Youdian Grass Ecological Farm Introduction
This is a story about a tech talent who gave up a high salary to return to the mountains. Here, one can hear the intertwined history of caring for the environment and the warmth of the community. It is a great place for children to learn about nature and practice humility. The Nanwai community in Beipu Township has recently received subsidies from the Construction and Planning Agency, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, and the Hsinchu County Government. Their community activity center is set to be completed soon and will bear the important responsibility of caring for the elderly in the community, while the butterfly-shaped ecological pool in front of the center has begun to rehabilitate aquatic plants. One of the key drivers behind all these hardware and software facilities is Chen Shaozhong, the owner of the oil dot grass farm. Chen Shaozhong grew up in the Nanwai community, and the mountain by his home was the lifeblood of his family. Whether growing citrus, tea, or sweet potatoes, everything relied on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It wasn't until the dancing butterflies and the thunderous croaking of frogs slowly faded from memory, and fireflies no longer lit the way at night, that Chen Shaozhong realized that the land beneath his feet had changed color. To save the ecology of the farm, Chen Shaozhong resolutely resigned from his job at the Science Park and started learning natural farming methods and ecological teaching from scratch, aiming to transform the oil dot grass farm into an ecological base suitable for family outings and student-teacher learning. Twelve years have passed, and he has transformed from an engineer with a science and engineering background into an ecological farmer who speaks eloquently about the lives of insects and effortlessly points out the characteristics of flowers and plants. His achievements are all found within the oil dot grass farm. Oil dot grass is a wild grass commonly seen beside rice fields and is a species endemic to Taiwan. Because the base of its flowers contains nectar, it is the favorite wild food of rural children. By naming the farm after it, not only does it fill Chen Shaozhong's childhood with beautiful memories, but it also represents his hope for the farm—the sounds of frog croaks, butterfly dances, bird songs, and buzzing bees will fill the farm with a lively atmosphere that is "a bit noisy."
