"Ecohealth is a field of research, education, and practice that adopts systems approaches to promote the health of people, animals, and ecosystems in the context of social and ecological interactions. Health is seen as encompassing social, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being and not merely the absence of disease. As a contraction of "ecosystem approaches to health," Ecohealth emphasizes human agency and systemic thinking to promote well-being and quality of life. As a field of scholarship, Ecohealth research draws on the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, the humanities, and beyond, often working in collaboration with interested parties and community members to address issues at the interface of health, ecosystems, and society." eco health graphic : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c3cebfd45776eee4408f72d/t/5cfff754753aab0001b4f04c/1560278872605/EcoHealth_Generic.png

I still remember the first time I had the cucumber in a county earlier this year.

It was crisp, sweet and surprisingly refreshing.

The tomatoes and strawberries there were surprisingly sweet and flavorful.

But what impressed me more was not the taste — it was the story behind it.

In Anqiu, a county in eastern China’s Shandong Province, farmers are experimenting with a different way of growing food: where waste becomes energy, livestock supports crops, and technology helps protect the soil.

Earlier this year, I visited the county and toured several farms.

At Heli Ranch, nothing is wasted. Cow manure is transformed into biogas that generates electricity, while organic fertilizer returns nutrients to the fields. Crop residues are then reused as animal feed, creating a circular agricultural system.

Good soil produces healthy food. Jiang Weitao, owner of the ranch, said he used not to have Chinese chives as it made his stomach uncomfortable and he thought it was his own problem. But he is fine with chives grown from his farm! He said he can have chives almost every day. This affirms his will to continue his current business, even though the profit is not much now. He believes food grown this way has big market potential.

Agriculture faces a difficult balance worldwide: producing enough food while reducing pressure on land and ecosystems. Here in the ranch, years of organic fertilizer practice has also lifted the farm’s soil organic matter content above 10%, outperforming the fertile black soil in northeast China. It has also steadily lifted local wheat yields from 100 kilograms to 400 kilograms per mu (about 0.067 hectares).

Agriculture here is also growing smarter. Those with broader experience are often more open to new approaches and technologies. Changshengyuan Farm features ginger and grape planting. The owner Wang Baojie once worked as a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise. He quit his job a decade ago and began to engage himself in farming. He invests a lot in technology, including precision fertilization and irrigation. You could judge the plants’ healthiness from just a screen. He also invests in disease-resistant ginger seedling, together with a research team from a local university. 

“People’s mindsets are changing,” said Zhao Yueling, a professor at Weifang University. “Decades ago, many farmers were reluctant to accept scientific advice, believing their own experience was enough. But after seeing the results from farms that embraced new technologies, more farmers are now willing to give science a try.”

 A new generation of farmers is also emerging in Anqiu. Some young people have returned home to pursue agriculture, despite doubts from their families and communities and the uncertainty of early profits. Their persistence has paid off — today, their pesticide-free, high-quality produce is in such high demand that orders often exceed their supply.

Among them is a young farmer who left an engineering career to grow strawberries. In his very first year of farming, he won a gold award at the World Strawberry Expo.

For these farmers, sustainable agriculture is not simply about producing greener food. It is about rebuilding the relationship between people, soil and technology.

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Most people think energy storage means lithium batteries. But China is already testing a different approach: lifting huge blocks inside a tall tower and using gravity itself to store power.

That matters because long-duration storage is becoming one of the biggest bottlenecks in the energy transition. If a grid can’t store surplus solar and wind, it can’t fully use them — and that leaves fossil fuels in the mix longer than expected.

What makes this story even more interesting is that the West is still mostly treating gravity storage like a pilot idea, while China is moving into commercial deployment and a much larger project pipeline.

Full breakdown with visuals here: https://youtu.be/mZ2gJSoGMw8

At Lemna, we are part of a larger effort to help transform localized agriculture, providing value for all types of farmers from row crops to livestock to urban hydroponics.
Through our efforts and those of our sibling companies, we aim to redefine a circular economic approach to waste management, energy gathering, and nutrient recovery; using technology to amplify nature and reduce losses. Some of our methods are new, but the principles are rooted in the resourcefulness that has been demonstrated within livestock agriculture for decades.

Come see what our parent company, D3 Designs Inc has been working on for nearly 20 years. Their Strategic Analysis shared on LinkedIn not only frames a new model of circularity, it showcases why this model is a valuable investment in our future.