Eat more local fresh produce and enjoy great flavor

Don't get the wrong idea - the photo is not a mistake. This really isn't an edible lily! Because we're just starting to recruit adopters, and nothing has been planted yet, so there's no picture!

This is a photo from a few months ago, showing Aunt Zhuangui harvesting purple coneflowers and drying them in the sun

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l Adoption fee: $2000 per person

l Adoption harvest: 3 kg of edible lilies (that is, 5 Taiwan jin), delivered to your door (market price $2650)

l Adoption details: We plan to recruit 200 adopting members for the Dutch-imported edible lilies. Planting is expected to begin before the end of October, and they will be harvested and shipped one after another around March to April.

l Adoption participation: Key field work announcements will be posted on Facebook at "Lily Fun Club." Lily friends are very welcome to book a visit and join in the farm fun. If you don't have a chance to take part, you can also read the lily growth diary records here.

l Growing method: No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used, so there will be a lot of weeding work during this period. You are welcome to book a time to join in.

l Friends who want to join the Fun Club are welcome to contact Chen Zhuangui at 0937198182, or search Facebook for "Chen Zhuangui" or "Lily Fun Club" and leave a message. Spots are available until full!

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One bite of reassurance

One bite of deliciousness

And one bite of the wonderful feeling that comes from rural life!

"Using adoption to change the way crops are produced and sold, and being able to taste the wonderful feeling that comes from rural life - that is what I hope for most!" Aunt Zhuangui said with a face full of joy. She said that last year many adopting members took part at different times, from planting and weeding at the very beginning all the way to harvesting. "I saw them working all day. Tiring as it was, everyone had such a good time! Letting people come and experience our farm life - that is a wonderful working holiday!"

When it comes to edible lilies, they are not really the kind of home-style delicacy you can casually pick up at the vegetable market. In most people's impressions, they are a high-end ingredient found in restaurants, paired with refined cooking methods, and can count as one of the most impressive dishes when entertaining guests.

Because we don't get to eat them very often, they feel especially fresh. I remember that last year, when Aunt Zhuangui said she wanted to establish the "Edible Lily Fun Club" and recruit members for adoption, my mother-in-law and I signed up for two shares without hesitation. Five months later, we received a big box of plump, fat edible lilies. Although it is a Dutch-imported variety, being able to produce and harvest it locally gave this fresh food mileage a truly happy feeling!

To get to know Aunt Zhuangui, you have to start with the herb mochi from "Yicun Herb House." I remember that four years ago, when I had just returned to my hometown, because there were not many young people around, almost all of my mother-in-law's good friends who came over to chat every few days became my good friends too! One of them, Mama Lian, often appeared in magazines, introducing the herb mochi that draws tourists from word of mouth. Besides being delicious, what makes this herb mochi unique is that all the lavender kneaded into the outer layer of the mochi is grown by the family itself.

"Originally, Mama Lian's family land was all used to grow watermelons. Her younger sister, who lives in Taipei, saw a lavender field while traveling abroad. Being a romantic at heart, she was deeply moved, and when she came back she discussed it with her older sister, wanting to grow a whole field of herbs on their own land!" That was how my mother-in-law introduced her at the time. This younger sister who let her dream take flight is Aunt Zhuangui.

Very soon, I had the chance to meet her too, because Aunt Zhuangui comes back to Fenglin several times almost every month, and during busy farming periods she stays for dozens of days at a time. When I learned that Aunt Zhuangui was over 65 years old, I couldn't help but be surprised, because she often travels north, central, south, and east to attend all kinds of agriculture and production-and-marketing study courses. Last year she even went to National Taiwan University to study in the "Elite Class in Technology Agribusiness Management." Her eagerness to learn and her energy exceed those of today's young students. Every time we meet, I hear her share many recent learning experiences, not only classroom ones but also practical farm ones. There are new discoveries and new gains. Curiosity and a willingness to try should be the secret to her abundant energy!

Every time we chat, it turns into a whole afternoon full of laughter. She and my mother-in-law always exchange insights on farming matters, and their similarly cheerful and generous personalities have made them good friends who deeply appreciate each other. "I'm so happy that you've come back. It's so good that Fenglin has you working hard together." Every time we meet, Aunt Zhuangui always happily praises us like this, while we feel that it is we who need to work hard to catch up, with an elder like Auntie leading the way in endless learning!

Aunt Zhuangui's farm originally grew many herbs, including lavender, rosemary, thyme, chamomile, lemon verbena, sage, and many other kinds of herbs whose names I can't even remember. In the past, the harvest was processed into herb mochi, refined into essential oils, and made into handmade soap, bath packs, tea bags, and so on. But in recent years, fresh herbs have been selling better and better, with restaurants and cosmetics companies placing direct reservations to buy them. Aunt Zhuangui says this is also very good. Everyone can do processing; the hard part is growing high-quality herbs.

These Dutch-imported edible lilies were introduced by the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, and Aunt Zhuangui began growing them in the 101st year of the Republic of China (2012) under the guidance of the station. Therefore, part of the farm's area had to be set aside for growing edible lilies. "When the time comes, everyone is welcome to come and take part in some of the work. Besides weeding, there is also bud picking - it's a lot of fun! Around spring and summer, the whole garden is full of blooming lavender. It's very beautiful!"

Wow, just hearing about it makes you imagine this beautiful farm and instantly lifts your mood. Hehe, I don't need to imagine, because I go there often. It's true!

"Actually, we all know that inviting people to come for a one-day experience is in fact very low in work efficiency, and hiring professionals gets twice the result with half the effort, but I think the more important thing is sharing!" The purpose of joining the Fun Club is of course not only to be able to eat high-quality lilies delivered directly from the place of production. Aunt Zhuangui's greatest wish is to use this opportunity to invite friends living in the city to come walk around the countryside, not only to visit the lilies they have adopted, but also to get to know the land that nurtures them, and to make a friend in the countryside!

"Planned adoption and production can change the way crops are produced and sold, so sharing is very important, and participation is also very important. It will give you a real feeling for the countryside!" Amid Aunt Zhuangui's confident laughter, I admire how she continues, through the most practical actions, to cultivate this land. Come on, let's look forward to meeting at Fenglin Herb Garden!