* * *
It has been a week since I sent the document to the Hadong County Office. There has been no news from the military office yet.
Han Gi-tak asked me every day.
“Did you have any news today?”
“Yes, there is no news yet.”
“Would you like to make a phone call?”
“You will be contacted soon. Don’t be too hasty.”
I was thinking positively.
Kim Chang-dae, the governor of Hadong, believed that there would be a lot of interest in this idea.
It is now early 2008. There has been no case of cultivating cutting-edge agriculture in local governments yet.
If you are a local municipality manager, this is a project that you can covet.
I thought that not being contacted right away was a small fight.
Currently, a hydroponics facility is being built. When the facility is complete, I thought that it would not be too late to contact you at that time.
* * *
I had a busy day going back and forth between the office and the ranch. I felt like I had returned to my normal life.
It was time to finish work and go home.
The phone rang.
It was the call I was waiting for.
“I think we can leave for Hadong tomorrow.”
Lee Jang-woo said in a pleasant voice.
Then a voice was heard.
It was Lee Dong-chun.
“It went very well. Min Yo-han’s inspection work has also been completed.”
The salad container arrives tomorrow.
The beginning of high-tech agriculture
Salad containers have arrived at the ranch.
Jang-Woo Lee asked where to put the container. We have already reserved a place for the salad container.
It was also a place where discussions were made with Seol Kang-in, who is in charge of running the ranch. There was a blueberry farm not far from the ranch, and I was planning to put it next to the blueberry farm.
Blueberry farms have electricity and water facilities.
Electricity and water are essential for hydroponics. At first, I thought about putting it next to the ranch, but the lines of work with the ranch people overlapped.
The blueberry farm was idle due to the influence of the season now, which is winter. It was a perfect place for a salad container.
Kim Sang-cheol, who is in charge of the blueberry farm, widened his eyes when he saw the salad container.
“Is this the hydroponics facility?”
He also heard about hydroponics. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it with my own eyes.
This is because it looked like an ordinary container.
A 40-foot container, 12 meters long and 2.6 meters high.
I put the container in the planned place and connected the power.
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Min Yo-han opened the container door.
“I will open the salad container.”
Contrary to the cold exterior, the interior was warm. This is because the light for growing vegetables has turned on. There was a passage for people in the middle, and shelves for growing salads on the left and right.
“I made it with a three-tier lathe.”
Lee Jang-woo, who was next to him, looked at the shelf and said.
“It was Lee Jang-woo’s opinion to make it into three stages. I originally planned to make it in two stages.”
“I thought I could grow more crops. There is something Deokmyung asked for.”
Lee Jang-woo answered Min Yo-han’s words.
As Lee Jang-woo said, it was what I asked for. I wanted to use the salad container sparingly.
Even when the facility was being built, I asked him to do it.
I looked closely at the shelves to the left and right of the container. Holes were drilled at intervals of 30 cm.
“You are planting crops in this hole.”
“Yeah, a hole for the badge.”
A medium is a solid object that holds the crop in place. Since hydroponics does not use soil, a device to hold the crops is required.
A solid medium is used for fixing crops.
In general, rock wool is used. It looks like a brown sponge, but it is actually a material extracted through the cotton candy manufacturing method after melting the rock at a high temperature of 1600 degrees or more.
Hydroponics is started by inserting the vegetable leaf fixed with the medium into the hole.
“How many holes are there for all the salads?”
“The sum of the left and right is 400.”
“It’s a lot more than I thought.”
I said looking at Lee Jang-woo. he smiled
His gaze turned to the shelf.
There was an LED light on the top of the shelf.
“The light is set at 8,500 lux, because at least 77,000 lux per day.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han pointed to the light and said.
Light is an essential element for growing vegetables.
As Min Yo-han said, 77,000 lux of light was needed per day.
Under the shelf was a pipe through which nutrients and water passed.
“The water is designed to be circulating, so the air pump works as well.”
Lee Jang-woo looked at the pipe and said.
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Nutrients and watering stations were outside the container.
It goes back to circulation, but there were times when water and nutrient solution had to be changed.
“How do you control the temperature and humidity?”
“The refrigeration system on the container didn’t fit, so I installed an air conditioner. There was also a request from Min Yo-han.”
In addition to controlling temperature and humidity, airflow was also important.
This is because carbon dioxide must be sufficiently secured for photosynthesis.
The salad container was able to control temperature, humidity, light quantity, and even the concentration of carbon dioxide.
It was a fully equipped hydroponics facility.
After checking, I went out of the container.
“Awesome, more than I thought.”
“I was only nagging, it was Lee Jang-woo and his father who built the hydroponics facility.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han looked at Lee Jang-woo and said.
Lee Jang-woo replied with a smile.
“Min Yohan is right. My father was also tired of Min Yo-han’s nagging.”
Everyone burst out laughing at Lee Jang-woo’s words.
“Then can I plant the salad right away?”
asked Min Yo-han.
“Of course, as long as the nutrient solution is prepared, there is no problem.”
“The nutrient solution is already prepared.
It was a nutrient solution made by Seo Woo-young and Lee Young-ho. Nutrients were prepared in the ranch warehouse.
“Then we can start cultivation right away.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yohan said with twinkling eyes.
“Then what shall I do?”
Jang-Woo Lee asked.
“Can I stay here this week?”
“Okay, I was thinking about that.”
* * *
That evening there was a small reception at the ranch.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han and Lee Jang-woo were the main characters.
The people who made candles, including colleagues from the ranch, the office, and the lab, all gathered.
The reception area was in the large tent where you can experience dairy products at the ranch.
A fire was placed on the table. Next to the fire, there were neck and pork belly.
The old paper brought by the grandmothers looked appetizing.
“What good are you doing today?”
Kim Kkot-nim, who came from the store after work, asked. It seems that the news was delivered late to the store family.
“Yes, I have a good job. From today, farmers in Jirisan have started to grow vegetables. A new family member has also arrived.”
“You want to grow vegetables? Aren’t you supposed to work in the fields?”
Kim Kkot-nim asked with worried eyes.
“why? Do you hate field work?”
“Hey, I have a bad back.”
The grandmothers around Kim Kkot-nim also clashed.
Everyone said they had a bad back, and they all helped each other out one by one.
He was worried about doing field work because he said he was growing vegetables.
“Is the field work very difficult?”
“Are you tired. I have to bend my back all day.”
It was a generation that grew up working in the fields since childhood. I knew with my body how hard it was.
“Don’t worry, I will never make you do the hard farm work.”
Everyone seems to be relieved by my words. The grandmothers sighed in relief.
“It’s been a long time since we all got together. Today, I would like to introduce a new family of farmers in Jirisan. Please come before Min Yo-han.”
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Min Yo-han introduced himself in front of his colleagues. Everyone burst out laughing at his last words.
“Now, don’t worry about the vegetables to wrap the meat in. I will raise them all.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han finished the introduction and left. The reaction was hot. I also called Jangwoo Lee.
Lee Jang-woo asked before the meeting. It was a content that was burdensome to introduce because I am not a member of the Jirisan farmers.
He came forward with a puzzled expression on his face.
“I will introduce this friend for you.”
Jang-Woo Lee closed his eyes and looked at me.
“I am a friend of Lee Jang-woo of Incheon Precision. The engineer who created the salad container. He’s a great tech guy. In the future, I will work with farmers in Jirisan. Please applaud.”
Applause and shouts erupted.
“I don’t have anything set up, but please enjoy your meal.”
The meat began to rise on the fire. Lee Jang-woo, who was next to me, opened his mouth just then.
“What were you thinking of saying that? As if I will be here forever.”
“Why don’t you want to work together?”
“It’s not like that, but I thought it was over when the container work was over…”
“There will be a lot of work ahead.”
“If there’s a lot to do, it’s fine for me, and my father will like it too.”
Lee Jang-woo said with a smile.
It was when the atmosphere was ripe.
Seol Kang-in came up to me and handed me a glass of makgeolli.
“I saw the salad container, too, and it was great.”
He drank a glass of makgeolli with a happy face.
“It’s nice to have a salad farm next to the ranch.”
Seol Kang-in raised his voice and said.
“I like it too, because I can make a yogurt salad.”
Seol Min-ju appeared at some point.
“Okay, you can also try the yogurt salad.”
The woman’s breathing matched well.
“Add blueberries to that.”
Kim Sang-cheol, who was on the other side, interrupted the conversation.
People around me said it was a good idea and said one word at a time.
“The salad container might be moving soon.”
Everyone’s eyes widened at my words. Kim Sang-cheol looked at me like a surprised rabbit.
“Are you moving?”
Seol Kang-in asked.
“Yes, if we do business with Hadong-gun, we can move.”
“What do you mean? Let me tell you in detail.”
Kim Sang-cheol came closer and listened. He was very fond of the word growing vegetables.
I am growing blueberries, but now is not the season for harvest. In the meantime, he seemed to expect to grow vegetables.
I talked in detail about what I was going to do with Ha Dong-gun.
If we were to do business with Hadong-gun, we could not grow salads on the ranch.
It was highly likely that the project would be conducted in a location designated by Hadong-gun.
“I understand what you mean. It’s a bit disappointing, but I think it’s a good idea.”
“I have no regrets. We are planning to build a large farm near the ranch.”
“Is that a container too?”
“No, it should be a large building, not a container. A large facility to grow crops.”
“I was like that when I first talked about containers, but I can’t imagine it in my head. It seems difficult to keep up with cutting-edge agriculture in my head.”
“I can’t keep up, you’re the best at handling robotic milking machines on the ranch.”
“Well, I’m good at that.”
Seol Kang-in smiled pleasantly.
That was then. Kim Sang-cheol came to me. He hesitated for a moment, then brought out the words he had saved.
“Maybe, can I apply too?”
“What do you mean?”
Kim Sang-cheol asked if he could apply for a project with Hadong-gun.
I thought for a moment.
When I didn’t answer right away, Kim Sang-cheol lowered his tail first.
“I have blueberries and a ranch job, so I guess I was too greedy.”
He turned back helplessly.
“Why did you turn around already, you didn’t answer?”
Kim Sang-cheol turned his head.
It was a look of anticipation.
“The support project has not been finalized yet. It means it may or may not. If the project to be supported is confirmed, please apply.”
“really?”
“Since it is for young farmers in Hadong, Sang-cheol is also eligible for support. Instead, it is a condition of faithfully doing what Sang-cheol is in charge of.”
“Obviously, I have to reduce the amount of time I sleep to do what I have to do.”
“Don’t overdo it.”
“Thank you, I will try my best.”
“But why do you want to do it?”
I knew he was interested in growing crops, but I didn’t expect it to come out so aggressively.
“I think it’s great.”
“Is that great?”
“I thought that if a salad container was possible, we could save the world.”
I wondered more about his thoughts on saving the world.
“You can grow crops with just a container. Regardless of the weather or environment.”
Kim Sang-cheol talked about his feelings when he saw the salad container.
It looked like he didn’t even drink alcohol. My eyes looked bright today.
He was very interested in the salad container.
People who were chatting also paid attention to Kim Sang-cheol’s words.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han, who was laughing and talking, also stopped talking and listened.
he last said
“I thought it could give hope to many farmers.”
Great idea. I also agreed with him.
* * *
It was two weeks later that Kim Chang-dae was contacted.
At first, the chief of staff, Kang Min-soo, called. It was the content that the support project was being reviewed positively.