Organic Farms, Beomeo.

Update as of sometime in May, 2012:

Organic Farms no longer stocks the stuff listed in the original entry.  Some time ago, they switched to a beef restaurant specializing in Hanu (Korean-raised) beef.  I don't recall whether the beef is certified organic, grass-fed, or even antibiotic free.  There is still a small selection of organic fruits and sauces. 



People who live near Beomeo sure are blessed!  Just a few minutes' walk from exit 1 of Beomeo station is

Organic Farms!

Though it sells mostly the same stuff, the wood and brick interior give it a slightly more upscale feel than other chains like Chorok Maeul or iCoop.  

Usual assortment of grains, beans, and snacks.

Vegetarian ramen...

And, unlike other places, you can get fresh meat (I didn't confirm, but I'm confident it's local and antibiotic-free, though probably not organically fed or raised free range.)

There's a lot more that I didn't take pictures of: fresh fruits and vegetables, loads of snacks and sauces, jams, coffee, chocolate...pop by and have a look!  Come out of Beomeo station exit 1, head straight, and take your the 3rd right, which will be at a giantish intersection.  Walk north for a minute or two and voila, you're there!  Or, plan your route out in advance on the Green Guide map. 

WooriCoop - Bokhyeon, Beomeo, Taejeon

In the last post, I mentioned that two new local/organic markets (man, I really need a catchier name for these places. Any ideas out there?) had opened opened up over the last month. I was wrong. It's three^^ The other two are both branches of WooriCoop (우리/Woori can mean "we," "us," or "our," depending on the circumstances), one in Beomeo and one in Bokyheon-dong.  It turns out that there's also a third in Taejon-dong which has been around for a little bit longer.  It's like whack-a-mole, except I want them all to stay. Or to proliferate, even.

(The owners were too embarrassed to pose for a picture.  On my honor, though: the grandma is super cute and friendly.)

I stopped by the Bokhyeon-dong branch, which is only about 30 seconds from my front door, to scope it out and have a chat with the owner.  The shop is run by Mrs. Kwon and her mother, who live nearby and decided to open the store so that they could have access safe and healthy food for their family, and so that they could share the same with others. Mrs. Kwon says that she enjoys spending time in the shop, chatting with patrons about the health and environmental benefits of organic and whole food. Although she's sandwiched between stores that sell conventionally-produced stuff at lower prices, she says so far she's been getting a fair amount of attention, both from people who are already head-over-heels for organic and from people who don't even know what the word means.

Perhaps it's some of the following goodies that draw people in:

Eggs from free-range, antibiotic-free chickens.  4,200W for 10, 5,800W for 15.

Milk from cows and goats fed organic, antibiotic-free feed.

Yogurt and ice cream from the same!

Chocolate bars, agave, peanut butter, and nutella...

Vegan non-meats

Banchan, for those interested in slightly more indigenous fare.

Curios about the differences between WooriCoop, iCoop, aCoop, and other stores, I asked if they knew any of the producers directly; they said they didn't, so I guess that sort of stuff is taken care of by people at other levels of the franchise. While places like The Farmer's Market and The She-Bears' Den seem to have an optimal system in place, where the store managers maintain direct relationships with producers, I suppose it's also pretty cool that even people without connections to farmers and agricultural advocacy groups can get their foot in the door by joining up with a franchise. In any case, it's better than a GS25 opening on the corner.

This sign explains what WooriCoop is all about:

"Mom, what is a Saenghyeop?"

"Officially, it means 'Sobija (consumer) Saenghwal (life) Hyeopdong (cooperation) Johap (association).'  It's called a "Coop" in English, and it means that the members join together to try to solve social problems.  One Coop in England in 1844 had great success, and since then others have been appearing in various forms around the world.

"In a Coop, everybody is the owner. Because we work together to manage the business, every additional member helps us to lower prices and share other benefits. It's also a way for us to help each other out when things get tough.  The name 'WooriCoop' captures this spirit: if you and I become We, more is possible."

A bit more noble than "HomePlus, HomePlus, the price is nice!" Right?

I also gleaned a bit more info from the quarterly newsletter and from the website. Here's my best go at translating their company intro page. I took a fair amount of license with these:

Local Produce: we only deal in organic and eco-friendly produce. 
We provide you with produce that's domestic, not imported (except in some cases where domestic options are not available.) We safely supply over 2000 varieties of products that have received organic or eco-friendly certifications.

Through Our Own PB Brand: We supply inexpensive and safe products.
We offer a wide variety of safe, inexpensive, high-quality products developed through our own PB brand.

Low Monthly Fee, Lots of Benefits to Enjoy.
Just 3,000won to sign up and 3,000 a month gets you a 3-10% discount on everything in the store.  [For the record, the Bokyheon branch doesn't charge monthly fees, and all branches will return your initial deposit should you decided to cancel your membership.]

Living Together, Creating Community: people and nature, love and help.
WooriCoop was put together by consumers and producers who love the earth and want to help neighbors in need. A portion of proceeds from sales and membership fees goes to help underprivileged children.


Stable Distribution System: three levels, rapid service.
Our integrated delivery system allows us to offer the freshest produce. From beginning to end, everything is carefully inspected and cared for, ensuring safe and trustworthy delivery.

In case those translations weren't awkward enough, please allow me to try my hand at the poem on the back of the winter newsletter.  Please note that the word play works much better in Korean, because the word "Woori" has several meanings.

Becoming a member
Of OurCoop.
Living together,
Imagining a better life.

There's something that "you" and "I" can't do alone.

"We" are not just an organic shop.
"We" have stepped up to work together on food issues,
"We" are the start of a better life, which we're making together.

If you're reading this now,
You probably started out concerned about
Your child's skin problems, adult-onset diseases,
And food safety issues that grow worse by the day.
In the middle of looking here and there for help,
You've probably thought to yourself,
"I wish I didn't have to worry about my food, too."

"You" and "I" can't solve these problems alone.
But we can if we become "We."

"We" all hope to live better.

"We" want to share our happiness with others.

"We" want to be there when you need a hand.

So "We" cut through the froth, the superfluousness
And share the benefits.

Please join us.
If we become "We,"
More is possible.

Note that there's no need to blame the people in the stores for my abhorrent translation! Stop by, tell them they're awesome, and get yourself some good grub^^

The addresses are as follows:
Bokyeon Branch 대구 북구 복현동 266-10.  Open daily 10AM-8PM.
Beomeo Branch 대구 수성구 범어동 899-11.  Hours unconfirmed.
Taejeon Branch 대구 북구 태전동 198 경북화성파크 드림와이드상가 102호.  Hours unconfirmed.

All three branches have been added to the Green Guide, but here are some plain old directions just in case.

No subway serves the Bokyheon branch; to pay a visit, walk from the KNU North Gate towards the airport.  Go straight up the hill at the 5 way intersection (복현오거리), then cross the street at the bottom of the hill and turn right; it'll take 10 minutes from the intersection.  From the KNU main gate, simply walk down the hill (away from downtown), cross one middle-sized intersection (복현사거리), pass the Yeungjin College east gate, and keep going.  15 minute walk, max.

I'm not sure yet how to get to the Taejon branch, but the Beomeo one looks to be just South of the subway station. Come out of exit 6, go straight, and turn left at the intersection before the Paris Baguette.  It'll be on your left.

Happy Shopping!

The She-Bears' Den, Beomeo

On Wednesday, I set out on my trusty cycle and, thanks to some hints from friend and reader and fellow Green Liver (ok, maybe that's not the best title) Mary, I managed to find not one, not two, but THREE shops selling primarily local, organic, and healthy edibles.

First and foremost, 곰네들장터 (The She-Bears' Marketplace), itself an offshoot of 곰네들누리터 (The She-Bears' Den).

Modest from the outside, there's a lot going on here. The name comes from Korean mythology, according to which a she-bear and a he-tiger asked the gods to be turned into humans. To do so, they were told to eat mugwort and garlic for three weeks. The bear managed to do so, became human, begged the gods for a son, and gave birth to Dang-gun, Korea's first human king.

There's more to the story, but in essence, the women behind the She-Bears' Den intend it to be a nurturing space for people of all ages and interests, and thus, for the Earth as well. They offer courses in dream therapy, art therapy, counseling, health, and in making soap, candles, cosmetics out of eco-friendly ingredients. They also offer study space and eco-experiences for schoolchildren on the weekends. Most accessible to foreigners, though, is probably the Wednesday morning temple food preparation class "반청", where you can learn to cook authentic, delicious, traditional Korean food from a professor and activist (I didn't get her name) from Daegu Catholic University.

As unfortunate as it is that we're all busy and that it's so difficult for foreigners to really get involved in places like this, I'm always happy to find these places where people are doing their best to restore health to individuals, society, and the planet. If you go looking, there are little specks of hope everywhere.

And giant ones, too. I had a fantastic discussion with Jae-hak Seo, manager of the She-Bears' Marketplace located on the first floor, just under the Den.

"Green life, Green Community, Green Future"

At first look, the Marketplace looks more or less like every other organic store I've written about so far. Wooden cubbyholes full of organic snacks, fair-trade goodies, vegetarian ramen, and all-natural cleaning products. Bags of local and organic grains and beans, a fridge full of fresh produce, and a freezer of antibiotic-free meat.

There's something different about this place, though. A feeling of closeness, related not to the modest footprint of the shop but to the lack of pretense and the sheer honesty of the enterprise. When an organic coffee shop opened up down the street, Mr. Seo stopped stocking some of his coffee in order to help them out. The rice here is sold in plain, clear bags with simple labels, not the fancy, bulky bags you see at other stores. Some eggs have no labels at all, and you can get a 200 won refund for returning the cartons for reuse. These are the surface details of something deeper:

"The Community of Life"

The Community of Life, now twenty years in the making, is a an organic farming cooperative with producers at its heart . Founded in 1989 and originally composed of 9 villages in Andong, Yeongju, Sangju, Mungyeong, in North Gyeongsangbuk province, it now contains member farms in Uiseong, Yech'eon, Seongju, and Mungyeong's Gupung, Twoegang, Chukdeong, and Sancheon communities. It was founded in order to create a world in which we can all live together, and it works towards this goal by growing and sharing organic produce, facilitating exchange between city and countryside, and creating a healthy local society. The She-Bear's Den purchases and sells rice, grains, vegetables, fruits, eggs, sesame oil, and more produce by The Community of Life.

Aside from the processed stuff up front, Mr. Seo explained to me, most everything comes from the Andong Catholic Farmers' Association (안동카톨릭농민회), a local group dedicated to preserving the health of rural communities and the land that sustains them. While other eco-shops, iCoop in particular, are in the business of bringing cheap and healthy food to consumers in the city, Seo emphasizes that we should try to see things from the standpoint of the producers, many of whom need more support than the big chains are currently giving them. He visits his producers frequently and does his best to make sure that their relationship with consumers is a balanced one that promotes the health of all parties involved.

Mr. Seo is the friendliest and most available of all the managers I've met so far. Lately, he's been working on attaching English tags to items, and says he's happy to take requests for items such as organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prune juice, or whatever our hearts desire.

...though be careful not to confuse the 된장 with peanut butter...

Here's what you need to know in order to stop by, say hi, and support this amazing place:

The She-Bears' Marketplace, probably the eco-shop most accessible from downtown, is located just west of Beomeo intersection, about 30 seconds away from exit 3. Open Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, and from 1PM-9PM on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month; fresh vegetables are delivered on Mondays and Thursdays. No membership is required, though if you do sign up, you can earn 3% store credit on each purchase.

To see it on a map, check out on DGL's Green Guide.