How is Nongyu Farm? An Introduction to the Farm's Basic Situation

 

 

Because fruit trees have a long growth cycle and are prone to more pests and diseases, organic cultivation is more difficult than growing vegetables and requires more patience while waiting for the harvest. Huang Shuyue once went into debt of 40 million due to business, and she said: "I have made it through the hardships of bankruptcy, so how could the hardships of organic farming defeat me?" Her growing techniques won recognition from Liren, and she was even praised as a "brave and fierce woman."

 

Huang Shuyue's old home is near Xintianwang Temple in Shatian Village, Yujing District, Tainan City. She used to be a boss's wife, working with her husband in the construction business, and at most they had more than ten workers. Six years ago, she switched from conventional agriculture to organic, and chose to start with papaya, which she was more familiar with. With short hair and wearing a polo shirt, even when talking about difficult matters she still had the bold spirit of a boss's wife. "Six years ago, when I first grew organic papaya, although I had just transitioned, the growth was very good. I told my second daughter, we really can make money, but unexpectedly before harvest we encountered Typhoon Morakot, and everything rotted. There was no way to deliver at all. Organic farming really has many difficulties, but over these years, I have never thought of giving up."  

 

 

Not Afraid of Difficulties, Striving to Improve Techniques

 

As a child, Huang Shuyue helped with farm work at home, and in the past she also grew papaya using conventional farming methods. In the first two years after switching to organic, Huang Shuyue's papayas sometimes were harvested 3 times a week, with output so abundant it "flooded" the warehouse, while sometimes there was no output for an entire month. Proactive as she was, whenever she encountered a problem she would call the teachers at the agricultural improvement station, improving her cultivation techniques time after time, and she has now successfully obtained organic certification.

 

Wang Renhuang, an assistant researcher at the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Improvement Station, is a papaya expert. He believes that in recent years climate change has become increasingly severe, and huge rainfall amounts are rarely seen in decades, increasing the challenges of crop cultivation. The yield and quality of Taiwan papaya, which is afraid of rain, are also closely linked to climate. "In the future, typhoons and heavy rain will become even more unpredictable, and the challenges for papaya growers will become increasingly severe."

 

"I have learned many organic cultivation techniques, but sometimes I still cannot keep up with the changes in weather." Huang Shuyue said she can only do her best with production scheduling, staggering the production season from the rainy season, and keeping the papaya plants healthy. She rents 4 jia of land to grow papaya and delivers regularly to Liren. In addition, in response to Liren's needs, she also grows bananas, taro, snap beans, eggplant, and other crops. She believes that trying new crops may not necessarily succeed, but "whether it succeeds or fails, these experiences are all my own."

 

Since switching to organic, Huang Shuyue has regularly delivered to Liren. She says she and Liren have a "revolutionary bond." Even if output fluctuates, even if the appearance is not good, Liren is willing to accept the goods, supporting her with concrete actions on the path of organic agriculture, and she is very grateful for Liren's constant companionship.

 

▲The optimistic and strong Huang Shuyue (left) has come through the blow of bankruptcy, chosen organic farming, and continuously improved her cultivation techniques, with her crop quality highly recognized.

 

The Blow of Bankruptcy, Returning Home to Farm and Rise Again

 

"She is a brave and tough woman, always improving her cultivation techniques. She has production capacity, and she also has strength." Wei Wendao, a staff member of Liren's southern region responsible for visiting farmers, said that Huang Shuyue's persevering willpower left a very deep impression on him.

 

Huang Shuyue and her husband were construction contractors in their early years, and because a friend defaulted on a debt, they fell into debt of 40 million. For the family's livelihood, her husband still worked in construction, only changing from boss to employee. Huang Shuyue stayed indoors for nearly a year, and even had the desperate thought of "taking the children away from this world."

 

For the sake of her children, Huang Shuyue decided to stand up. She chose to farm. First, as a child she had helped with farming at home, so she was no stranger to farm work. Second, her husband had attended an organic agriculture course held by the Agriculture and Food Agency and believed that organic agriculture was the future trend, and that the harm of pesticides to the human body hits frontline farmers first, so he encouraged her to devote herself to organic farming. Now all 4 of Huang Shuyue's children have graduated from university. She said she struggled to raise her children through university, and their lives next would depend on themselves. "Whether they marry or are married off, I cannot give them anything more."

 

Farming Together, an Optimistic Family

 

When Huang Shuyue's son, Xu Boyuan, was studying in the Department of Civil Engineering at National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, he often came home during vacations and was teased by friends as "super homesick." At 24, he is the youngest, with 3 older sisters. After graduating from university, he once worked outside, and this year he decided to follow in the footsteps of his second older sister, Xu Yuling, and help his mother run the organic farm.

 

"I see I cannot escape it. I still have to come home and help." Xu Boyuan murmured while harvesting eggplant with his second older sister, Xu Yuling. Xu Yuling pointed to the tiller beside the farmland and said, "When you come home you even have a sports car to drive. What is bad about that?" As Huang Shuyue listened to her children bicker, she sat in the work shed sorting freshly harvested eggplant, then said that after several consecutive days of heavy rain last week, "the papayas were all damaged by water and entirely returned. Fortunately, there are still some eggplants that can be delivered."

 

Having gone through the period of bankruptcy and now standing up again, with family still taking action to support her, Huang Shuyue speaks in a gentle tone, but every sentence is firm. "Now, for our family, as long as money is enough, that is fine. I believe people have an afterlife. Growing organic is good for the environment and for people. Although cultivation friendly to the environment often faces difficulties, this is just like life. Difficulties are always unavoidable, and there will always be a chance for things to turn around."