Soybean Growing Secrets: Taiwan Roger Natural Farming Farm

Since I have chosen to take the path of natural farming, learning is essential. After all, confidence is the part I lack most right now. Only by seeing examples of others' success can I set my mind at ease. Although I have seen the success story of the Japanese apple grandfather Akinori Kimura, in Taiwan, China, the different climate factors still make me uneasy.

So I found online that there is a group of people in Taitung practicing Shu Mei natural farming, especially the stronghold for fruit trees. So I decided that I must arrange time to visit this group of natural farmers in Taitung. By a chance coincidence, I attended an event held by the Shu Mei Natural Farming Association at Yuanshan in Taipei, and at the venue I met Roger, the owner of Roger Farm, who had a stall at the farmers' market. I bought his homemade black sugar molasses, and we formed a good connection. After finishing the pruning of sweet persimmons, I decided to make a pilgrimage of natural farming.

Because each farmer gave me some feelings, if I wrote it all in one article, it would be too long, and I think everyone would find it hard to read. So I decided to complete this farm pilgrimage article in separate parts.

Shu Mei natural farming, originating from Japan, advocates fertilizer-free and pesticide-free cultivation, and only allows materials from the same field (for example, using fallen leaves from the same field to mulch the soil). It coexists with nature and is the strictest cultivation method among existing farming methods. Li Youfu's partner farmer Roger has chosen the Shu Mei path for 11 years. He is currently raising 6 children in Taitung, homeschooling them and working on the farm. Many super delicious fruits and vegetables are planted and picked by the children.

At first, because there were no pesticides and no fertilizers, the fruit did not sell well due to poor appearance; year after year passed, and only then did the land seem to "detox" and gradually purify. The fruit became more and more beautiful, and the yield increased. Having survived the hardest times when he needed to borrow money to get by, Roger has now accumulated many loyal customers. As soon as there is news of a harvest, many things are sold out.
 
The secret to successful soybean cultivation: farming suited to the land
Taiwan's soybeans are mostly imported. Many local farmers want to grow soybeans but cannot, including himself. He also failed for two or three years. It is a very difficult crop. He said that those in Taiwan, China, now growing organic soybeans also work very hard.
Li Youfu natural farming soybeans
Later, the turning point that allowed him to turn defeat into victory was choosing the right land. Land is like people; both must be taught according to their nature. If you choose the wrong land, you are destined not to grow it well. But even after choosing the right land, every step was still taken with great caution. Finally, they succeeded in growing soybeans, and they still had to let wild animals eat 40 percent before they began harvesting, then manually sort the beans one by one.
 
"It is really hard, but the hardest thing is still the timing of heaven. For example, last year we planted two seasons. The land and human factors were both there, but 4 super strong typhoons came, with half a month of heavy rain. The soybean field was completely destroyed. People who have not experienced it cannot understand the confusion and helplessness in between... But knowing how to fear God is the beginning of wisdom."

<If no chemicals are used, there will be weeds, and harvesting will be much more difficult. The machine will keep getting tangled in weeds, increasing the failure rate. Roger has to cut grass at the same time. >
 
Roger believes that the key is to understand nature and trust the land and trust heaven, rather than rushing to intervene with many artificial methods and technological products, mistakenly thinking that one can control the rhythm of nature while also harming the land. So he does not delve into knowledge everywhere, but learns from nature, practices his Zen in the orchard, submits to heaven and earth, and returns power to the seeds. And when he is humble, heaven gives the most beautiful and pure fruit as a gift.
 
Every sip of soy milk is so hard-won. We cannot experience the farmer's state of mind, but through understanding, we can make eating no longer just swallowing. I hope that through Li Youfu's drinks, more people can take a little journey on the tip of the tongue, experience it together, and become one with the ingredients in their mouths.