Day: June 10, 2023

Today was full of star studded highlights for me — we visited one of Tse Xin’s organic farms and adventures in the iconic Jioufen from Spirited Away!

This Buddhist organic farm was so special because it felt like I was being welcomed not just into a sustainable farm but into a sustainable home. The work ethos of the volunteers carrying the farm was so heartwarming. They ranged from younger to older; one of the guides described how kids would visit the farm and tag their parents along, but then the aging parents get attached! They set precedents for the next generations; many elders picked vegetables from the farm and cooked food to share. Especially among older volunteers, they may have lost partners and not have a big family to be with, so they come to the farm to build a greater community.

Before this visit I thought I knew how to appreciate food– not at all! The food here was all grown the way it had been for generations and sustained its organic practices. Being by a national park also meant this farm was surrounded by similarly organically sustained land and embodied a connection with nature. We ate herbs picked straight from the tree and tasted honey straight from the honeycomb. The agriculture came to life and this farm turned it into a lifestyle. 

The farm’s volunteers prepared us such a lovely and delicious lunch; in my heart it was competition grade. (Attach picture of the lunch they made)

In the evening we made it up the mountains to Jioufen just in time to catch the sunset over an oceanside view. It was surreal to witness the magic of nature that I had only seen in paintings; we were definitely distracted and forgot what we were there for – the iconic night market! The red lanterns along the strenuous flights and the luring wafts of street food filled the air with excitement. Victoria and I had so much fun visiting the food vendors to try different Taiwanese food – though we decided to keep the stinky tofu on the backseat for another day! Jioufen was a lovely treat to end a lovely day!

One word – TOAF, well it’s more of an acronym. It stands for Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, which we got to visit! 

This company promotes organic farming and supports farmers dedicated to environmental sustainability. It was really cool to learn about their Green Conservation Label, which represents their vision of harmony between humans’ footprint and that of ecology. Tse-Xin described their efforts to help recognize producers who use eco-friendly or organic practices. Only 2% of Taiwan’s land is cultivated this way, so Tse-Xin works with farms to tell their story and get them certified for their organic products. 

I found it interesting that these initiatives for organic certification came not from the government initially but from companies, like Tse-Xin, pushing to protect wildlife conservation and organic farmers’ lower product yields. In the spirit of harmony, Tse-Xin emphasized the importance of biotechnology working alongside sustainability.

Later in the day we visited one of the most famous tea farms in Taiwan, BY-TeaMaster – not organic, sadly, but competition grade in its teas! The young tea farmer gave us a tour of his factories and the land, which was shared by many different tea farmers. Since tea production is very labor intensive, younger people are less inclined to do it. It’s super cool that there is a Young Farmers Association that helps these young farmers come together, collaborate, and exchange technical knowledge. 

This young generation of farmers also rebranded themselves using social media. The tea business is one that stretches across generations and is passed down, so each generation’s tea is made slightly differently and has its own distinctness. BY-TeaMaster’s method was meticulously adapted from the son’s father and now is renowned for its award-winning teas! I had so much fun learning about this and getting to try the competition grade teas through a tea ceremony! 

We ended the day with our first nightmarket adventure! Our tour guide, Jesse, made sure to tell us essential tips. Don’t have all your money out. Stay away from fried goods. Know when to bargain. What fun!