For city-dwellers who want to try organic agriculture, farms and groves in New Taipei City’s Shuangsi District (雙溪) are available for rent — with farm help also obtainable for a small charge — including routine farmwork and a daily photographic update of growing produce via messaging app Line.
Against the backdrop of the recurring food scares the nation has seen, Shuangsi District Director Chen Chi-cheng (陳奇正) said that homegrown food is the safest, but city residents are hard-pressed to find even a small plot of arable land in urban areas.
Eight qualified organic farmers at Shuangsi have set up an organic farm of 5 to 6 hectares for people who want to grow vegetables themselves and savor working on a farm, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Shuangsi District Office
Urban farmers could “kill two birds with one stone,” by producing healthy, homegrown vegetables while obtaining some full-body exercise at the same time, he said.
Meanwhile, Shuangsi District Office and local farmers released a 30 ping (99m2) organic grove for urban farmers to grow seasonal vegetables such as green beans, sweet potatoes and cabbage, he said.
The grove rent is free for the first month, with complimentary gardening tools, including a sickle, pickaxe and bucket, he said.
If renters are otherwise engaged and have no time to take care of their groves during workdays, local farmers would assist in fertilizing, weeding and watering, while sending photographs using Line.
The assistance fee is only NT$200 for the first month, and NT$1,800 every six months thereafter, he said.
To encourage friendship and exchange between farmers, the office would periodically organize farming seminars and organic cooking classes on holidays to render the farm produce into a delicious meal, he added.
People aged 18 and up can apply for a farm or grove, with each plot up to 2 ping in area, he said, adding that a successful applicant would be partnered with a local organic farmer, and a preliminary farming course would be held on Friday, he said.
People interested in renting a farm or grove can contact the office until Wednesday, he said.
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