New Taipei City's Citizen Farm Opens for Organic, Pesticide-Free Farming Experience

Tourism Center / Taipei Report

The New Taipei City Government’s Agriculture Bureau, in collaboration with the Tamsui District Farmers’ Association, officially opened a new citizen farm this year in Zhongliao, Tamsui. The opening event featured a special lecture on organic and pesticide-free farming concepts by a National Taiwan University instructor, who also provided hands-on field cultivation techniques. Wang Chin-chuan, chairman of the farmers’ association, demonstrated safe usage of farming tools. Most of the participating citizen farmers had no prior farming experience but reported gaining valuable knowledge through the on-site lectures and field demonstrations.

% Plus breeding ∪ sore current education how to apply fertilizer (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Government Agriculture Bureau)

Liu Jung-ching, Director of the New Taipei City Government Agriculture Bureau, stated that the city’s organic citizen farm initiative has been well-received over the past two years after successfully establishing six such farms in Xindian, Yingge, Shulin, Xinzhuang, Zhonghe, and Tucheng. This year, a new citizen farm has been launched in Zhongliao, Tamsui. Each farming plot covers approximately 10 pyeong (about 33 square meters), and participants are only required to pay a NT$3,000 deposit (refundable upon lease expiration). Thirty percent of the harvested crops will be donated to support disadvantaged groups, while the remaining seventy percent can be enjoyed by the lessees or shared with family and friends, spreading healthy and delicious produce.

% Continue to teach in the field (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Government Agriculture Bureau)

Chou Yu-hsuan, Chief of the Agricultural and Fishery Associations Counseling Section at the Agriculture Bureau, explained that the newly launched Zhongliao, Tamsui citizen farm spans about 1 hectare and accommodates 180 lessees. The enrollment was conducted publicly through the Tamsui District Farmers’ Association, and all lessees have completed the signing procedures. After the farm’s opening, lessees will gradually begin farming in the fields using organic, pesticide-free methods. In addition to providing seeds, seedlings, materials, and various tools, the farm also offers on-site field management personnel for professional guidance and planting consultations.

Furthermore, to promote healthy and safe agriculture, all farming within the “citizen farm” area adopts organic, pesticide-free practices, prohibiting the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Lessees not only gain an understanding of the basic concepts of organic farming but also get to enjoy the pleasure of cultivating their own land and harvesting and tasting their homegrown, toxin-free, healthy vegetables.