Savor farm-to-table citrus bread
As you drive along Hsinchu County Highway 44 toward Shitoushan Scenic Area, the exquisite signboard of Chuxiang Farm will appear before your eyes. Once you enter the farm, which is built like any other village house, you will be warmly welcomed by farm owners Lu Cheng-hsiang and Chung Shu-ping. Leading visitors toward the tankan orchard, they will introduce local plants and their characteristics, and commonly seen animal ecosystems, while answering curious questions from the kids, making the tour full of fun and laughter. Arriving at the non-toxic tankan orchard, visitors eagerly began picking fruits. Bringing armfuls of tankan back to the farm, visitors will also get to savor fresh tankan juice and flavorful citrus bread.
Introduction
Lu, who formerly worked in the electronics industry, and his wife, a pharmacist, had been looking for a piece of land where they can grow crops for their own consumption after retirement when they found the tankan farm in Emei Township around 2017. They immediately bought it and began their happy farm life. However, the tankan fruits grew so well that they were left with a huge surplus even after letting others harvest them and giving them away to friends and family. They also found it a hassle having to clear the ground of fallen fruits.
The couple’s son thought it pitiful to let the fallen fruits go to waste. Always a venturesome person, he started making ice cream from the tankan. Because of his interest in baking, he also made an array of citrus-flavor European-style bread, which were highly praised by those who tried them. They then began to sell processed farm products, which unexpectedly led to their customers’ curiosity about the farm. This inspired the couple to operate the farm as a business and it is how Chuxiang Farm came about.
Citrus trees grown at Chuxiang Farm mainly include tankan, Citrus reticulata Blanco “Shiyue Ju”, mikan and Murcott. The citrus fruits mature from January to March each year. Adults and kids can learn about the different species of fruit trees, and characteristics, taste and flavor of the fruits, during the fruit-picking process, and even about pests encountered and their control in the planting process.
At Chuxiang Farm, you can see all sorts of plants and animals all year round, including tree frog, giant woods spider, black-crowned night heron and pangolin, giving everyone a deeper understanding of the surrounding ecosystems.
After fruit-picking, you can try out a variety of processed products made from citrus fruits. Besides refreshing 100% tankan juice, there are different types of aromatic European-style bread and creamy, tangy ice-cream, giving you the farm-to-table experience.
Features of Agricultural Tourism
Fruits
When they first started, the couple’s intention was to ensure they get to eat healthily and reassuringly, which is why they put much thought into the citrus cultivation. They insist on not using pesticide, adopting cover cropping to maintain natural ecosystems, and leave the orchard open to allow various animals to form habitats inside. Their efforts are recognized with certification by the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation (TOAF).
Pests will always be a potential problem no matter what kind of crop you grow. According to Lu, the only way to deal with pests is to co-exist with them. Taking the tankan fruit tree as an example, its greatest threat comes from long-horned beetles. Without using chemical or pesticide, you can only catch them one by one manually. If you fail to catch them and the tree dies, you will have to replant a seedling and wait for it to grow back so as to maintain density of the fruit trees.
However, putting effort in maintaining natural ecosystems makes it difficult to ensure the attractive appearance of fruits. Chuxiang Farm is open for fruit-picking and sells some of its fruits but only to customers who enjoy their taste. Any unsold fruits will be used to make 100% fruit juice or ice-cream and European-style bread.
The farm produces over 20 types of European-style bread. Using locally produced pesticide-free stone-milled wheat flour from Eighteen Wheat, the dough is slowly fermented at low temperature, and does not contain artificial flavoring, margarine, coloring, preservative or modifier. Delicious and not too dry or hard, you can see how all the bread are made at the farm and you can choose your favorite flavors to buy home.
In addition to fruit-picking and eco-tour, visitors can make reservations to experience DIY citrus pizza and citrus rice ball. If you are lucky, you can also get to try citrus-bun burger. Made using salted pork from local pig farmer, crusty European-style bread and crunchy local vegetables, it is a delectable taste you will never forget.
