How to manage weeds in a jujube orchard? Young jujube grower Zhang Jiexiong does without plastic sheeting

Faced with weeds in the field, conventional farmers generally rely on herbicides, and some farming friends also spread plastic sheeting over the field beds to suppress weeds. But the field management of young jujube grower Zhang Jiexiong in Jiuru Township, Pingtung County is not only organic but also more focused on environmental protection. He does not even use plastic sheeting, and instead manages the troublesome weeds by controlling the irrigation water level. As a result, the crops still grow very robustly, with a 100 percent survival rate. After reducing plastic, the land is also spared from being suffocated by plastic sheeting, achieving truly organic and environmentally friendly farming.

Finding Every Way to Be More Friendly to the Environment

Zhang Jiexiong regularly sets up a stall at the South Island Organic Farmers' Market every weekend. Consumers often view fruits and vegetables in terms of "fruit should be sweet, vegetables should be tender, appearance should be beautiful, and price should be low." But he seizes every opportunity to interact face to face with consumers and talk about all aspects of friendly farming. Recently, each time he sets up his stall, his income is close to ten thousand yuan, and his average monthly income is even more than that of an ordinary office worker. "I can live with my parents, take care of the crops and also take care of my children. I hope to keep moving in this direction."

Before farming, Zhang Jiexiong had worked at the Humanistic Education Foundation. He cared about education and social issues, and often took to the streets in protests. After returning to his hometown to farm, his gaze focused on the land. "When I was little, there were only four or five households near our home, and everywhere else was farmland. But ever since the South Second National Highway opened, the farmland near our home disappeared piece by piece, and houses were built one after another. If all the farmland disappears, what will we eat?"

On the land of his hometown, growing up together with his children, working alongside his parents in the field of organic agriculture, and pursuing more environmentally friendly farming methods have become the battlefield of struggle that Zhang Jiexiong now holds fast to.

(This article was funded by the Jianzhen Environmental Education Foundation for personnel expenses, but it completely did not interfere with news topic selection or interview writing, ensuring the independence of the news.)