Sinan Young Farmer Lee Jihoon Gains Attention for Smart Farm Innovation

Year-Round Production with Aeroponics
Serving as a Mentor for Aspiring Farmers

Prospective return-to-farmers visiting CEO Lee Jihoon, a young farmer who successfully operates Easy Farm. Provided by Sinan County

Lee Jihoon, a young farmer operating the smart farm "Easy Farm" in Aphe-eup, Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, drew attention by sharing his personal success strategies with prospective return-to-farmers.

On December 2, Lee's farm was selected as a field trip site for the "2025 Jeollanam-do Return-to-Farming and Fishing Experience Program, 8th Class," where he introduced the process of building a smart farm and his operational strategies.

Now in his third year since relocating from Pyeongtaek to Sinan, he completed a state-of-the-art smart greenhouse of approximately 2,000 square meters (about 600 pyeong) with the support of Sinan County's "Young Farmers’ Smart Farm Self-Sufficiency Program." Notably, he achieved technological innovation by adopting aeroponics, a method that significantly reduces water usage and maintains consistent quality, enabling year-round production of European lettuces such as butterhead and romaine.

During the visit, prospective return-to-farmers were able to directly observe the cultivation facilities, growth control systems, and in-house germination room operations, experiencing firsthand the practical economic and technological advantages of the smart farm.

Lee stated, "The county's support program provided a solid foundation, and I believe it is also my responsibility to help junior farmers minimize their trial and error."

In addition to the farm's operational achievements, Lee is also recognized for his contributions to the local community. In September, he donated 150 boxes of European lettuce he cultivated to a welfare foundation for distribution to vulnerable groups, and he supplies salad products to the local Nonghyup food market at reasonable prices, helping to ease the burden on local residents.

A county official commented, "CEO Lee Jihoon is a leading example of a young farmer who practices both technological innovation and sharing," adding, "The county will continue to actively support the creation of a sustainable smart agriculture ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.