The Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (TTDARES) of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan held the Farmer’s Academy—Post-Training Conference and Lecture for Young Growers in the TTDARES regional education center on December 13. Trainees and young local growers came for a total of over 20 attendees.

In the morning, Chen Tian-qi, who runs the Happy Mountain Garden of Wild Herbs and Vegetables and has been named one of the winners of the 2017 National Top Ten Outstanding Farmers Award, shared about innovative management techniques and experience in the agricultural field. The event was hosted by TTDARES Director Chen Hsin-yen, who in addition to discussing how trainees would carry on with farm work after the training, also offered assistance with related questions on farming techniques. Then in the afternoon, the event moved to the Toyugi Hot Spring & Spa in Zhiben where DIY classes were held on making dyes and healthy drinks from plants. In this way, not only was everyone able to further their relationships, they also had a chance to stimulate their creativity toward innovation in agricultural products and sharpen their competitive edge.

Plans for next year’s Farmer’s Academy training are already in the making. For those in the agricultural industry who are interested, please follow us on the Farmer’s Academy website (http://academy.coa.gov.tw) for more information.