Although winter is coming to an end and spring is around the corner, visiting "Qin Qin Fruit Farm" still requires bundling up, as the cold wind seeps into the skin. However, despite the low temperature, in the vegetable garden of "Qin Qin Fruit Farm", young farmers Fan Jiaqi and Lin Junwei are still diligently working in the fields, without complaining. "Qin Qin Fruit Farm" is located in Zhubei City, with a busy highway nearby. Lin Junwei is spraying a biological pesticide, Suli fungus, in the vegetable garden. Suli fungus is harmless to vegetables but toxic to insects. Due to their commitment to organic and toxin-free farming, the two farmers face pest problems without using pesticides and instead opt for various biological control methods to prevent pest damage.
Getting to know insects and reducing pest damage: "Sometimes, when pest damage is severe, I try to communicate with the insects, hoping they will eat the leaves that have no economic value. I won't harm them; I just want to reserve the middle flower cabbage for myself." Fan Jiaqi points to the diamond-shaped flower cabbage in the garden, which has been eaten by insects, and says that this "communication" has been effective. "You see, they've eaten all the leaves, but the middle flower cabbage is still intact. We've given each other a way out."
However, the journey of the two young farmers has not been smooth. Fan Jiaqi and her husband, Lin Junwei, used to run a shoe business, with a physical store and online sales. However, when Taobao entered Taiwan, their competitive advantage disappeared, and their business came to an end. At that time, Fan Jiaqi's father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, and she was pregnant. This led her to think about the importance of healthy eating and consider farming. At 40, Lin Junwei, and 35, Fan Jiaqi, decided to become farmers, which was not an easy decision, especially when facing traditional farming methods used by older generations. Their crops were large and beautiful, but organic farming was a significant challenge, and they initially faced skepticism.
Fan Jiaqi says, "At that time, only my father agreed with my decision to farm. The rest of my family, including my in-laws, did not support me. However, my father is a winner of the Divine Farmer Award, with rich agricultural knowledge and experience, which has been a great help to me."
On the journey of becoming young farmers, one step at a time: Fan Jiaqi and Lin Junwei's father, a winner of the Divine Farmer Award for growing strawberries in Miaoli's Dahu, became their best consultant. They often take photos of problems in the field and ask their father for advice, which has helped them avoid many detours. Their father, full of wisdom, sometimes lets them try and fail, gaining valuable experience.
The farm has three main areas, two for strawberries and one for vegetables. The two farmers are committed to organic farming, not only with their father's support but also by continuously thinking about how to make their crops more efficient. For example, using air conditioner filters has been a surprising innovation.
The air conditioner filter plays a significant role: Strawberry farmers often struggle with powdery mildew. Typically, they set up windbreaks and bird nets around the strawberry garden, but it's hard to prevent disease. Fan Jiaqi had an idea to use air conditioner filters instead of traditional windbreaks, which turned out to be more effective. "It's amazing; after setting up the filter, the greenhouse is warm in winter and cool in summer. When the cold wave hit at the beginning of the year, causing snow in various places, strawberry farmers suffered significant losses. However, our farm was unaffected. When the outside temperature was 1°C, the greenhouse maintained a temperature of 5°C."
In addition to the filter idea, to prevent soil nutrient loss, they also thought of covering the soil with PVC. PVC is often used in strawberry cultivation. By covering the soil with PVC, not only can soil nutrients be preserved, but the risk of bacterial pollution can also be reduced. Fan Jiaqi applied this technology to their vegetable garden. To make planting more efficient, they even invented a method of planting with holes.
Growing vegetables and strawberries using organic methods, the young farmers, Fan Jiaqi and Lin Junwei, were once questioned by their relatives and friends. However, from being questioned to now having a high demand, and even providing reservations for picking strawberries and vegetables on weekends, they have shown their resilience. This also lets people see the future trend of Taiwanese agriculture, which is friendly to the land and provides good ingredients.
Info:
Address: 286, Ln. 80, Huanbei Rd., Zhubei City, Hsinchu County
Phone: 0925-070-601
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays are available for strawberry picking and vegetable pulling by reservation. Opening hours are announced on Facebook.