RARE TAIPEI URBAN VEGETABLE GARDEN|復建里闢幸福農場 里民樂當城市農夫

In Taipei, open space is very often so scarce that a park in the neighborhood would be considered a luxury. However, in Songshan district, a local veggie garden sits just next to the hustle and bustle of Taipei. Here, everything is planted organically and shared with the community upon harvest, bringing everyone in the neighborhood that much closer together. As one veers off the main street and makes a turn into this cozy borough, a pastoral garden sits just right next to several towering buildings. The interesting contrast, as well as the rich variety of vegetables planted here, are indeed a wonder to behold. ==YUAN CHU-YING, Local Neighborhood Chief== We plant a lot of leafy greens here. There's Taiwanese lettuce, romaine and also cabbage. The Happy Farm takes up more than 1,600 square meters in land. If you do the math, it's worth about NT$2 billion. Jokes go around the neighborhood that the greens planted here are the most expensive in Taiwan. ==LIN KUN-HSIN, Fujian Borough Chief== This used to be a community for military dependents. After it was demolished, we turned it into a farm. Soon, this precious tract of land was divided into 168 blocks. Every year, a lottery is held with much fanfare and excitement to decide who could get a block. ==LIN KUN-HSIN, Fujian Borough Chief== The lottery is usually held every year. Everybody has a chance, and those who win get really excited. It's as if they'd won an actual lottery. ==FARMER== I have been in France to learn how to farm. They are very hardworking. At the farm, people are encouraged to opt for coffee grounds and fruit peels as fertilizers. ==CHEN GUANG-HUA, Director of Happy Farm== We fertilize the land with soybean grounds, coffee grounds and leftover vegetables. First, we dig a hole and then we bury the fertilizers and wait for them to ferment. The result is lush beautiful yields like these, which are bountiful enough to be shared with others in the community. Many residents are more than happy to volunteer to tend to the farm. ==LOCAL VOLUNTEER== It's a great way to interact with others and get active. You get to plant your own greens, and you can also look at how others are doing. I'm pretty happy with mine. For local residents, the Happy Farm occupies a very special place in their hearts. However, the land could be reclaimed by the military any day. For now, the residents choose to make good use of the garden's limited time, aiming to turn it into an exemplary model of urban agriculture. ==LIN KUN-HSIN, Fujian Borough Chief== Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je is promoting the idea of a pastoral city. What we are doing is a response to his policy. In fact, Mayor Ko has been very supportive of us. Lin hopes more policy emphasis can be put on developing urban agriculture so that city dwellers can better enjoy the fun and benefit of urban farming and community building. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG