Pinglin Organic Tea Welcomes a New Spokesperson

On November 10, the Da'an Community College Environmental Loudspeaker, in its ongoing exploration of environmental protection issues, arrived at the "Chinese Wild Bird Federation Pinglin Satoyama Center" in Pinglin District, New Taipei City. This center was jointly cultivated through the combined resources of the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, local tea farmers, and government multi-employment programs. Having abandoned conventional farming methods two or three years ago, it is still in the organic transition period, but the biodiversity that has been restored has already made it a favorite of the Taiwan Blue Magpie, turning it into an important conservation habitat.

Lin Dao-xian, a volunteer with the Chinese Wild Bird Federation and an eighth-generation tea farmer in Pinglin, known as Chairman Lin, said that stopping the use of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers brought small insects back, then large predatory insects came, and then the insect-eating Taiwan Blue Magpies, Crested Serpent Eagles, and others followed. It seems as if the birds are the ones benefiting.

But do you think that if you don't drink tea, whether tea gardens use pesticides has nothing to do with you?

Think about it: Pinglin, located in the Feitsui Reservoir catchment area, under the original conventional farming methods, whenever it rains, pesticides and chemical fertilizers are washed by rainwater into the streams, enter the Feitsui Reservoir, and ultimately end up in whose stomach?

Being kind to the earth is not just for restoring the Taiwan Blue Magpie! The biodiversity that is restored, cycling through, ultimately benefits humans themselves!

In the face of the harm from pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, don't turn a blind eye anymore!

When cancer strikes your family or even yourself, there's no need to ask: Why!

Fu Lian-fu, owner of Taiwang Organic Tea Garden next to the education center, said that growing and making tea is his family's ancestral business. After switching to organic, not only did labor increase, but output dropped to almost only half of conventional farming.

With conventional farming, weeding means spraying an herbicide and getting it done in one or two hours; the scary part is that within 45 days, it guarantees not a single weed will grow. Now, manual weeding is needed almost every 20 days. For this 0.3-hectare tea garden, it takes about 5 days to finish! He has seven or eight tea gardens in total and is so busy that he rarely gets a day off, but he shows a happy smile: "I'll find people to help!"

Chairman Lin joked: "That's exactly why Brother Fu is so busy he has no time to get married!"

But do organic tea gardens need fertilizer? The answer is: yes!

But Brother Fu smiled and said: "The government subsidizes half the cost of organic fertilizer! But this year's subsidy, who knows where it is."

Brother Fu continued: "Organic must be certified; you can't just slap on an organic label!"

This is also the myth in Taiwan's push for organic: a pesticide-free tea garden endorsed by the Taiwan Blue Magpie still doesn't get consumer recognition, and producers still have to apply to "Ci Xin" for certification.

The cost of this organic certification, the increased labor, and the reduced output are all reasons why organic products are more expensive.

Brother Fu brewed a clear amber-colored tea, warm and sweet on the palate, with tea fragrance overflowing!

He said that Pinglin's tea varieties are mainly Baozhong tea, and Baozhong tea is further subdivided into Sijichun and Dongfang Meiren. Dongfang Meiren also requires the help of the small green leafhopper to develop its unique aroma. The roasting method can produce green tea, oolong tea, or black tea. Paired with the good water from Pinglin's beautiful mountains, brew with boiling water for about 20 seconds; if you like a stronger taste, add 10 seconds. The key is to leave half the space in the teapot so the tea leaves can fully expand, and only then can you drink good tea!

He said proudly: "The tea tastes so good, of course it's because my skills are great!"

In the tea garden, stone steps form small paths, and the tea bushes are neat. Look closely, and everywhere you see leaves pitted and scarred from insect bites, all kinds of spiders spinning webs, and some leaves rolled up by larvae as cradles. The ecology is very lively.

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