Hsinchu Natural Farming Club Producer Training Program, 4th Cohort Enrollment

[Recruitment Information]
1. Number of places: 4 planned, open to both men and women, no age limit
2. Recruitment period: from now until the end of June
3. Course start date: July 2015
4. Study period: one year

"Probation Period"
1. The probation period is one month, during which an instructor will be arranged to lead participation in farm work.
2. During the probation period, farm work hours are Monday to Saturday (Sundays can be arranged independently).
3. During the probation period, rent for housing and land is provided by the foundation, along with subsidies for water, electricity and gas; meals are self-catered.

"Trainees"
1. Those who, after passing the one-month probation period, are willing to stay and farm.
2. Farm work hours: apart from the already fixed class times (Monday to Wednesday), the rest is arranged independently according to field management conditions.
3. The foundation provides dormitory, farmland, necessary agricultural production equipment, accident insurance, and a 2000 yuan visit subsidy; water, electricity and gas are shared equally with roommates; meals are self-catered.

5. Other Notes
1. Full-time farming is required, and participation is required in Tuesday morning field observation and reading group, Wednesday joint work day, and other related study courses.
2. During the study period, it is necessary to abide by the dormitory rules, the regulations on the use of public assets, and the teaching and planning of the technical director and administrative director, and to learn matters related to planting and sales.
3. During the study period, those who are not dedicated to farming will first be counseled through a talk; those who still do not improve after the talk will be dismissed from the program.
4. Income from production and sales belongs to the trainee (income is not guaranteed).
5. If unable to attend meetings, work days, field observation, classes, etc., please request leave from the administrative director or technical director. For long leave of one month or more, the completion time will be postponed, and if unable to manage the field area, the land will be reclaimed first. Unless there are special circumstances, please try as much as possible not to request leave on days of already scheduled weekly routine activities.
6. In order to assist small farmers in learning smoothly and developing independently in the future, course and sponsorship content will be adjusted according to circumstances.

[Basic Learning Courses]
1. Indoor classes
• Shumei Natural Agriculture Stage 1 and Stage 2 courses (Teacher Wulong) (tuition-free)
• Reading group (all club members)
2. Cultivation practice (Tuesday field observation in Ruanqiao, Wednesday practice in Puyu Field)
• Raising seedlings, sowing, transplanting, thinning, hilling, weeding, grass and leaf mulching, making beds, trellising
• Rice transplanting, harvesting, drying grain
3. Sales practice
• Picking vegetables, sorting vegetables, packing, delivering vegetables, mailing... etc.
4. Teaching on tool use, agricultural machinery operation and maintenance
• Hoe, brush cutter, cultivator, iron ox... etc.
5. Outdoor teaching practice
• Support Shumei Natural Agriculture farming households in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli, learning through hands-on work and observing other farms' planting and management methods
• Visit Shumei Natural Agriculture farming households

[Continuing to Develop in Ruanqiao After Completion]
1. Target: those who, after passing the one-year study course, are willing to continue staying in Ruanqiao to make farming their occupation
2. Purpose: to assist graduating students in becoming independent and self-reliant as soon as possible, making a living by farming
3. An agricultural production (startup) plan must be submitted
• Application time: please submit 2 months before completion, so that the foundation can conduct evaluation and arrange and allocate related resources.
• Can be operated by one person or by multiple people cooperating
• The plan content must include:
– Planting plan (the main crop must be planned according to the first year's planting situation)
– Cost analysis
– Expected yield and income
– Sales plan
• Foundation sponsorship content: land, dormitory, public materials, accident insurance, 2000 yuan visit subsidy
• If there are other sponsorship needs, please list them together in the plan for evaluation of whether sponsorship will be provided
• At the end of each season's production, a review report must be submitted and reviewed with the teacher for improvement
• In the last month of each year, a report summarizing that year's planting results must be submitted, along with proposed corrections and improvements for the next year; after review and evaluation, the period of full sponsorship may be extended for a maximum of three years

[How to Register]
Those interested, please reply with the following information; please send letters to [email protected]
1. Name
2. Gender
3. Date of birth
4. Contact phone number
5. Brief description of family situation and whether family members support it
6. Brief description of motivation for wanting to farm and future expectations
7. Economic situation and whether able to endure 1 to 2 years of unstable income
8. Physical condition and whether there is any major illness