That organic apple you seek from a local farm can be costly for the producer to grow because organic standards are very strict and the inputs to make the soil healthy can start to add up using conventional approaches. About 30 years ago, Han Kyu Cho in Korea became alarmed at the methods that conventional farms were adopting and concerned that organic methods were out of the reach of too many farmers and consumers.

So he set about researching and developing low-cost methods of organic farming, creating the Korean Natural Farming system in the process. His son, Youngsang Cho, carried on with the mission and eventually developed the JADAM Organic Farming system, which is employed widely in Korea. After debating the merits of keeping the secret within their own nation to provide a competitive edge, they decided to share with the world their research, systems and methods for making "indigenous" inputs. 

Here in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, we are fortunate to have their compatriot, Rei Yoon, as a fully qualified instructor of the JADAM philosophy and methodology. When he is not jetting around the world to introduce JADAM methods to solve agricultural issues in places as far flung as Hawaii, the Philippines, Malaysia,  Thailand and Australia, he teaches JADAM essentials in a two-day workshop series at our CEED Centre Neighbourhood House. This Spring, he will offer the series on April 28 and May 5, two successive Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Register here. The cost is only $60 for 14 hours of instruction. The location is subject to change if the class size exceeds 15 people. Register early to ensure your seat.

The CEED Centre Society has a purpose for engaging in all three of what are commonly referred to
as the  pillars of society-- environmental preservation, social development and economic development. 

While we salute the many organizations that have a more selective and focused approach, such as the stewardship environmental organizations and the economic development agencies, we believe it beneficial for society to have some organizations that work on the community as a whole.

That is why we try to engage in programs and services that integrate more than one aspect of life. Our newest set of programs, for example, will help the environment by providing a low carbon footprint means of dealing with organic waste while creating new jobs for youth that have experienced homelessness or mental health issues, thereby benefiting economic and social development. These programs will involve the youth transporting compost from offices and restaurants on an electric cargo tricycle, which we hope to model in our community as an environmentally friendly means of transporting goods and performing services.

We hope you will stay tuned to this space to see how we roll out these programs over the next few months.

Our mission is to connect people to their community and to spread knowledge of how we can live so that all beings can thrive. We are grateful to the volunteers and funding organizations that make this possible.

Christian
​March 2018