A Date with Seeds
Project Concept
Living in a globalized city, we are lucky to be able to enjoy foods from all over the world anytime and anywhere, without thinking about whether certain fruits or vegetables are in season.. “A Date with Seeds” is a new food and farming project launching at The Mills this summer. Working alongside local agricultural organizations to promote local sustainable agriculture practices, we explore the link between seeds, land, and the importance of seasonal food. In July and August, Organic Greenfield, an organization that has long promoted “community-supported agriculture” by arranging produce co-purchases and holding farming workshops, will set up a pop-up store in The Mills selling exclusively seasonal foods. All products will be made from seasonal produce and tells the story of local farming and land. . Buyers receive their vegetables with the information about the farming seasons and the farms they come from, strengthening the connection between farmers and consumers.
To consume seasonally means to primarily eat foods harvested or produced in the current season. This eating habit can benefit both our health and nature. Crops grown during off-seasons require more fertilizer, and possibly an artificial environment. These farming practices can lead to increased carbon emissions, soil degradation and long-term environmental damages. With improved understanding of our food sources and the latest developments in local farming, we can learn together how to respect our land and live more sustainably. Together with Sustainable Ecological Ethical Development Foundation (SEED), The Mills will hold a farm-produce market and various food-and-farming workshops on our rooftop farms in July and August. Participants can explore the diverse and different uses of farm produce and learn from farmers on how to pick the best crops.
On 1st Aug,The Mills will host a talk on the recently published “The Yellow Pages for local farmers”, the first farming guidebook of its kind in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Farming 3.0 team will share the background and purpose of the book. Local farmers Fiona and Chow Sze Chung will discuss the realities of farming and the challenges faced by farmers, while farmers will introduce different species of winter melons and pumpkins –a summer crop – and how they can be best enjoyed.
How can we eat healthy? Concern over food sources, growing methods, and farm reputation has been growing in recent years, and are all linked to the land. No good harvest can be yielded without good soil. But what makes a good soil? What is our relationship with the organic carbon in the soil? How can the soil mitigate the climate crisis?
In July, “A Date with Seeds” will invite “The Mushroom Initiative”, a non-profit organization promoting soil conservation, forest restoration, mushroom cultivation, and soil diversity. The Mushroom Initiative will share the key to plant-microbe symbiosis and soil health maintenance at our market. They will host a workshop on how to monitor soil heath.
“A Date with Seeds” narrates the story of seeds. From education to changing consumption patterns, consumers can turn into supporters of the sustainable development of local farming.
In Time Of
Date: 3/7 – 29/8 (Every Sat & Sun)
Time: 12:00nn – 6:00pm
Venue: G/F (near Pak Tin Par Street Entrance
The Mills Farmer Market
The Mills connects with Sustainable Ecological Ethical Development Foundation (SEED) inviting a group of local farmers to hold a farm-produce markets and various food-and-farming workshops on our rooftop farms on 10, 11, 31 July and 1, 21, 22 August. Participants can explore the diverse and different uses of farm produce, they can learn from farmers on how to pick the best crops and to understand the importance of consume seasonally.
Collaborators: SEED x Local FarmersDate: 10/7, 11/7, 31/7, 1/8, 21/8, 22/8 (Sat, Sun)
Time: 12:00nn – 6:00pm
Venue:
10/7, 11/7 – 1/F Atrium
31/7, 1/8 – 1/F Shop 106
21/8, 22/8 – 1/F Atrium
“A Date with Seeds” Workshops
Jul
A Lesson of Local Red Amaranth: Red Amaranth Sushi Roll Workshop
The collaboration of Organic Greenfield and Little Life Project has jumped out of the comfort zone of Guangdong cuisine, not just frying veggies with garlic but trying to combine local red amaranth with sushi roll. Inviting audiences to get to know the diversity of red amaranth through visual and taste, in order to promote the concept of seasonal food eating.
Participants will harvest local red amaranth from The Mills rooftop farm, to experience the farm to table cooking process.
Date： 4/7 Sun
Time： 11:00am – 1:00pm
Collaborator：Organic Greenfield, Little Life Project
Price：$250
Flavours of Bitter melon: The reminiscence snacks with 3 types of Bitter melon
Bitter melon has a bitter flavour and is categorized as a cool type of food in Chinese food culture, which can remove heat and toxicity inside the body and thus named “Cool Melon”. We have various types of bitter melon in Hong Kong and they all have their unique flavours of bitter.
SEED has collaborated with Janet from Han’s Kitchen to highlight three types of bitter flavours with HK’s reminiscence snacks (Dried salted plum and sweetened haw cake). Participants can understand the features and taste different textures of bitter melon during the workshop.
Date：10/7 Sat
Time： 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Collorator：SEED x Janet’s Kitchen
Price：$200
Fuzzy Melon Mango Shrimp Rice Paper Roll Workshop
“Eating the right food in the right season” is an ancient wisdom, it reflects the best quality of the crops and is deeply related to a well balanced lifestyle. Eating seasonal melons will help release heat and thirst during the hot summer. Fuzzy Melon is one of the seasonal crops and Janet from Han’s Kitchen creates a dish mixing with mango as preparation for this summer time.
Date： 11/7 Sun
Time： 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Collorators：SEED x Janet’s Kitchen
Price：$200
Urban Farming Experience 1: Watermelon
The Deck is a rooftop farm located in The Mills, which is following traditional farming practice. The workshop promotes traditional farming techniques in an urban city. Experiencing how to use hoe and build bamboo structures for the melons and beans, to inherit and pass on traditional farming skills.
SEED invites an experienced urban farmer Doris to lead the farming experience and share the skills of planting watermelons. Participants will receive a seedling of watermelon, to experience the joy of planting at home.
Date：11/7 Sun
Time： 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Collaborators：SEED x Doris (Experienced Farmer)
Price：$150
“The Way We Are” Storytelling and Insects Crafting Workshop
“The Way We Are” illustrates the daily life of a boy with autism and his observation of insects, to trigger children’s interest and awareness of insects which are very close to us in the urban city.
Different kinds of plant will attracted different insects, participants will get to know the seeds of avocado in this workshop and they can make use of avocado seeds to make a Ladybird. Participants will need to bring at least two avocado seeds for craft making workshop. Part of the workshop will be held at outdoor space, please prepare your own hat and sun protections.
Date：17/7 Sat
Time： 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Collaborator：The Way We Are
Price：$150
A Lesson of Perilla Leaf: Summer Perilla Leaf Miso Rice Paper Roll
Summer weather in Hong Kong suits to grow a lot of herbs including Basil, Mint, Lemongrass and Perilla Leaf. The application of herbs in different cuisines and teas are the practice of seasonal food eating theory. Heat of summer drives people get cold easily, serving a cup of perilla tea would help releasing, cooling down and removing heat from the body.
The collaboration of Organic Greenfield and Little Life Project is introducing a snack for summer: Perilla Leaf Miso Rice Paper Roll. Inviting the audiences to taste perilla leaf in order to promote the concept of seasonal food eating.
Participants will harvest local perilla leaf from The Mills rooftop farm, to experience the farm to table cooking process.
Date： 25/7 Sun
Time： 11:00am – 1:00pm
Collaborator：Organic Greenfield, Little Life Project
Price：$250
Coffee Attempt and Coffee Grounds Soap Making Workshop
A collaboration with local coffee shop KOKO COFFEE ROASTERS, the workshop brings an experience of meticulous sensory of fresh roasted coffee tasting and soap making with coffee ground. It is a journey from coffee roasting to tasting as well as delicate lifestyle from food wasting to upcycling.
Date：30/7 Fri
Time： 7:00pm – 9:15pm
Collaborator：KOKO COFFEE ROASTERS; Eco Greenergy
Price：$550
Gathering with local young farmers: Winter Melon Milk Topped Drinks and Okra Chips
Both professional and holiday farmers are big fans of planting huge winter melon in summer. Planting winter melon is a technical and perseverance challenge since only one melon can be grown on a rattan. Farmers have to be extremely careful to grow in 3 months time due to unpredictable weather and pests. A hardly grown winter melon can become a doubled boiled winter melon soup or be processed into winter melon bricks which can be stored in the refrigerator to make sweet tea. It is one of the best choice for summer and matches perfectly with milk topped which goes well with Okra chips.
Date： 31/7 Sat
Time： 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Collaborators：SEED x Salmon
Price：$200
Plant Pounding Pest Repelling Pack Workshop
Plant Pounding is a simple and environmental friendly craftsmanship. The leftover flowers and leaves from the farm can be pounded on the plain fabric.
Tutor will lead participants to collect flowers and leaves in your favourite shapes on a white fabric, tapping and pounding with tools until plant’s sap is left gorgeously on the fabric as an appealing textile product. Besides, participants will insert pest
Date：31/7 Sat
Time： 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Collaborators：SEED x Grace
Price：$250
Aug
Local Longan Wine Making Workshop
Date：1/8 Sun
Time： 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Collaborator：Ah Wah
Price：$280
Gathering with local farmers: Seasonal Vegetable Spring Roll + Winter Melon Turmeric Drinks
Date：1/8 Sun
Time： 12:00nn – 1:30pm
Collaborator：SEED x Delia (Relax And Warm Farm: RAW)
Price：$250
Plant-fiber and Seeds Hade-made Postcard Workshop
Date：14/8 Sun
Time： 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Collaborator：Lomfafair
Price：$390
Vegetable Bouquet Workshop
Date：22/8 Sun
Time： 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Collaborator：Melon Flower
Price：$280
