The joy of running through muddy fields and ridges — the difference between me and my parents’ generation

▲ We’ve seen rice paddies, but it’s hard to truly appreciate the toil behind the farmers’ sweat. (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Agriculture Bureau)

Text by Chen Zi-Yin

Early Taiwan was an agricultural society, with most families relying on their parents’ hard work in the fields as their main source of income. As a result, those born in the 1940s and 1950s — my parents’ generation — often said, “We all went through hardship.” In contrast, children born in the 1980s and later came of age during Taiwan’s economic boom. They may have seen rice paddies, but it’s hard for them to truly grasp the meaning behind the sweat of farmers.

This photo reminds me of the difference between my generation and my parents’. Kids playing in the fields until they’re covered in mud — something we rarely see anymore. Due to the effects of a society with fewer children, parents are afraid their kids will get dirty, come into contact with germs, or get sand in their eyes. But when we return to our hometowns, what we often see are the abandoned ridges left behind by our grandparents — and that’s considered lucky.

[Event Info]
The “Heartful Hope Agricultural Demonstration and Promotion Plan — One-Day Farmer Experience Activity” will be held from September 9 to October 4 in six sessions, inviting around 320 elementary school students from eight schools to participate. In addition to teaching the concept of organic farming, the event also offers hands-on experiences such as the fun “grass weeding” competition in paddy fields and vegetable planting. These activities allow students to experience the joy and hard work of working in the fields firsthand, while promoting healthy and safe new agriculture — rooted in the next generation and fostering a closer connection to the land.