Getting organic food delivered to your home
It may come as a surprise to you but even China has farms that are dedicated to growing organic food. Some farms are certified organic, others are not certified but claim to follow the same standards. The term organic is probably relative here, as you can’t control the air quality at the farm, and maybe not even the water quality.
There are organic farms further away from Beijing, for example in Yunnan province. But I think one of the goals of fresh produce should be to keep the distance between farm and table small. So here is one organic farm in the Beijing area.
DeRunWu – This farm is not certified organic but supposedly follows the same protocols. It is located in Changping district in the North of Beijing. You can order online vegetables, fruit, grain, seasonings, tofu, and more. The website has Chinese and English and even a handy quick guide how to order for foreigners. Delivery days are Wednesday and Saturday.
Buying organic on a farmers market
Ordering greens online and getting them delivered sounds convenient, but sometimes you want to check out the produce yourself. Besides all the local fresh markets, where greens look good but may have seen lots of pesticides, there is a farmers market for organic food in Beijing.
Beijing Organic Farmers Market – This market was started by an expat couple and brings small local farmers together. While the organic certification is too expensive for those small farmers, the organizers of the market inspect every farm thoroughly over a time period before admitting the produce to ensure organic quality. Locations for this market change constantly but are typically convenient for expats and other foreigners. Follow their Facebook page to get the location listings.
Some supermarkets also have products or whole sections labelled organic. But this can’t compare to the variety of organic food you get from the farms and organic farmers market in Beijing.
Happy healthy shopping and cooking!
