Young farmer Lu Chun-wei returns home to grow Murcott mandarins: a father-son battle of blood and tears and a history of self-growing and self-selling
A young farmer returning home is not romantic at all. This is not a dreamy story of a well-paid tech elite giving up a million-yuan salary to return to the land, but a blood-and-tears father-son battle plus a history of self-growing and self-selling.
Lu Chun-wei, a Murcott mandarin grower in Dongshi, Taichung, Taiwan, China, was originally a handsome, fair-skinned engineer at Formosa Plastics sitting in an office, yet he went against his father's wishes and came home to farm. Not only did his appearance become dark, chubby and dirty, but he also often clashed fiercely with his father over different cultivation philosophies. This year, Murcott mandarins had a bumper harvest and prices fell, and he still had to face the inventory pressure of 8,000 jin of oranges, watching the deadline approach...
He earned a master's degree and a high salary but came home to farm, infuriating his father
Following the south bank of the Dajia River to Mingzheng Village in Dongshi, Taichung, Taiwan, China, this is the cradle of Murcott mandarins and also the largest Murcott mandarin production area in Taiwan, China. About thirty years ago, this flat, round, rosy citrus variety was successfully trial-planted here, and afterward it flourished, bringing considerable income to this remote mountain village.
"The pears and grapes were all cut down, and ninety percent were switched to Murcott mandarins," said Lu Chun-wei, now thirty-four years old, who practically grew up alongside the Murcott mandarin trees and had to help with farm work at home during winter and summer vacations since childhood. "I originally thought I would never come back to farm even if I died."
Since childhood, he believed that only education could change one's fate. Following his parents' expectations all the way, he studied at the Institute of Civil Engineering at Cheng Kung University, entered the major company Formosa Plastics, and worked in a prime area of Taipei. His parents were deeply proud of this youngest son. So when he decided four years ago to return home to farm, his father was furious!
Changing the fruit trees, and also challenging his own life
"I used to be the apple of my father's eye. He thought agriculture was an industry people came back to do only when they couldn't make it outside. I wasn't like that, so he was even angrier." Lu Chun-wei smiled bitterly as he explained why he wanted to return: because his parents were getting older, he often took advantage of weekends to come home and help with farm work, or helped the family with fruit home delivery while working, but being busy on both ends made selling feel less and less secure. "I would tell customers that what I grow myself is safer, but safer how? I didn't know one bit."
His father was an ordinary conventional farmer. After years of using chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, the vitality of the orchard gradually disappeared. Standing in front of a declining, dying fruit tree of his own family, Lu Chun-wei felt deeply sad at that moment. "Do I have the power to change this environment? At the same time, can I challenge myself to live a different life?"
