ties of money when you enter here
Some info. I have visited 2 other farm business communes in New Zealand before Riverside and Wilderland this was similar, but different. They have a thriving egg/poultry business and everyone works in it. (they even employ a few workers from outside). Most of the communities I have visited 2 things happen 1. people revert to the nuclear family way of the outside world, staying in their own houses and eating there and 2. The turnover of people is quite high. Here though people live together in one building and always eat together. They don't all eat at the same time it's more like a canteen arrangement. It's less nuclear family cos the children stay in the children's house. They are also a school onsite for younger children. I should have talked to the teachers and asked if they have any special education philosophy. All the members put everything in to the community and can't take assets out if they leave, so many have been there since 1984.
It's in the Yamagishi network a Japanese based organization. They said, it's not religious, but the website doesn't have any Englishso I'm not sure what the philosophy is. They make decisions by consensus, but are sexist ,they have men's jobs and women's jobs.
The philosophy seems to be focused on healthy food. They grow their own food and sell vegetables to long term customers. Then they seem to grow most of the chicken food. The chickens are not free-range, but barn chickens with about 100 in a pen. Everything seemed very organized and professional.
I like the idea of professional farming instead of pottering around in gardens I have seen in other places. However, though the food is healthy is it ecological ? Surely you get much higher production from farming when you eat the crops directly instead of feeding them to animals, which you then eat ? They didn't have things like compost toilets etc.
I'm not sure if it's part of the health program, but they only eat twice a day. People maybe don't work so hard , but they work many hours. They stop at 11.30 for lunch in the canteen and begin again at 2. The children eat dinner at 6 and adults at 7pm. It must be a 7 day/week operation, but I don't know what days they get off. By choosing this type of farm they have food and work year round.
Some people work on the chicken farm, others in the fields, office, delivery trucks, kitchen or school. They appeared to be doing OK with cars, computers and TVs.
I'm not sure I would live in a place like this. I liked the cooperation and sharing, but it is like the outside world in being child centred and sexist. I would prefer to be in an urban environment away from children. The scenary was pretty normal unlike the idyllic river, mountain beach spots that anglo communes pick.
We stayed in the guest house and the members seemed quite private and shy so there was not much opportunity to talk more.