The men of Shuilin, Yunlin treat friendly farming as a great adventure
Beigang in Yunlin is sweltering hot at the start of summer. It has been a week since Mazu's birthday celebrations ended, yet the streets still buzz with a festive, lively air, growing busier the closer you get to Chaotian Temple. Several aunties stand right in the middle of the road, waving at you energetically and eagerly urging you to pull your car in - you are just about to turn the steering wheel that way when you snap back to your senses: this is prime battleground territory. You might get parked in, but that does not mean you can get out unscathed. Beigang's western edge borders Shuilin, and further toward the coast lies Kouhu. Shuilin and Beigang are neighbors with close daily ties. Though neither is as famous as religious pilgrimage or oyster farming, mention Shuilin's sweet potatoes and mothers will nod emphatically.
Visiting Shuilin in early May, you find green rice paddies everywhere, occasionally interspersed with peanuts or other miscellaneous grain crops. Perhaps it is the richness of the Chianan Plain, but abandoned fields are rare here, let alone signs advertising farmland for sale.
There is too much to do and never enough time to finish, so there is no need to fear having nothing to do, says Wangzai. Even so, life still has to be lived happily. Think about the sugarcane to be planted next - it can be pressed into sugarcane juice, made into brown sugar, and turned into peanut candy as an extra product line... and there is also the small shop being planned, which will help the community-supported agriculture (CSA) vision take firmer shape.
There are so many fun things to do. Farming life back in his hometown is very fulfilling. Every life cycle of farming is a new journey, and planting every new crop is a big adventure. With rice, sweet potato, baby corn, black beans... what is next?
About the Shuilin Friendly Land Collective - search "Cleaver" on FB
For green black beans paired with environmentally friendly vegetables from the Beigang Shuilin area, contact Cai Dehuang at 0933-570937