Chih Shang Rice Co., Ltd.

Born in Chihshang Township in 1960. Left hometown at eleven years old. Completed junior high school and high school study in Taichung. Graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Tatung Institute of Technology. Completed national service in June in 1983. Returned to Chihshang and remains there.

Family has been running Chien Hsing Rice Milling Factory starting from Grandfather (1940). Today, it is already the third generation as well as the oldest rice factory in Chihshang.

Since 1994, three hectares of organic rice were cultivated. So far, the size of personal cultivation is 12 hectares. There are totally 72 hectares including what the manufacturing and marketing team members have.

In July, 1995, “Tati Organic Square” was established to provide consumers with a variety of options. It also added one more place for exhibition for the members of “Taitung Organic Farmers Friendship Association”.

What I have experienced - Happy childhood.

In my memory, Dapo Pool had no fixed size and its pool area changed dependent on the amount of the pool water. Two rows of willows grew around it and there were some unknown aquatic plants. It was a clear and small pool with luxuriant waterweeds.

Dapo Pool was full of living organisms and there were kinds of fishes and shrimps for fishing. There were the water chestnuts and white bamboo shoots for us to pick. We swam and played in the pool. There were times that we knowingly rowed some farmers’ rafts because of insufficient money and were chased by grown-ups. Following typhoon, kids liked to watch the strong current on Chingfu Bridge. The scene of bunches of Common Water Hyacinth’s flowing past the bridge impressed us. When watching the strong current, we could also pick up fish which were everywhere in the low-lying white bamboo shoot farms. Also, we had to avoid the ditches without lids and pay careful attention to water snakes.

I still remember a theater here called Chihshang Theater, which was near Dapo Pool so that groundwater gushed out constantly, making it like a small pool in the front of stage. Every time when the bell rang and the performers started acting, audience could watch it and enjoy the water, the natural air conditioning, in summer. This should be a rare experience for theatergoers. At the age when TV was not flourishing, there were three movie theaters in Chihshang Township. However, the last one was closed twenty years ago, the TV has since been the biggest means of entertainment for the residents.

In the campaign of “319 Townships’s Marching Ahead” in the CommonWealth Magazine, the opening of the introduction of Chihshang says,

As a part of Chihshang, I was mortified for this!!

The first time I got to know about organic rice was the one by the paths in the countryside of Tsaotun Township in Nantou. As soon as I knew that its quality can be raised, I decided on growing it the size of three hectares on trial without any hesitation. That sort of “silly acts of bravery” really makes people worried in a cold sweat.

Having had the experience of actual cultivation for two years and got to know about the criteria of Natural Farming, I had the naïve and simple idea at that time. Nevertheless, when I faced my true self of the inmost part in my heart, I felt really embarrassed. If I set out to do it merely from the perspective of harvest and quality increasing instead of from caring about nature and ecology, the gap will only be getting wider.

As a result, the entire piece of farmland (12.3 hectares) was used for Natural Farming cultivation. All the possible means of pollution were cut off and biological control was also abandoned. It has been eight years and the idea of regaining the exact taste of the products remains.

Chihshang is situated in Hualien-Taitung Longitudinal Valley area with the height of averagely 300 meters above sea level. Its temperature differences between day and night are great. It is also at the top point of the longitudinal valley area (the source) so its rivers run southwards to Hsinwulu River and northwards to Hsiukuluan River. It is well aired with very few vermin. Moreover, the great temperature differences between day and night, the long period of rice’s growing before harvest and the fact that there is no factory around all make Chishang a unique place for producing delicious rice.

In Taitung County, there is a quality competition for each harvest. Mr. Chiang Chieh-Nan, Mr. Kuan Chen-Chuan and Mr. Hsiao Huan-Tung were the champion respectively in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Participants are asked to submit 40 bags to the judges for sampling. Three kilograms of rice are taken out for the evaluation of rice properties, specifications, taste value and freshness. Mr. Chiang and Mr. Hsiao are currently engaged in organic rice cultivation in Wanan Community. These core farmers in Chihshang are going to be of great assistance in the Manufacturing and Marketing Team of Chihshang Natural Farming.