“A son who came back to his hometown for his father’s illness”
Li Youxiang, a farmer that used to live in Taipei. Due to his father’s illness, it resulted an emphatic end of his work in Taipei. He takes over his father’s life and this how he started as a farmer. It was been a long time since he has visited this place and he already witnessed how his life shifted in this kind of environment.
“His Life as a Farmer”
The life of being a farmer for him is not easy, as he started this 2 years ago. He told us that he doesn’t have any experience in planting rice before. He shared about his experience whenever he looks out of his farm land, the grass is being concerned since he needs to control the growth of it. The grass, and other problem like pests and disease are things all farmers battle he said. To cope up with this he needs to add medicines to his farm field that will lessen the growth of the grass. But in reality, he usually removed them manually because the grass sometimes over growth in his farm fields which he thinks the medicines is somehow not enough. I asked him about the snails, if it could affect the plants. He answered that there are some destructive snails that can pest my plants but most of it are not disastrous which it can be used for indication that the soil is in a good state.
“Behind of Chishang’s Rice”
I wonder, before I’ve been here in Chishang, I was being told that this place is famous for its rice product. But what made its rice product is being well known and what it makes different to other rice product? When a farmer, named Li Ge explained to me everything about it. This is because of the national competition wherein Chishang won in several times. Regarding on what it makes different to other rice products, is the environment itself such as it is surrounded by valley terrain that affects the temperature, the clean water source for irrigation and a limestobe of the coastal mountains. In addition, Chishang is a small town that also a reason that farmers can manage their farm fields attentively and also farmers do lend a helping hand to watch over other’s farm field.
“Not all winners do really win..
On the other side, does it also affect the farmers behind this kind of succession? Does it gives them to feel a winner at all? It gave me a thought what does it feel like when he is one of contributor, the one who is behind of this succession? At first, he said that he is proud that they have this kind of entitlement, I can tell to his eyes that he was happy talking about it.
behind the smile has a different side..”
On the other side, having this entitlement doesn’t change the fact that we only get a little money from our farm and the supplier gets the money more than us, we took care and put a lot of effort on it, but we are being paid by small amount. The moment he said that, made me think of my homeland in Philippines, which it reflects the same problem regarding on the farmers. “Even this chicken, we can’t have it everyday because we can’t afford it sometimes” as he pointed the foods infront of us.
“ People can’t see..”
The sad reality that he ever thought was, whatever hardworks they have been doing, sacrifices to make a good quality of rice, foods and other necessities they produce, can’t be looked up by people from the city. As he feel likes a riffraff, that can’t be appreciated for his work. This is a sad reality to our society, it was a crestfallen for me that behind all those hard works was being ignored by people.
“His perspective”
While we were walking away from his orchard, he told us that he never thought about making a big money with farming. He doesn’t have any goal to be rich, although money is a necessity, this won’t give him a reason to have more of it, because he believes that when you work hard you’ll lose your time especially a strong bond of your family will also lose. He prefers to live simply and live happily.
“Not all heroes wear capes sometimes they FARM”
Being a farmer has an all-consuming job. Each day it brings them a duty that must be carried out for the farm to remain functional. They provide the necessities we need everyday. Imagine, when you wake up in the morning, you will grab a coffee/tea, a and where do you think it is originally from? When we go to the market to cook something for lunch and dinner, where do you think it is originally from? You may be a professional, a business man, or a wealthy person but it doesn’t mean you are being independent by everything. Because all of us are being dependent by the farmers. Without the contributions of a farmer, has a big impact to us. It’s a time that we recognize this ignorance and give farmers their due respect and support.
I feel thankful and greatful that I met Li Ge in my journey as a travel worker, I reckon this conversation with him was a real eye-opener for the general public. I truly believe that farmers are a special group of people in the society. They truly care and passionate about what they do. He made me awestruck through his strong perseverance, his efforts and assuring that his plants can be provided with a good quality and not focus on the quantity. Not everyone can handle the life of a farmer.
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