PhotoFar Far Away Village
TextBecky Tu
Located in Shangde Village in Taitung's Donghe District, “Far Far Away Village” is a natural farm specializing in growing herbaceous plants. The full range of products developed by the farm's plant research and development team includes aromatherapy, bath and shower, and outdoor protection products. They are all made from herbaceous plants extracted and blended from Taitung's soil with no artificial additives.
“Far Far Away Village” was founded in 2015. At the time, its founder, Mr. Chen, Ren-Ding, was the head of Shangde Village's community council. He and his wife, Liao Rong-Ying, established the “Olive Leaf Cooperative Farm,” beginning with the cultivation of herbs using eco-friendly farming methods. They invited local elders to participate in farming, hoping to help the aging population.
Upon learning that a religious organization had purchased dozens of hectares of land in his hometown, Chen, Ren-Ding was determined to return home and contribute to community building. To ensure the elderly people in Shangde Village who still had the energy to work could trade their labor for food and a sense of accomplishment. He also hoped to attract young people to return to their hometowns and work.
Cracking the Creator's Code
Chen, Ren-Ding said he spent over a year conducting field surveys initially. He discovered that Shangde Village had previously grown herbs, such as lemongrass, and had a history of growing Japanese mint in the mid-1960s. The terrain was conducive to the growth of herbaceous plants, so he chose herbs as the farm's primary crop.
In 2016, Typhoon Nepartak swept into Shangde Village, causing extensive damage to all of the farmland and resulting in catastrophic losses for the farm. However, this tragedy brought the elderly people together in solidarity to overcome the difficulties. Subsequently, the farm started leasing land and building raw material extraction factories, receiving government support to develop, market, and sell products. This led to more people discovering the “Far Far Away Village.”
The Magical Connection Between People
“Far Far Away Village” continuously grows at a pace of 2-3 hectares of land per year and requires stable labor and partners. Although the original goal was to provide stable job opportunities for local residents, Chen, Ren-Ding smiled and said that the out-of-town colleagues were better at adapting to the work environment far off in Donghe and did not mind the distance.
Upcoming Healing Center
If you visit “Far Far Away Village,” you can also experience village life. The village life includes participating in aroma-making classes, camping overnight in camping areas, or even taking a customized aroma journey to experience the fragrant memories of the Taiyuan Gorge.
In the future, you can also visit another Dulan, Taitung location of “Far Far Away Village” to experience multiple healing experiences. Currently, experiential activities are suspended and scheduled to resume in May.
Far Far Away Village
Address：No. 71, Qianliao, Donghe Township, Taitung County, Taiwan
Tel：0965-816090
Offcial website：Far Far Away Village
Facebook：Far Far Away Village
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