about a blue ocean market
According to the “Compendium of Materia Medica”, chrysanthemum is sweet in nature and cold in taste, and dispels heat, calming the liver and improving eyesight…
Introduction
According to the “Compendium of Materia Medica”, chrysanthemum is sweet in nature and cold in taste, and dispels heat, calming the liver and improving eyesight, eliminating toxins and other uses. In Chinese medicine, which emphasizes the homology between medicine and food, it is a very important flower, among which Chrysanthemum morifolium is the most popular.
Xie Yufei, founder of Teakeno Farm in Pingtung, went from an outsider working as a car loan specialist straight into the field of farming. After years of hard work in the tropical climate of Pingtung, the chrysanthemum was successfully tamed, and the production period was further adjusted to October every year to March of the following year, where it blooms smoothly. The environmentally friendly and chemical-free farming makes the chrysanthemum produced on the farm exceptionally golden and dazzling, and the bright sea of yellow flowers that appear during the production season is a refreshing sight to the eyes and mind.
To nourish the soil, Xie Yufei formulated various natural beneficial bacteria formulas and irrigated regularly, an action equivalent to feeding yoghurt to the soil. Good quality of soil leads to strong growth of chrysanthemum, and also weeds. Manual weeding has to be done as no pesticide and no machine is used. Xie Yufei says with a smile, “This is sophisticated agriculture indeed”.
Features of Agricultural Tourism
Flora
Come to the farm to experience the joy of hand-picking chrysanthemums
The chrysanthemum picking experience is the highlight of the trip for many visitors. The picking process is similar to that of the farmers. Hands must first be disinfected with alcohol to avoid harming the flowers. To preserve the purity of nature, chrysanthemums that accidentally drop to the ground have to be discarded, making the process even more labor-intensive. Finally, visitors are paid according to the weight of their harvest, which is equivalent to hiring a worker to harvest the flowers. Tourists can take a small portion back as a souvenir. Xie Yufei claims that this sort of reverse tourism makes the visitors appreciate the flowers even more!
In addition to a variety of chrysanthemum varieties, jasmine, sweet-scented osmanthus, etc. are also planted on the farm, and butterfly pea flowers hang on the fence. Jacarandas are also planted on both sides of the road in the farm. There are beautiful flowers all year round, and they can also be made into scented tea drinks for visitors to sample. Flower jelly, DIY rice muffins pressed flowers and handmade mosquito coil teaching classes are rich in content. However, none are more popular than the happiness and leisurely feeling of lingering in the golden sea of chrysanthemums.
