Hsinchu Natural Farming Club Launches Weekend Half-Farmer Class, First Session Now Enrolling

Enrollment period: from now until January 31, 2017
Class location: Hsinchu Natural Farming Club - Zhudong Soft Bridge Base (https://goo.gl/maps/MqhNE5nnr2R2)
Class period: February 4 to July 15, 2017
Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, 24 weeks total

Each student will be provided with about ten ping of practice farmland to manage on their own,
the instructor can help with planning, and the harvest belongs to the student

Number of students: class opens with 3 people, maximum 10

Fee: total course fee 12000 yuan, paid once every eight weeks (4000 yuan each time), a 1000 yuan deposit is added at the first payment, and the deposit is refunded at the final payment; if you leave the course midway, the deposit is not refunded. Fees are collected by the instructor on class days, and you may sit in on the first class before paying

Insurance: Classes are held in the fields and involve handling farm tools. The instructor will pay special attention to everyone's safety and teach safe working methods and protective concepts, but accidents still cannot be guaranteed against. If you need insurance coverage during the class period, the club can arrange it for you at your own expense. If you choose not to be insured, you will be asked to sign a waiver assuming your own accident liability.

Instructor: Hsinchu Natural Farming Club field mentor Gao Quanyao

[Who the class is for]
Those interested in being weekend farmers
Those concerned about food safety who want to eat with peace of mind
Those who hope to become farmers in the future but cannot yet farm full-time
Those determined to be half-farmer, half-something-else who want to learn to plan a half-farming life
Those who own farmland and want to learn friendly cultivation
Those who long for a self-sufficient life and want to learn farming skills
Others concerned about land, food, and agricultural issues
*No experience required

[Course content]
* The spirit and principles of Shumei Natural Farming:
The principle of resisting pests without using pesticides
An overview of soil nutrition without fertilizing
The reason for continuous cropping
The power of saving your own seed

* Farmland and planting planning:
How to choose a good plot of land
Observing the cultivated environment
Turning problems into resources
Grasping the timing of planting
How to draw up a planting plan and schedule work

* Details of planting techniques:
Selecting and using hand tools such as hoes and sickles
Hand-forming beds
Direct sowing or seedling-raising methods for different crops
Making grass-and-leaf compost
Building bean trellises and gourd trellises, and knot-tying
Thinning, pinching, hilling, and weed management

* Refining seed-saving techniques to achieve saving your own seed and preserving seed among the people
Planning vegetables for seed saving
How to select plants and select seeds
Cleaning seeds, removing fakes and impurities
Seed storage and germination testing

* Learning from farming how to choose good food
Understanding the timing of seasonal vegetables through the four seasons, and eating at the right time
Understanding ordinary farmers' operating methods and pesticide risks
Understanding the risks of GM crops from principles and how to avoid them
How to get to know friendly farmers, cooperate with them, and support them

[Course planning]
Course content is arranged according to the farming schedule, farming on fine days and studying on rainy ones
Students are guided to complete one season of planting on the provided farmland, learning by doing

Monthly course themes:
February: Observation before land preparation, teaching of farming principles, discussion of crop planning
March: Getting to know seed shops and farm tool shops, land preparation and bed forming, seed saving of autumn and winter crops
April: Sowing, seedling raising and transplanting methods, building bean trellises and gourd trellises
May: Overview of follow-up crop management, learning to grasp the timing of thinning, pinching, weeding, and more
June and July: Harvesting and maintaining crops, seed saving of spring and summer crops
Rainy days and slack farming periods: Indoor classes explaining concepts and theory

[Instructor profile]
At age 30, while working for lodging in Japan, he set his resolve in the process to devote this life to agriculture and to the land. After two years of seeking abroad, experiencing seven farms in Japan and Australia in total, from ordinary organic to BD farming, he gained deep exposure to different friendly farming methods, and finally encountered Shumei Natural Farming in Taiwan, China, learning under senior teacher Zhan Wulong. Since 2015 he has served as field instructor at the Natural Farming Club's Soft Bridge Base, guiding beginning new farmers to become full-time farmers. With a background in the Department of Life Sciences, he understands from a scientific angle and supports Shumei's theories and practices. He excels at understanding things from their essence, leading students not only by teaching methods but also by teaching insights, helping students continue to learn on their own, think for themselves, and make their own choices after finishing the course.
Instructor FB: https://www.facebook.com/chyuanyao.kao

[How to register]
Those interested, please fill out the registration form

Or reply to the following questions and e-mail them to [email protected]
1. Name
2. Gender
3. Date of birth
4. Contact phone
5. Contact address
6. Other questions or contact matters

*The club trains full-time farmers over the long term, and the half-farmer class is its first session. The promotional photos show full-time class students in the midst of learning. We hope that after joining, everyone can create new beautiful memories with us.

[Hsinchu Natural Farming Club Weekend Half-Farmer Class Registration Form]