Planting Duck-Rice: Hsinchu County Schoolchildren's First Rice-Transplanting Experience

Text and photos / Yang Hsiu-chih

To promote locally grown premium rice and to plant the experience of farming and food deep in young hearts, the "rice-transplanting experience activity" hosted by the Zhudong Township Farmers' Association of Hsinchu County and Erchong Elementary School kicked off with great fanfare on the morning of 8/13 (Sat) on a two-fen plot of farmland next to Erchong Elementary School.

This activity was open to students entering fourth grade after this summer vacation, and together with the parents on site, about a hundred people took part. The organizers invited Chuang Cheng-deng, winner of the 99th year (2010) Zhudong champion rice award, to serve as the owner of this field. He said that once the seedlings grow thick and strong, ducks will be released into the field to help control insects and weeds, making this a highly distinctive duck-rice paddy.

(Everyone lines up, getting ready to go into the field)

A little after nine, the children divided into eight teams by class and, led by the older boys and girls from Qing Platform, went barefoot into the field one after another. Some children summoned great courage and finally put their feet into the soil, while others, not knowing how to "plant," gently "placed" the seedlings in the field...

The scene was full of shrieks, some from fear and some from excitement. Not only were many of the children stepping into a rice paddy for the first time, many of the class teachers were also doing so for the first time. They all said it was "very fun." Fourth-grader Huang Kai-hsiang said, "It's like a sauna; it was really hot at first, but putting my feet in the soil felt so cool." Lu Yen-en, who plopped down in the field covered in sweat and mud, also said, "Farmers really work hard growing rice; the rice we eat truly does not come easily!"

(The professional farmers, fully equipped, preparing to demonstrate rice transplanting)

Director Meng of the Academic Affairs Office at Erchong Elementary School said, "With the support of our principal, Mr. Huang, this year we applied for a subsidy from the Cabinet's Bureau of Agriculture and Food for the first time, letting the children experience growing rice, know where the white rice on the dining table comes from, and understand the spirit that 'every single grain is the fruit of hard labor' in farmers' rice growing. At the same time, to save energy and reduce carbon, and to lower the carbon footprint of every meal, we will also consider cooperating with local farmers in the future to supply the vegetables needed for the school's nutritional lunches."

Teacher Chang Shu-hui of Class E, fourth grade, said that the rice observation and experience activities began last semester, having the children first sow seeds and observe in class, and after the school term begins they will be combined with nature class and life education courses, letting the children observe and record the rice seedlings they planted themselves.

(Don't be afraid, come plant rice with Mom!)

Besides vertically linking the farming experience, this activity also horizontally connected with the nearby Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). The organizers specially invited ITRI's Natural Farming Club to co-organize and join in. Club president Han Wei-kuo said, "Many engineers working in the tech industry have begun to realize that the environment and food are closely tied to themselves, and whether buying land, renting land, or taking part in nearby farming around Zhudong, it is all so they can get closer to nature and obtain healthy food. Letting children experience growing rice is a very meaningful activity."

(Though planted crooked and slanted, they still experienced the spirit of 'sweat dripping into the soil beneath the grain')

A little after ten, looking across this two-fen plot, it was the fruit of the first experience of the students, parents, and teachers. Though the seedlings were crooked and slanted (professional farmers would later be asked to fill in seedlings), it was just as the old farmer on site said: "It's fine to let them play around; only then will they know how to farm. This is a very good activity." I believe that through this activity, a tiny seedling was also planted in the children's hearts, a little seedling that feels how the land nourishes all things and cherishes and values what it provides. After finishing the transplanting today, everyone looks forward even more to gathering again at the autumn harvest to bring in the crop together using the old methods.

(This mother didn't need to roll up her pant legs at all, just going barefoot into the field, utterly professional!)