Can you imagine living in a crowded urban area yet close to nature, surrounded by gardens? In truth, full use can be made of spots where we live – residential yards, balconies, rooftops, alley and lane corners, neglected buildings, parking lots, pedestrian-lane margins, road partitions, parks, and schools – to create “edible landscapes.”
The Taipei City Government has been energetic in its promotion of a garden city. Fruits and vegetables are being grown in public spaces, fulfilling urban-greening objectives. Increased interaction is being encouraged among residents through micro-farming initiatives, the best example of green education for the next generation regarding the relationship between the natural environment, land, and food.
Little Farm Project, Farming Becomes Part of the School Curriculum
The Taipei City Government’s Department of Education (台北市政府教育局) is promoting the Little Farm Project (小田園計畫), making use of empty spaces on school campuses. Students undergo practical learning, experiencing the process of cultivation, care, and harvesting of agricultural crops. The harvested fruits and vegetables then become part of a nutritious lunch program their school lunch that allows them to enjoy what they have grown with their own hands. This not only provides the opportunity to taste fresh foods, but also a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Case Study 1: Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School
The Little Farm Project at Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School (建國中學) brings together students in the sophomore 10th grade home-economics class and junior 11th grade “Sustainable Dining Table” (永續的餐桌) special class, where they discuss issues related to Taiwan’s food and agriculture. The home-economics teacher instructs students in the use of ecological engineering methods to create paddy-rice fields, vegetable- planting boxes, and green walls using railroad ties. In addition, environmentally-friendly farming methods are used to cultivate crops. During the cultivation process the students have experienced some setbacks, such as paddy-rice spikes being eaten by sparrows, mosquitofish in the rice paddies freezing to death, and all the vegetable shoots being eaten by snails one night. From these experiences, they have gained profound understanding of the hardships faced by farmers.
The students have even set up a Facebook Fans page. They film promotional videos and documentaries, promote and support micro-farm fundraising activities, produce eco-friendly seedling bottles, and organize elementary- school food-education camps. Through these positive actions they call on more people of their generation to place importance on food-related issues.
Case Study 2: Taipei Municipal Xinhai Elementary School
As part of their life class, students at Taipei Municipal Xinhai Elementary School (辛亥國小) experience the fun of farming. First-grade teacher He Qiujin (何秋堇) began instructing students on the planting of vegetables in 2012.
Although the farm does not occupy a large area, a great diversity of vegetables has been planted at the elementary school’s Happy Farm (開心農場). Students and teachers make use of fallen leaves for compost, preventing overgrowth of weeds. When fallen leaves are thoroughly decomposed they provide nutrients for the soil. More than 30 types of fruits and vegetables have been successfully cultivated. In addition to eating some of the harvest themselves, they sell a portion, with the proceeds put toward the purchase of books.
A slope on the side of the campus’ central courtyard has been turned into the Herb Forest. Herbs that are suited to the rainy climate of Wenshan District are grown here. The fruit orchard in the central courtyard contains abundant types of fruit trees. Some were planted by the students and teachers themselves, through grafting or cuttings, and some were purchased using Little Farm Project funds.
Case Study 3: Yuhang Public Kindergarten
At Yuhang Public Kindergarten (育航幼兒園) it is hoped that children will be encouraged to care about their relationship with the environment. Under the guidance of the kindergarten teachers, a group of cute little gardeners experience the joy of planting and harvesting along the campus’ green corridor, in the herb garden area, and in the vegetable garden area. Every Friday during Little Farm activity time, the kindergarten students walk to the community park to visit community volunteers and farm experts, increasing their awareness of the environment.
Rooftop Demonstration Farm Project – Making the Dream of Farming a Reality
More and more people living in cities have started to embrace the dream of eating homegrown foods. In fact, however, it is not necessary to wait until retirement to move to the countryside, as this dream can become reality now.
Taking a broader view, the rooftops of apartment buildings mostly go unused, except for the hanging of blankets in the sunshine, and if a rooftop farm can be created for building residents to share, their kitchen waste can be used as compost to produce food that is healthy and low-carbon eco-friendly. After the crops have been harvested the food can be shared, strengthening the bonds among neighbors, thus serving multiple purposes.
To actively promote the garden city ideal, since last year the Taipei City Government’s Department of Economic Development (台北市政府產業發展局) has worked to successively develop demonstration rooftop farms on 12 public buildings. Ten of these are open for community adoption; the other, in which horticultural-therapy concepts have been integrated, are provided to social-welfare institutions. This year, the plan is to expand to 24 public farms open for adoption on rooftops and in vacant lots.
Case Study 1: Wenshan Self-Financed Senior Center
To reduce the time spent and burden of bending down among the elderly, the demonstration farm at the Wenshan Self-financed Senior Center (文山區老人自費安養中心) has pots placed on racks. Economical, easily movable non-woven fabric planter bags are used to grow many types of herbs and legumes. The elderly residents at this center are able to experience the joy of farming in a relaxed and easy manner.
Case Study 2: Shilin District Dexing Borough Demonstration Farm
A combination of simple and sustainable agricultural-design concepts, flowing lines, and multi- ple-storey cultivation methods was used in the planning of this farm in Dexing Borough (德行里) to maximize its biodiversity. In addition, compost boxes, canopy frames, and community-exchange and –activity spaces have been set up. Organic cultivation methods are applied to actively and vigorously protect the environment.
Case Study 3: Beitou District Administration Center
Volunteers here have brought their DIY spirit into play, making some of the wooden planter boxes with their own hands. The farm space at Beitou District Administration Center (北投區行政中心) is infused with the warmth of wood, enhancing the beauty of the landscaping. The wooden planter boxes are elevated so that it is not easy for water to collect and damage the roof ’s waterproofing layer. This is also advantageous for follow-up maintenance and management.
Citizen Farms and Farm Sites – Experiencing Agritainment
District farmers’ associations are responsible for organizing Taipei City citizen farms. Farmers provide land for cultivation by urban residents, in a manner similar to the farm park concept. Residents can bring along family members for some exercise and to experience the farming lifestyle. If a person is very busy, the farm owner can be asked to take over temporary management so that the crops do not suffer from neglect. This can be likened to a citizen farm club, combining farming, recreation, and education functions.
One example is the Zhanghu (Camphor Lake) Nature Citizens Farm (樟湖自然市民農園), located in the Maokong (貓空) area of Muzha (木柵). The landowner, Mr. Zhang (張先生), is very enthusiastic about farming, and not only shares his farmland to allow city residents to experience farming but also works with the local community college in “eat what you grow yourself” classes. He much enjoys farming together with the public.
The Garden City Project has also gone a step further, opening up unused urban spaces to the public for the adoption of farm plots, as long as it does not interfere with the original land use, based on greening and edible-landscape concepts. By reactivating these once-idle spaces, city residents can experience the happiness of planting fruits and vegetables with their own two hands as urban farmers in their own neighborhoods, gaining deep understanding of the value of agriculture, and the entire city can become a happy farm.
From school campuses to parks, from level ground to rooftops, and from planting through harvesting, edible landscapes are sprouting everywhere as a result of the Garden City Project. They enable us to reconnect with nature, recapturing the close relationship between humans and nature. Now – let’s roll up our sleeves and together experience being urban farmers!
Taipei’s 12 Public Building Demonstration Rooftop Farms
Wenshan Self-Financed Senior Center
Taipei Heng Ai Development Center
Neihu District Huxing District Resident Activity Center
Shilin District Yangde District Resident Activity Center
Songshan District Minsheng Activity Center
Zhongzheng District Hakka Cultural Park Hakka Cultural Center
Beitou District Administration Center
Xinyi District Administration Center
Datong District Administration Center
Nangang District Administration Center
Daan District Administration Center
Wanhua District Administration Center
Taipei City’s 17 Citizen Farms
Beitou District: Beitou First Citizen Farm, Beitou Fifth Citizen Farm
Shilin District: Ri Yue Man Citizen Farm, Zhishan Mingzhe Farm Citizen Farm, Fongdongcao Citizen Farm, Shilin Eighth Citizen Farm, Qingliangdi Organic Citizen Farm, Yifang Citizen Farm, Me_u Citizen Farm, Yongfu Healthy Citizen Farm
Neihu District: Neihu Second Citizen Farm
Songshan District: Songshan First Citizen Farm
Nangang District: Daan First Citizen Farm
Wenshan District: Muzha First Citizen Farm, Muzha Second Citizen Farm, Xishuipang (Creekside) Recreational Citizen Farm, Zhanghu (Camphor Lake) Nature Citizen Farm
For more information, visit the CFARM website: http://www.tfa-cfarm.org.tw/
Farm City Online Platform (farmcity.taipei)
The Farm City Online Platform integrates information related to the Farm City promotional project. This includes farm site and citizen farm data, urban farm development advice, crop planting and cultivation courses and online education, experience sharing, farm adoption application forms, and other relevant information.
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