[Sown by Students] Dirt to Dinner in the Student Farm

As winter settles in, students from the Student Farm and the Iyagi Hour (이야기 시간) club gathered to take part in a kimjang (김장) workshop!

Kimjang is the traditional Korean practice of making and sharing large batches of kimchi, typically done once a year in late fall or early winter. The process usually involves salting napa cabbage, preparing the seasoning paste, and coating each cabbage layer with the paste. One step that often gets overlooked is proper kimchi storage. Depending on your preferred fermentation level and the room temperature, freshly made kimchi should sit outside the refrigerator for one to two days. After refrigerating, it’s important to press the kimchi firmly into the container so the brine reaches every part of the cabbage. Otherwise, only the bottom layers will ferment evenly.

This workshop was especially meaningful because the main ingredients—napa cabbage, daikon radishes, and garlic—were harvested directly from the Student Farm. For many participants, it was also their very first time making kimchi, making the workshop both delicious and memorable.