Taiwan – Kaohsiung – Organic Farm – Gold Silver Flower
I continue to enjoy my exploration of Taiwan. While doing so I recently met an organic farmer at her shop in the local market in the Zuoying District of Kaohsiung. She and her brother took us to her farm where we met her husband and some volunteers on the property. After retiring from the Navy her husband invested in a plot of land in Kaohsiung’s organic agriculture zone. He proudly gave me a guided tour of his farm. It was a real honor to learn about his techniques and the different plants grown on the farm.
Taiwan – Kaohsiung – Organic Farm – Picking My Veggies
While I have purchased vegetables from organic farms in the United States, this farm provides the widest range and varieties of plants by far. There are beets, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, mint, lemon verbena, chrysanthemum, gold silver flower, gourd, guava and a few others I can’t translate from Chinese. I have drank many chrysanthemum teas over the years but never knew the flowers could smell so good. The aroma from the chrysanthemum still lingered on my fingers well after I had gone home.
Taiwan – Kaohsiung – Organic Farm – Purple Broccoli
He has a sophisticated irrigation system that includes sprinklers, drip irrigation from the ground and flowing from the side ditches.
Taiwan – Kaohsiung – Organic Farm – Cabbage
He raises a few free range chickens for eggs. Uses compost as fertilizers and neem oil as a natural pesticide.
The benefits from organic produce and fruit cannot be overstated. The nutrient and mineral levels are much higher than traditional farming methods. Before leaving I picked some purple broccoli and various leafy greens to try. At home I made a salad from the greens and they were delicious. The experiences energized me and I am thankful for the opportunity to meet these pioneering farmers..