Designer-turned-farmer tells importance of soil
Won runs tomato farm, seeks to bridge gap between good farmers and good marketers
There are farmers who produce the finest quality crops through knowledge of the soil, says Won Seunghyun, 37, who has been running a tomato farm in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, since 2015. He had quit his earlier job in Seoul as a package designer to inherit his father’s tomato farm.
But the designer-turned-farmer added that farmers are not often also good at marketing or branding their products.
“I’ve seen those who are good at selling products through their skills in packaging and branding, and I’ve also seen those who put a lot of effort into producing the finest crops through their knowledge of the soil. But I’ve never seen any farmer who is good at both,” Won said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.
Won said that his original plan was temporarily to help his father’s business in branding and marketing tomato products. But he began to feel that it was his mission to bridge the gap between good farmers and good marketing professionals.
Won said that working in the field as a farmer was necessary to create a brand story through which he could communicate continuously with his customers.
“A brand is like a living creature, and if you stop taking care of it, it will soon die. To keep the brand alive, I had to become a farmer myself and to keep working in the field to continuously provide feedback for my own brand story,” Won said.
Won has since been operating his own farm, named “Farm Nevertheless,” with the story of growing organic tomatoes despite hardships in terms of timing and costs.
While growing organic tomatoes, Won has learnt about the importance of soil, where microorganisms aid the decomposition process of organic matter, affecting the quality of produce, including their shape and flavor.
But he said it is regretful that not many farmers care about the efficient management of soil while focusing on immediate profits, just when it is becoming even more important, especially in this time of environmental crisis. He also said that it is not just a matter of the farming community; customers should also be aware of this issue, as their decisions have a significant effect on the practices of producers.
“There is growing interest in climate change all around the world, and environmental issues are topping the global agenda. But the fundamental issue lies with the management of soil, through which living things on the earth breathe,” Won said. “To bring about changes among farmers, who deal with the soil directly, customers should start looking for crops that are properly produced rather than just low-priced ones.”