Luo Wenxiang emerges from life's low point, sticks with organic farming to give back to society

Luo Wenxiang, owner of "Jianfu Organic Farm," graduated from the Department of Horticulture at National Taiwan University. He currently manages a 6.8-hectare farm and also serves as chairman of the Miaoli Organic Market. His life may look smooth, but he has actually walked through life's valleys and fought with death. He originally worked at the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation, planning a farm that Genesis had opened in Miaoli while also mentoring homeless people in farming. Unexpectedly, in his second year at Genesis, he fell seriously ill. Even before his illness, he had already conceived the idea of personally getting involved in agriculture. During hospitalization and chemotherapy, he gradually came to understand the causes of cancer through reading books, told himself he needed to change his daily routine and diet, and began to think about his future life. How could he eat healthy, chemical-free fresh vegetables and fruit? And also share them with relatives and friends, so everyone could eat with peace of mind and reassurance? This was exactly what Wenxiang was thinking about.

In terms of marketing management, besides management, quality also has to be graded for sale, with different grades of vegetables supplied according to the attributes of different channels. After gradually mastering sales channels with 2 to 3 distributors and one company's group meals, all the vegetables were sold. In fact, cooperating with distributors is not easy, because their quality requirements are no less than those for vegetables grown by conventional farming methods, so in the early days a lot of vegetables were thrown away or left to rot. In 2008 (the 97th year of the Republic of China), Innolux Corporation began cooperating with the farm to supply company group meals in order to care for its employees and society, which also improved the farm's income. The fresh produce of Jianfu Organic Farm can currently be bought in physical channels including the Miaoli Organic Market, 248 Farm School Market, and Innolux Corporation, while online home delivery is also a way to purchase the farm's fresh organic vegetables and fruit.

Wenxiang said the farmland is still rented. After taking courses at the Farmers' Academy, and with guidance from the Miaoli County vegetable production and marketing group, he used the "small landlord, large tenant farmer" policy advocated by the Council of Agriculture to lower production costs and improve agricultural operating efficiency and competitiveness, which is of considerable help to farmers. In the Farmers' Academy's agricultural training courses, he gained a deeper understanding of organic agricultural product cultivation techniques and practical operations. Through expert instruction, he exchanged ideas with peers and seniors, making his path in farming smoother. Wenxiang said: "Being able to give people hope is to give people health and happiness. Although engaging in organic agriculture is very hard, in order to take care of my family and also take care of people who share the same ideals as me, I will uphold the principle of 'insisting on organic, following nature, and giving back to society' and continue to work hard in the field of organic agriculture.