Preface

In the middle of this June, Hake Television reported that two Lung-Shan elementary schools, which locate at Taipei and visited each other. Children from Taipei will go to Mei-Nong and experience the countryside life. After seeing packs of unhusked rice being cast through the mill then become the rice we have every meal, they felt so fresh and curious, and finally understand that the rice in our bowl come from many people’s sweat.

This photograph collection describes the farmers’ cultivation processes: Such as paddy rice, food grains and old farmer.

Taiwan is located at the subtropical zone, and rice is our staple. Paddy rice has two harvests per year, the entire process takes 120 days and starts at sowing, ends at fertilization, finally goes to the harvest phase. The first period is in June, July of Chinese Calendar, after harvest, the second period begins immediately.

Right after the harvest of second period, there will be a two-month recuperation, but the farmers can’t rest, they still need to plant sweet potatoes, peanuts and leaf mustards as normal day food; or preserve them with salt for sale, although the earning is not much, still can do a little help to family expenses.

My father was a farmer too, therefore I’ve seen lots of cultivation people; there was one Mr. Xue who impressed me the most, he went to farmland to work even when he was 92 years old, he can’t allow a single weed to grow in his farmland. He started to work in the field at the age of 13; there was nothing about farming that he doesn’t know. During the recuperation time, he wouldn’t let himself take a rest; he helps the others to push the sugar cane cart, burn wood coal and do part-time job, everyday he goes out and come back home all dark and this is the typical cultivation people’s life.

Mr. Xue has smoked for 60 years, but he quitted it when he was 90 years old. He said: ”If you have determination, there is nothing impossible.”

Mr. Xue has never gone to school, but his speech contains lots of Buddhist allegoric words. One day he got a cold and went to the hospital, the doctor saw his coarse hands and told him: “why do you work so hard, are you trying show the GOD something?” (Intent to persuade him to stop working) He smiled and said: “If GOD wants to see, then there will be no need for me to see you today!” Mr. Xue has never lived a comfortable life, but he never complained.

Many thanks to the elder Mr. Yun-tung Chen, winner of lifetime contribution, for his introduction. Thanks the from Council for Hakka Affairs, and the calligraphy from master I-fu Hsieh. I would express my sincere gratitude to the members of Hard-neck Photo Group, the people who have help me all the way.