Dear friends, thank you for your patience! We are delighted to announce the confirmed schedule for the 2013 "Wheat Field Rhapsody: Mountain and Sea Symphony" event.

Last year (2012), with farmers from Miaoli's Yuanli and Hualien's Yuli as the main participants, we held the "East-West Good Wheat Joint Concert," which received an enthusiastic response, and looking back on those scenes and moments, we still feel a surging emotion to this day; we cannot help but shout: we really were great!

This year the baton passes to Chiayi's Xinmei Tribe in Alishan Township and Shijia Organic Farm in Dongshi Township, located at the two ends of mountain and sea, and we decided to name the 2013 Wheat Field Rhapsody Concert "Mountain and Sea Symphony." And at the concert in Hualien's Yuli on 2012.3.3, we made a promise to meet again in Chiayi in 2013!

The design concept of the concert poster takes "Singing the Song of the Land" as its theme. Whether indigenous peoples or new residents, this land has always silently provided the residents with the nutrients of life; conversely, the residents' excessive taking and excessive development have long neglected gratitude and giving back to the land. And we, this group of people, are beginning to learn to set aside our existing habits, start over, try to understand the land, treat the land well, and live in symbiosis with the land, just like calming down and listening to the voice of the land (Silent Notes and Wheat Ears). This is also somewhat similar in spirit to the indigenous dialogue with ancestral spirits. Listening to the song of the land is also listening to the melody of the residents on the land playing in harmony, immersing ourselves and being moved together, planting care for the land and the people around us in our hearts like seeds. And the connection of the four points in the prayer dance posture represents the four key elements of the "Joy and Wish Commonwealth": "production, processing, service, and consumption", which support and are connected to one another, forming a strong symbiotic relationship.

We thank the Homemakers United Foundation Consumer Cooperative and Lien Hwa Industrial Corporation for their continued support of the various activities of Joy and Wish Wheat, and we also thank the Yu-Hsiu Education Foundation, NewsMarket, Wind Music, Frontier Foundation, Citizens of the Earth Taiwan, Tzu Chi Foundation, China Grain Products Research & Development Institute, Rural Development Foundation, and the Wilderness Hsinchu Peili Choir for their assistance, and through everyone's sharing of network messages, for letting more people understand our efforts and progress!

Moreover, last July we were fortunate enough to chance upon and invite the 2012 "Golden Melody Triple Crown Winner" Ilid Kaolo to take part in the finale performance of the 2013 "Wheat Field Rhapsody: Mountain and Sea Symphony," and we welcome everyone to come and enjoy the lightness, joy, and emotion of being together!

Below are the contents and details of the event (Download the event transportation PDF and event eDM)

◎Mountain Chapter

Date: March 2 (Sat) 10:00-16:00

Location: Xinmei Tribe, Alishan Township, Chiayi

Xinmei, called Niahosa in the Tsou language, meaning "ancient tribe," is located from the Zengwen River at an elevation of 300 m up to the roughly 2000 m high Mount Jiazuoming, at the 19 km point on County Road 129 in Chiayi.

●National Freeway No. 3 Zhongpu Interchange → Provincial Highway 18 (toward Alishan) → to the bend at the Longmei climb → turn onto County Road 129 → Shanmei → Xinmei (at the 19 km point)

Event schedule:

Tribal market, pounded indigenous rice cake making experience, wheat field tour, tribal farmers' talk (10:00-12:00)

Enjoy a tribal lunch (12:00-13:00)

Mountain and Sea Symphony Concert (13:30-15:30)

Performing groups:

SV COU Group, Route 129 Band, Xinmei Tribe Elderly Japanese Dance, Alishan Farmers' Group

Bunun Dance, Xinmei Elementary School, Hsinchu Wilderness Society Choir, Ilid Kaolo

Event contacts (accommodation):

Village Chief Wang Jianxiong 0933-277658

Ms. Yang Peizhen 0929-296561

◎Sea Chapter

Date: March 16 (Sat) 10:00-16:00

Location: Shijia Organic Farm, Dongshi, Chiayi

●Sun Yat-sen Freeway (National Highway No. 1) → connect to East-West Expressway No. 82 toward Dongshi → about 6.4 km → turn right at the traffic light onto County Road 157, toward Gangkou Temple → on the right at about 2 km (Shijia Organic Farm)

Event schedule:

Farmers' market, DIY outdoor cooking (corn, sweet potato), wheat field treasure hunt (10:00-12:00)

Enjoy lunch (12:00-13:00)

Mountain and Sea Symphony Concert (13:30-15:30)

Performing groups:

Joy and Wish Wheat Farmers' Group Choir, Homemakers United Foundation Consumer Cooperative, Lien Hwa Industrial Corporation, Gangkou Elementary School, Dongshi Junior High School, Xinmei Tribe of Alishan Township, Ilid Kaolo

On-site event contact: Cai Yihong 0910-754023

All members of the Joy and Wish Wheat Farmers' Group, the Joy and Wish Soybean Special Task Force, and the Joy and Wish Coarse Grains Club sincerely invite you