Lilies blooming at the farmers' market, encountering a piece of beauty
On World Earth Day 2012, a farmers' market was held on April 13-14 in 228 Peace Memorial Park. Through direct face-to-face contact and conversation with farmers, visitors could come to understand the farmers' growing process and their feelings for the land. Through this kind of interaction, everyone can better understand the difference between food and food products, so that food is no longer just something to fill the stomach, but becomes a lifestyle attitude of caring for the land and getting close to nature.
Walking up to the Taiwan Original Flavor stall, this is a group of warm-hearted partners, persistent in promoting healthy, safe, and life-enriching organic agriculture. They help tribes transition, insisting on no pesticides and no chemical fertilizers, yet still being able to obtain a healthy environment and safe fruits and vegetables. Be friendly to the earth, and the earth will give back to us naturally sweet food (the above is excerpted from the Taipei Earth Day theme guide brochure).
The organic agricultural products sold by Taiwan Original Flavor at this market are the results of helping Taiwan tribes promote organic cultivation. The production sites include the Piyao tribe of the Atayal people in Fuxing Township, Taoyuan County: loquats, lettuce, potatoes, carrots... and from Qimei tribe in Ruisui Township, Hualien County, and Lunshan tribe in Zhuoxi Township: roselle tea, camellia seed oil, plum vinegar... The stall, full of vitality and a dazzling array of goods, could only be seen after squeezing through the crowd.
Among these, the plum vinegar is mellow, smooth, and without any harsh bite. It needs no sugar at all to enhance its flavor. Whether tasted as pure juice or mixed into a Japanese-style dressing, it has boundless flavor and can be called a delicacy on earth! It turns out that it was sealed in jars and buried beneath the plum trees on Lunshan for three years. Not seeking quick profit, patiently waiting until it had fermented and matured, only then could it reach consumers' hands! This is also the common goal of Taiwan Original Flavor in promoting organic cultivation in tribes, allowing the tribes and the earth to develop sustainably together! Thinking that by buying tribal agricultural products, one can not only support tribal agriculture, but also leave a road home for the tribe's children! The plum vinegar in hand seems all the more fragrant!
In addition, the elegant, fragrant pesticide-free lilies in front of the stall attracted visitors to stop, admire, and take photos! According to Teacher Wu Meimao, in promoting organic agriculture in the tribes, pesticide-free lilies are a very good choice. The bulb of the lily is the edible Chinese medicine "lily" (baihe), mostly imported from Japan or China. The pesticide-free lily is the result of joint experiments by Professor Chen Chaoying of the Institute of Plant Microbiology at National Taiwan University and Professor Zhang Xiaodao of Mingchi University. Through beneficial soil microorganisms provided by National Taiwan University teachers, and through a safe and beneficial growing environment, experiments were conducted to increase the immunity of the cultivated plants, using greenhouse cultivation at Mingchi University. It is still at the experimental stage.
Teacher Meimao said with a smile that because the experimental stage requires quite a lot of money, besides sharing the results with everyone, they also exchange some funds for a bit of subsidy! Given that lilies require full sun and prefer cool conditions, suitable places will need to be found in the tribes for planting in the future. Promoting them to full cultivation will still require considerable effort, especially since it takes about 2 to 3 years for the bulbs to grow to a sellable size, so the growing environment is very important for lilies. If they wither midway, all previous efforts are wasted! Once cultivation succeeds, this crop not only provides flowers for appreciation and beautifies the tribe, but the income from the bulbs is even better and very helpful to the tribe's economy. It can be said to be "one action, two benefits" and both inside and outside benefit!
The reporter curiously asked whether the Atayal people of the Piyao tribe had come to the market site. Teacher Meimao said with a smile, yes, they were just here. I heard him say there really were so many people and it was so noisy, so by now he had probably escaped! Fortunately, there is this group of assistants promoting the transformation of the Piyao tribe, the partners of Taiwan Original Flavor, to speak up for the tribe! They are also waiting for your participation and support, to work together!
