Women harvesting produce on a farm in Taiwan - Photo: LeonardKong (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_worker_picking_tea_leaves_at_a_tea_plantation_in_Luye.jpg), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode
My family in the Philippines does not own a farm, so the only time I could experience life on a farm was when my family visited that of my maternal uncle. The farm was filled with rice fields as far as the eye could see. It also had vegetables and fruit trees. Together with my siblings and cousins, I would go around the farm riding a carabao (water buffalo). We also walked along the rice paddies and greeted my uncle’s relatives and friends working in the fields.
Before going home, we often stopped at the stream for a swim with the carabaos. I always looked forward to visiting the farm every summer, but when I reached high school, I stopped going. Apparently, hanging out with my friends was way cooler than spending the summer on a farm.
Later, I worked with the Indigenous Peoples Ministry in Miaoli County, north Taiwan. The livelihood of the Atayal (tribe) people in the area depends on farming a variety of fruit such as persimmon, plum, mandarin orange, dragon fruit and peach. This part of Taiwan produces the best oriental persimmon. One day, a fellow lay missionary told me that a parishioner in one of the villages had invited us to help her and her family staple paper bags to wrap around the persimmon fruit to keep the bugs away and make harvesting easier. I accepted the invitation because it was an opportunity to experience a local fruit farm.
I was excited and made sure I had everything I needed: working boots, hat, long-sleeved shirt, and water bottle. It was quite a drive up to the mountain, but when I arrived, I was greeted by a spectacular view. Being on top of a plateau overlooking the valley was exhilarating. I felt like I was being embraced by God’s amazing creation.
Before we started, everyone drank Paolyta, a famous energy drink in Taiwan after which, we were given the paper bags. Then the owner of the farm led us in a prayer. Everyone started working in good spirits - there was a lot of chatting, laughter, and even singing. At first, I was embarrassed that I was very slow at wrapping the persimmons, but with their encouragement, I found my momentum, and the stapling became enjoyable. At the end of the day, I was surprised to learn I had wrapped 365 pieces of fruit. I helped in the wrapping on three occasions during the stapling season.
During the harvest season, around two months after wrapping the fruit, I was invited to help them out again. I was grateful for the opportunity and felt touched that they trusted me with their fruit. During breaks I enjoyed sitting under a persimmon tree with a piece of fruit in my hand, looking at the valley. However, the whole experience of working on the farm - sharing laughter, songs, and stories - led me to a deeper understanding of the people in the area, especially the women, most of whom work hard in the fruit farms.
After a long day working on their farms, they arrive home and have to cook for the family and then join the weekly house prayer. I’m amazed by their energy, knowledge of the land, and faith in God. That experience taught me to be grateful for the food I eat and to have a deep appreciation for all the farmers who work all year round to provide nourishment for everyone. It was a fruitful harvest and the persimmon that year could never taste sweeter!
Vida Hequilan, Central Coordinator of the Columban Lay Missionaries, lives in Hong Kong.
Listen to "A fruitful harvest"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - July 2023
