Wheat is very friendly to the environment, and this is how we grow it

“The wheat we grow is very friendly to the environment!” Taiwan is a society where both rice and wheat are staple foods, yet wheat relies on imports: domestic production is about one hundred metric tons, while imports reach about 1.2 million metric tons.

To raise public awareness of the food self-sufficiency rate, Xi Yuan wheat contract-farming friend Shi Minghuang last year teamed up with the National Teachers' Union Confederation to invite forty schools across Taiwan to grow wheat, and on April 3 held a “wheat field study” results presentation at Taipei Municipal Zhinan Elementary School, where students shared about growing wheat, visiting flour mills, and the importance of “local production, local consumption.”

The wheat field at Zhinan Elementary School was planted by second-grade students. Starting from acting as wheat’s “matchmakers” to help with pollination, the students used clean watercolor brushes to help the wheat cross-pollinate. After starting the seedlings, besides carrying the wheat up to the rooftop to sunbathe, catching insects and releasing them, they also had to do health checks for the wheat and measure its height and weight. On rainy days, the students put on raincoats to pull up a rain shelter for the wheat.

But none of this compared to the first intimate contact with “chicken manure fertilizer.” Student Ye Jiesen said: “On the day we spread fertilizer, the teacher took out ‘chicken manure fertilizer.’ At first everyone was worried about whether we would get avian flu, but luckily the teacher prepared gloves for us. Because rice husks were added to the chicken manure fertilizer, it felt crispy and soft, not like poop at all, and it didn’t smell bad either. As long as you spread it on the wheat, it can help the wheat grow quickly.”

On the Xi Yuan wheat website, Huang Shuting read the sentence “If I could do one thing for agriculture” and was deeply moved. She also led her students to discuss together what “they themselves” could do for agriculture. After listing them one by one, the whole class wrote a little poem dedicated to Taiwan’s agriculture. They also wanted to ask everyone: “If you could do one thing for agriculture, what would it be?”

If I Could Do One Thing for Agriculture

(All second-grade students at Zhinan Elementary School)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would eat fruit every day. (Jiesen)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would eat five servings of vegetables and fruit every day. (Zhiran)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would remind Dad to buy seasonal vegetables and fruit. (Shaochang)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would help Dad grow vegetables. (Yaxuan)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would teach Mom to grow vegetables, because I am very good at growing them. (Yanting)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would finish all my food and not be picky. (Ziling)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would tell Mom that vegetables bitten by insects are proof there is no pesticide. (Li Xi)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would buy food produced in Taiwan. (Fangqi)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would tell my friends that eating food produced in Taiwan has many benefits. (Dayan)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would tell Grandma to try not to buy imported food. (Yuhao)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would tell others that Taiwan can grow wheat. (Huang Jun)

If I could do one thing for agriculture, I would ask Mom and Dad to support environmentally friendly agricultural products. (Taiguan)

If you could do one thing for agriculture, what would you do?