Xiaotiantian Geographical Environment Introduction: Exploring Local Paths to Sustainability

The Geographical Environment of Yilan Two-Little-Field

When you think of Yilan, what is your first impression? The perpetually damp country lanes (and the windshields of the scooters on them)? The towering Snow Mountain Range in the distance? Guishan Island, visible on clear days? Or that burst of open sea and sky after you emerge at Toucheng through the Xueshan Tunnel?

The Lanyang Plain has a highly distinctive geographical and cultural environment. Ringed by mountains on three sides and the sea on one, it is like a triangular pocket that takes the full force of the northeast monsoon blowing in off the Pacific. Rain is especially likely in winter, and going a whole month without seeing the sun is not unusual. That is why around the Lunar New Year, whenever the sun comes out, you see every household rushing to air out their quilts, while farmers take advantage of the clear weather to prepare their fields and spray their crops.

The fields farmed by our Yilan Two-Little-Field are in Shengou Village, Yuanshan Township, only a ten-minute drive from Yilan City. After the Xueshan Tunnel opened in 2006, the semi-enclosed character of Yilan described above was broken: driving from Muzha in Taipei to Yilan takes just one hour (and a very smooth one at that). That one-hour distance has caused many houses to sprout across Yilan's farmland. Transport infrastructure and vehicles not only brought convenience in terms of time, they also changed the relative relationship between Yilan and Taipei. The formerly relatively intact Yilan culture has likewise been rapidly integrated, via the Xueshan Tunnel, with metropolitan Taipei, bringing much obvious convenience as well as the problem of farmhouse sprawl (discussed later).

Our Shengou Village is one of the water sources of Yuanshan Township. It was once said that when the underground water veins were still abundant, you only had to stick a bamboo pole into the ground for a spring to come bubbling up. The village also contains many spring outlets, which the local irrigation association has turned into small water-play parks; in summer some villagers come to soak their feet and cool off. The neighbouring Dahu area has the famous "Hairy Crab Bubbling" spot, a natural spring that sends clean water up from underground all year round and was named for its resemblance to a crab blowing bubbles. Thanks to this abundant, clear water, Yuanshan Township has many water-related tourist farms, such as the Baja Fish Farm, which raises ayu (sweetfish), and Shengyang Aquatic Plants, which cultivates aquatic plants, as well as the Kavalan Distillery in Jinche. Our fields, of course, also draw their irrigation water from a nearby water source, so there is ample water all year round; after heavy rain you can even scoop up tilapia and clams from the irrigation channel.

This year 'Grandpa's Rice' is planted with Taichung Sen 10

It is a very tasty long-grain indica rice
Not sticky or cloying, both soft and springy, high in fibre and low in calories, and unlikely to cause bloating.

Price and how to buy:
"Grandpa's Rice" comes in 2 kg bags
Available as either white rice or brown rice
Both are 250 yuan
Shipping is 120 yuan (free shipping on orders over 2,000 yuan)

After harvesting in late July, the rice is dried, milled and packaged, and can be shipped out around mid-August.

Order page: http://0rz.tw/YGIfp

Old farmers back small farmers: land provided to grow "Grandpa's Rice" (United Daily News):
http://udn.com/NEWS/DOMESTIC/DOM7/7767264.shtml

Two-Little-Field on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yilan-Two-Little-Field/376487592362019
Two-Little-Field blog: http://two-little-field.blogspot.tw/

Email: [email protected]
Two-Little-Field work station: 03-9220412
Field manager: Wu Jialing 0987762621
Grandpa's Rice contact: Zhang Siwei 0920176192