Okjong Nonghyup Kim Yongsun and Jung Jiyeon Couple
Namhae Nonghyup Moon Chulwook and Lee Misook Couple
Gyeongnam Nonghyup announced on the 10th that the couples Kim Yongsun and Jung Jiyeon from Hadong Okjong Nonghyup, and Moon Cheolwook and Lee Misook from Namhae Nonghyup, have been selected as the recipients of the October 'New Farmer of the Month Award' presented by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.
The Kim couple, members of Hadong Okjong Nonghyup, returned to their hometown of Daejeong Village in Okjong-myeon in 2013 after working in Seoul, and started cultivating strawberries at their farm, Strawberry Ae Jinsim Farm. They are young farmers in their 10th year, currently growing strawberries on a total area of 12,173 square meters, including one smart farm facility and two general greenhouses.
With a passion for learning and a firm belief in scientific farming, they completed the 'ATEC Young Farmers Smart Farm Operation Technology Course.' They were selected for Gyeongnam Province's smart farm pilot project and built the first smart farm in the area. Through systematic, data-driven farming, they shipped 26 tons of strawberries worth 276 million KRW in 2022 and 32 tons worth 389 million KRW in 2023, achieving remarkable results.
The Moon couple, members of Namhae Nonghyup, are farmers cultivating garlic, spinach, chili peppers, and pumpkins on 33,057 square meters of farmland in Dongsan Village, Namhae. Having previously run an agricultural machinery company, they utilize their in-depth knowledge of agricultural equipment to implement systematic farming, and are leading the distribution of agricultural machinery in the region to address labor shortages caused by the aging rural population.
Currently, Moon Cheolwook serves as the leader of the pumpkin and spinach crop groups, the local farming association, and the village head, and has been recognized for his dedicated service in promoting advanced farming technology and developing local agriculture, which led to his selection as a recipient of this month's New Farmer Award.
Going forward, the awardees will be registered as New Farmer members and will play a role in advancing agriculture and rural communities by disseminating advanced farming techniques and fostering future generations of farmers.
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