Taiwan, China edition Gleaner Autumn Edamame Fun Gathering was held on November 23 at Baixian Farm

In the edamame fields swept by the edamame harvesters, plenty of fresh edamame beans are left behind. People can be seen bowing their heads to pick them up and rummage through the rows, filling their bags, while buyers wait nearby in small light trucks to receive the haul. This is not manual harvesting but a distinctive scene of the busy farming season in the Meinong, Qishan and Ligang areas.

Picking up edamame was originally a leisure activity for locals, and the landowners were happy to share. To help the public understand the development controversy over the proposed Gaoping Great Lake site and to experience the vitality of the edamame industry, the Earth Citizen Foundation specifically called on the public to join the ranks of edamame gleaners. The first Edamame Festival drew 300 people on site, all eager to roll up their sleeves and experience the fun of picking edamame.

Yang Chun-lang, director of the Forest Conservation Department at the Earth Citizen Foundation, said the dispute over Gaoping Great Lake (formerly Jiyang Artificial Lake) has lasted 12 years. It was only on March 13 of this year (2013) that it was rejected by the Environmental Protection Administration's environmental impact assessment conference and sent back to the Ministry of Economic Affairs for reconsideration over multiple concerns including land use, water resource dispatch and management, and the necessity of development. By personally picking edamame and experiencing the vigorous vitality of the edamame industry, the public can not only feel the area's precious natural resources firsthand but also understand the absurdity of the Gaoping Great Lake development plan.