Hsu Che-jung successfully runs Hongqi Organic Leisure Farm with expertise in marketing management

Hsu Che-jung, owner of Hongqi Organic Farm in Gaoshu Township, Pingtung, holds an impressive master's degree in business administration; after graduating in 2007 he returned to his hometown and threw himself into farm life. Besides doing his part for the organic farm his father Hsu Tien-lai built, what moved him to return to farming was the leisure agriculture he saw while studying in Canada. Hsu Che-jung recalls: "When I was studying in Canada, the environment was just like Gaoshu in Pingtung, both are water source protection areas, very clean."

He recalls visiting a vineyard in Canada, where the guide led a group through the ecology of the grapes and they tasted ice wine on the spot. "I was deeply moved; standing there, I felt so very close to the source of the food." So after returning home he also brought people onto the farm, letting producers and consumers interact at close range, and at the same time applied the marketing management experience he had gained while studying abroad to commercialise and brand more agricultural produce, so that when people think of "Hongqi Farm" they think of delicious products and fun hands-on activities, and not merely of a roadside farm produce stall.

Hsu Che-jung not only works hard to produce more high-quality agricultural products, he also diversifies the farm's operations and adds farm experiences that combine education with fun. Farm activities are frequently held to close the distance with consumers, making the farm an organic playground that is both delicious and fun. He has also developed quite a few sales channels, aiming to share organic rice foods and pineapples with more people. Hsu Che-jung suggests that anyone who wants to take up farming first join a farmer academy course; the academy offers all kinds of professional agricultural training courses and hires experts from various fields as instructors, giving students direction and advice on agricultural business management. This allows people who want to farm to better understand farming methods and professional techniques.

Next they can do an internship on a farm, actually taking part in the agricultural production process, and commit to it only after confirming their interest; they should also assess whether their physical strength can handle it, so as to be a happy farmer. Hsu Che-jung adds that seeing people happily come to the farm to play, enjoy organic ingredients, experience various farming tasks and get close to nature is something he considers worthwhile no matter how hard he works.