5 Things: Erica Huang on Clean Eating in Beijing
By Justine Lopez
A That's series where we ask a Beijing-based somebody to tell us five things specific to his or her life.
Erica Huang is the entrepreneur behind the popular farmers’ market, Farm to Neighbors. The Taiwanese-native relocated to Beijing five years ago. In July of 2014, while she was working as a project manager and editor for VICE, she started a side project called Farm to Neighbors. Little did she know at the time that her passion project would steer her life in an entirely new direction. Nearly two years later Farm to Neighbors has turned into a full-fledged career. When Huang’s not touring farms, interviewing potential vendors and juggling tons of other business-related duties, she acts a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassador in Beijing. She is currently working hard to get this campaign off the ground in China and to create more awareness around food education, especially for children. We talked with Huang about Farm to Neighbors, the importance of clean eating and her impact on the Beijing community.
How did the idea for Farm to Neighbors first come to you?
I was suffering from a severe skin condition and joint pain after working and living in Beijing for two years. After trying everything to cure my skin, I began to embark on a series of strict diets that would restore my gut health, which required clean food – mostly organically-grown vegetables and pasture-raised meats. I had to seek out trustworthy sources of foods on my own because I didn’t trust big supermarkets. I started visiting different ecological farms around Beijing and buying from them, but it was quite mafan to order from them separately. That’s when I began to think I could start a very small farmers’ market in my own community because many people would have the same need, too.
How did you turn this passion project into a career, especially considering you basically did it all by yourself?
It was out of necessity, really. I wanted to run a high-quality farmers' market where I myself would want to shop. Once the farmers’ market started to get regular customers and the vendors sort of depend on you, you began to have a responsibility to keep it running and maintain the standard. Going through the health crisis personally gave me a strong sense of mission that I must do something to improve and educate people about what they are eating and where it comes from. It not only impacts health but also has everything to do with the environment we live in. So I decided to quit my job to do this full time.
What are some of your favorite products that you’ve discovered through your research?
I was very lucky to find some properly fermented foods in the traditional way for my market. For instance true sourdough breads, fermented soy products, pasture-raised yak yogurt and fermented sweet rice. These are nutrient-dense foods that slowly get lost in the industrial food production process, and people don’t even know it. And more recently, I was also very lucky to have extremely healthy artisanal foods join the market, such as raw vegan desserts, coconut yogurt and even kombucha! I love the seasonal vegetables and fruits at the market. My favorite dish is a simple salad with Le Fromager de Pekin cheese and honey and apple cider vinegar dressing – everything can be bought from the market!
Why are you so passionate about eating locally and organically?
My physical health – in particular my skin and my mental condition – has improved so much after changing my lifestyle, mainly how I eat and what I eat. And after personally visiting the farms and researching about the state of agriculture and farming villages in China (this is where our food comes from!), it’s hard to ignore the problem and do nothing about it.
How do you think you’ve managed to impact the Beijing community through the market?
I always think the impact we are making in the community is small but very important to the individual. I think Farm to Neighbors has created a very special community, where we not only have small local farms but a focused group of local artisan food makers who are making quality specialty foods that you wouldn’t find in the supermarkets. And when the food artisans and farm growers meet each other, they exchange their resources and skills to create a sort of alternative food production eco-system. This is very special and a rewarding outcome that I didn’t expect I could create in Beijing.
Farm to Neighbors is open every Saturday and Sunday from 12-5pm at The Grand Summit South Building B1 floor (below Baker & Spice). Additionally, they are starting a new location at Taiyanggong Park in May, which is a picnic-themed market.
19 Dongfang East Road, Chaoyang District, The Grand Summit South B1 Floor Fat Dragon Cafeteria 东方东路19号，官舍南区地下一层肥龙食堂（凯宾斯基酒店对面） 地铁：亮马桥地铁站B口（东北口）出即到达官舍南广场 (186 0011 6714)
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