Study notes
Research Report Report on visiting the office of Joy & Hope Workshop Interview report on Mr. Ming-huang Shih
Reporting on visiting Joy & Hope Workshop Wheat Milling Plant Report on visiting Joy & Hope Workshop Report on visiting Dacheng Wheat
Interview report on Mr. Chi-sheng Liu Interview report on Mr. Ming-ku Wei Study notes

A group photo of Dong Nan Joy & Hope Wheat Team taken at the school wheat garden after sowing and fertilizing.
A group photo of Dong Nan Joy & Hope Wheat Team taken at the school wheat garden after sowing and fertilizing.

[Hsiang-yun Cho] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

                

          Hello everybody! I am Hsiang-yun Cho and I am from Changhua City. I go to Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School and am currently enrolled in the eighth grade Art Class. I am very happy to have the opportunity to take part in this project.

   It was amazing watching and recording the growth of the wheat from sowing of the seed to seeing it growing day by day. Later we went to Joy & Hope Wheat Workshop to listen to Mr. Shih’s introduction of its origin, development and future prospects.  Mr. Shih also showed us the machines used for filtering and milling of the wheat. One of the machines is responsible for filtering out unwanted particles from harvested wheat and the other machine is responsible for milling wheat into powder. Mr. Shih especially activated the machines so we can see the wheat being milled into powder. We saw the golden grains of wheat turning into snowy white flour in matter of seconds. It really opened our eyes!

    Next, we went to the Joy & Hope Bakery and on the way we saw blankets of golden wheat field along the path and the sight was spectacular.  When we arrived at the Joy & Hope Bakery I was greatly touched by the sight of people taking part in the DIY activities working hard kneading and shaping bread dough made from flour. Next, the dough with its many shapes were put into the fermentation chamber for 40 minutes, and then put into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Our master piece was finally completed. The freshly baked bread was hot and crusty on the outside and soft and chewy in the inside. As we enjoyed the bread we made ourselves, we felt warmth inside our hearts. While our bread was baking in the oven, we interviewed Mr. Chi-sheng Liu of Dacheng Wheat’s Production and Marketing Group, and asked him about Joy & Hope Wheat‘s marketing process, obstacles and future prospects.

    Finally, we interviewed Magistrate Ming-ku Wei of Changhua County and Mr. Bi-hai Huang of Department of Agriculture. From the interviews we learned of Mr. Wei’s plan in the agricultural development of Changhua County, and its future prospects. We also learned about his plans on the development of Changhua County’s wheat tourism industry.
Through the project, I had gained a better understanding of wheat and its growing process. I learned a lot.

[Hsiang-yun Cho]

 


[Yu-ling Hsiao] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

        

        From knowing nothing about wheat to knowing it like a familiar pop song, it was a long learning process, but we all gained so much from it!
        Staying up all night working on the project, the effort we put into it was an experience which we had never known.
From the trip to the Joy & Hope Bakery we tasted the delicious bread we had made and saw the efforts and determination devoted into the workshop.

    Through the interviews we saw the heartfelt efforts of Mr. Shih and Mr. Liu. We also saw the wheat grown by the students. From the careful tending of the seeds to anticipating it to sprout, to actually seeing it sprout new leaves and to see it grow and ripen; the joy and excitement was beyond description.  For the first time I had seen insects on the organically grown wheat which I had never seen before.  For the first time I realized that too much water could hinder the growth of the wheat plant. For the first time, I felt the determination the farmers had toward their crops. There were so many first times! 

    From learning, to observing, to realizing, to recording, and to having fun, together we experienced the challenges of learning new things!
As we stood under the bright sun in the wheat field with smiles on our faces, we must have felt what might have been the joy of mothers seeing their children all grown up!
Although it was a lot of hard work and effort, we felt a sense of joy and fulfillment. I had learned so much from the teacher and good companions.
The process was a lot of hardship. In search of the information we need, we had to go all over the place. However, this made the bond between us stronger. We even learned to make the best out of a bad situation. Ha! Ha! I can’t but think of the Joy & Hope peanut candy and bread. They were really good!
Although I had sacrificed my valuable holiday to go this educational field trip, we all gave up a lot but also gained a lot from it!

     I truly understand the meaning of “you reap what you sow”. [Yu-ling Hsiao]

[You Wu] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

          

       Hello! I am You Wu and I am in the Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School Art Division. I specialize in drawing, photo taking and music. What are my hobbies? Well, photo taking and going on nature trips.
Wheat! Speaking of wheat, all I could think about from the top of my head was draught and bread. I thought that a place as humid as Taiwan couldn’t be suitable for growing wheat. I surfed the internet and found something quite astounding! Not only was there wheat plantation in Taiwan, its area was up to 180 hectares! It was beyond my expectations!
For the Cyberfair project, we planted a small plot of wheat in our school. From sowing to cultivating, we did it all by ourselves. Although it wasn’t my first time planting, it still felt kind of strange. It was so much easier than planting rice, flowers or fruits.         

    A gentleman told us that all we have to do is sow the seeds evenly throughout the garden, water the plants, and wait for it to sprout. Then, water the plant on a regular basis, but don’t over water it! He also told us that the seeds were edible! I took a few bites and found that it didn’t have much taste except with maybe a hint of the taste of wheat. After I had chewed the seed for a while it became a white substance close to that of a bubblegum. It was amazing!
    It finally sprouted! When I first saw it, I wasn’t sure it was wheat or weed. As the wheat began to grow day by day my confidence also grew. Everyday I pull out the weeds, water the wheat, and measure its height. As time went by, I had grown to love it just like a father to a child as seen in soap operas.  Under our care, the wheat had grown strong and slowly turned yellow until the whole plot of wheat had turned into gold. Nevertheless, it was only a very small plot of plantation. I am sure 180 hectares of it would be that much more beautiful!
    Finally we interviewed Mr. Shih, who taught us a lot of knowledge about wheat and also life philosophies! We also went to the Joy & Hope Bakery to make bread! I learned that it may look easy, but in reality it was very difficult. 
    From sowing of the seeds to the harvesting of the crops, and from the interviews to the integrating of information, I had gained so much from it all! [You Wu]

[Rou-pei Lin] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

    

       On October 2014, we were informed by our teachers that we were the ten students selected by the school to take part in the Cyberfair project. Throughout the making of the project, from searching for the topic to taking part in various activities, I learned the importance of team work and that to complete a well done job we must plan and divide work accordingly. 
       In the project, we planted wheat and recorded its cultivating process from sowing to harvesting. Then, we brought our wheat to be milled into flour. It was then that we suddenly realized that the place where we have grown up not only is suitable for planting rice, is also suitable for planting wheat. At the Joy & Hope Workshop we saw how Mr. Shih and Mr. Liu mill wheat into flour and we also used the flour we milled to make delicious bread. From it all, we felt the passion of the farmers thriving to grow environmentally friendly crops to provide as local staple. 
       We also interviewed the Changhua County Magistrate. Through the interview we learned of the government’s relentless effort in the promoting of local organic farming. However, we remind them that there is a group of farmers who quietly worked and devoted themselves to the land where we stand. With ambition we hoped that our Cyberfair project would bring more people to agree and focus on the development of Wheat production.  [Rou-pei Lin]

 

[Yu-ching Hsu] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

       

        I am Yu-ching Hsu, and I go to the Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School Art Class. My specialty is drawing and I like to sing and take photos.
       Since I wanted to make a contribution to Taiwan’s agriculture industry, I joined the Cyberfair project. The reason we used wheat as our project topic was that we found that the planting of wheat was extremely easy. Also for the past few years, there were people in Dacheng Township who were starting to develop Taiwan’s wheat market. Although Taiwan was thought to be unsuitable for wheat planting, the local people took a chance and the outcome was quite favorable. Therefore, Dacheng Township was known as the most suitable wheat planting area in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the future prospect of wheat production became an issue which we had to consider.
To us, the agriculture industry was something unfamiliar, and therefore the planting of the wheat from sowing to the ripening of crop was an entirely new experience for us.  

    When we first started to sow the seeds, I thought that it was very interesting. Because, it was the first time that I had ever seen wheat seed. The thought of taking care of the wheat plant and watching grow gave me a sense of responsibility and anticipation.  Whenever we were free we would go see the wheat plants watching them grow day by day. I had a wonderful sense of accomplishment.  Later, I took part in a science exhibition which the topic was also on wheat, so everyday I observed and measured the height of the wheat plant. Therefore, I had gained a special bonding with the wheat plants. 
      Wheat is a beautiful plant. As the wheat began to ripen, I watched it turned slowly to gold and it felt like I was watching my own child growing up day by day. I had a great sense of fulfillment, because we actually succeeded in planting wheat and the crop was healthier and plumper than the seed we planted in the beginning!

    After the interview with Mr. Shih, not only had I gained a lot of knowledge about Joy & Hope Wheat, I also learned some life philosophy.   
       Furthermore, we went to the Changhua County Hall where we learned from Mr. Huang related information about wheat. Not only was the information a great help to our Cyberfair Project, it also helped me gain more knowledge about wheat.
       The current prospect of wheat is quite favorable. I hope we can all work together toward the promoting of Taiwan’s wheat market and increase Taiwan’s independence in its agriculture industry and also save energy and reduce carbon emission. [Yu-ching Hsu]  


[Hsin-ju Chen] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

       

        I am Hsin-ju Chen, and I am an eighth grader at the Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School Art Class. I like to draw, but comparing to sketching and water colors I liked drawing comics even more. I also like to play basketball, listen to music and watch animations.
      The moment that I was asked to join the Cybefair project, I felt uneasy. I was very busy with school work. Where would I find time? I didn’t know how to make a web page and needless to say I never even heard of Joy & Hope Wheat. It was an impossible mission for me. Without the knowledge and the skills required I followed the guidance of our teacher, parent volunteers and Mr. Liu and planted the seeds of hope in our school garden and started a journey of wheat exploration.

    During this time, I observed the growth of the wheat which I planted, and during free time I also watered and weeded the garden. I watched the stalks of wheat growing day by day and since we had never seen the plant of wheat we anticipated for its harvest. We were really excited when we got to harvest our wheat. Through hand on experiences we finally realized the hard work of the farmers and the saying “each grain came in vain with the farmer’s sweat”. When we visited Joy & Hope Wheat and Joy & Hope Bakery, we were greeted Mr. Shih who had a joyful laugh and liked challenges. He worked hard to contribute to Taiwan’s agriculture industry. Mr. Shih also told us to think about our value in life and that we should try to find joy in our work. In the workshop we saw some really useful and interesting tools. The experience was unforgettable.

    While we were making bread at the Joy & Hope Bakery, we used our artist talents to mold the bread. When the bread came hot, freshly out of the oven, we all cheered with excitement. Bread made from environmental friendly grown wheat with our own hands tasted especially scrumptious. Later, we also visited Mr. Chi-sheng Liu of Dacheng Wheat’s Production and Marketing Group who enthusiastically explained to us about Dacheng wheat and management on environmentally friendly planting. This was the first time which I had ever seen such beautiful wheat field. I learned a lot from the trip.
    From not knowing anything about Joy & Hope Wheat to slowly getting to know it was an impossible mission, but nonetheless we conquered and won. I would like to thank Mr. Shih, Mr. Liu, the teachers and parent volunteers for their help and guidance, because we had learned a lot of things which we couldn’t have learned in a school classroom.  [Hsin-ju Chen]


 

[Hsin-tsen Wang] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

       

        I am Hsin-tsen Wang of Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School. I like to draw, listen to music, watch Korean soap opera, and go on natural walks. I am glad to have taken part in the Cyberfair project and visit Joy & Hope Wheat to have a date with wheat!

    The moment I heard that I was selected to join the Cyberfair project, I felt glad and nervous. I was glad because it was chance to get close with nature and be with the wheat field since it was my best model and subject and I also get to gain knowledge about wheat. I can kill several birds with one stone! On the other hand I was nervous because a city rat as myself had never been to a farm and the only thing I know was eat bread. How on earth would I know how to plant wheat? I would probably make the matter worse. Fortunately, we were given a small plot of land to plant wheat in our school. We watched the wheat grow day by day. Mr. Chi-sheng Liu was kind to help us every step of the way; from sowing to harvesting. Mr. Liu answered our questions in a funny and interesting way. He also brought us to the Joy & Hope Bakery so we can see how wheat was milled into flour and then made into delicious bread. We also made our own special bread. I would also like to thank Magistrate Ming-ku Wei and Mr. Huang for accepting our interview and gave us a detailed description of the development of Dacheng Wheat and the plan of tourism in agriculture development. 

    As we sowed seeds of hope, giving them water and sun, and hope that they would grow. I am not sure whether the wheat had felt our love; it grew fast as if it wanted to take a glimpse of us. Now, the ears of wheat had ripened and the field had turned yellow. It was beautiful. We were glad to see the golden plot of land! I would like to thank all my companions and all those who had helped us throughout the entire project. You are the reason that we successfully completed the project. We couldn’t have done it without you.[Hsin-tsen Wang]


[Yu-ting Tseng] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

     

Hello! I am a member of the Wheat Team, Yu-ting Tseng.
I go to Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School.
I like to draw, listen to music and take part in activities.
I am from Changhua County.
I like to pull pranks on people.
I am a playful!

    I had a lot of fun taking part in the wheat activities. In the beginning I didn’t know anything about wheat, so I went on the web to search for information on the topic. When I heard our class president say that we were supposed to sow the seeds in school I was really happy. I had a good time sowing the seeds. I enjoyed experiencing the hard work of the farmers under the warm sun taking care of the wheat. It may be a lot of work but it was part of the training to make ourselves greater. I was very nervous when interviewing Mr. Shih and Mr. Liu. I was scared that I would screw up and that it would be entirely my fault! This was part of a test, a test which showed that I can work hard complete the mission. I hope I can do the best I can!

    While making bread my mind was blank, and I didn’t know what to do. Nonetheless, I made it with my hands and it was really good! I realized that good bread does not depend on its appearance but rather its ingredients. The bread was so good that I missed making bread. I would sometimes pick up a piece of play dough and pretend that I was making bread. I must miss making bread too much.

The project and events had finally come to an end. I would like to thank the following people for their help.
Thank you Mr. Mei for making the time out of your busy schedule to accept our interview and we were glad to have a chat with you about wheat!
Thank you Mr. Shih for giving us an introduction on the history of wheat, answered our questions and taught us to make bread. You also showed the process of turning wheat into flour. The brand name of the flour was adorable. White Dolphin Flour. Joy& Hope Wheat, you are the best! I would also like to thank you for teaching us to make bread. It was unbelievably delicious!
Thank you Mr. Liu for giving us guidance on the planting of wheat in school. You taught us the growing environment of wheat and how to take care of them. Without you we couldn’t have grown such delicious and natural wheat. There is nothing safer than self-grown wheat!
Thank you Principal Cho for your guidance on the project.
Thank you the Director Of Academic Affairs, teachers, and homeroom teacher for your help.

Thank you parents for taking the time to give us rides on our trips.[Yu-ting Tseng]

[Yu-han Lou] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

     

Name: Yu-han Lou 
DOB: December 9, 2000
Address: No.416, Jiufen Rd., Yongjing Township, Changhua County
School: Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School (8th Grade)
Experiences (Class president, activities coordinator, Chinese assistant)
Hobbies (read, jog, draw, listen to music)
Specialties (Love to help others, good leadership, analyze information)

    This semester, I was honored to have been selected to take part in the 2015 Cyberfair project. I was very excited since there were only ten students chosen and that my abilities were being recognized by the school. My father told that it was a big project, because each student played an important role in it and we must all work hard together to complete it. 
The topic for the project was proposed by the father of one of the students who thought that it should be about food and the environment. Therefore, we decided to focus on wheat production and other related topics. Through discussion and researches on the internet, we discovered that Dacheng Township, a close by town, produces wheat. The Joy & Hope Workshop used contracts to buy local wheat and milled it into flour, and then make it into bread to sell to the consumers. There were many issues which we had to consider. Is Taiwan suitable for planting wheat? Is it profitable for farmers to plant wheat? How does Taiwan considered respond to the products?

    First, the school gave us a little plot of land to plant wheat. We made observation of the growth of the wheat we planted. In the beginning, the wheat didn’t need much watering. A staff at our school told us that wheat is a rain fed crop so we didn’t have to water it every day. We weren’t sure about it. In our heart we questioned the notion.
In order to find the answers to our questions, we visited Mr. Chi-sheng Liu of Dacheng Wheat’s Production and Marketing Group. Mr. Liu was a kind elder man who carefully answered all our questions and cleared all doubts from our mind.  

Mr. Liu has worked hard in the promoting of organically grown wheat in Dacheng Township. It started from 9 hectares to the 150 hectares we see today. Since wheat is rain fed crop it needed little man power, didn’t need pesticide, inorganic fertilizer or weed killer. Therefore wheat is lower in production cost than rice. Furthermore, by contracting with Joy & Hope Wheat everybody profits and the production area of wheat continue to grow. Mr. Liu hopes that Dacheng Township can be the number one wheat production area in the country and that people would automatically relate it to wheat plantation.
        Later, we visited Mr. Shih who answered our questions accordingly. When he first started planting wheat he didn’t have any planting experiences. All he could do was ask for the help of experienced farmers or the Agricultural Research and Extension Station.  He recorded the planting process and put it into standard operation procedure (SOP) and dropped the rate of error to a minimum.

    The goal of Mr. Shih of Joy & Hope Wheat was to localize agriculture industry and turn it into an industry economy.  Through contracted wheat make various food products and sell them to consumers. Mr. Shih also hope that by this year contracted wheat can be organically certified and local wheat can increase in value.
       From the trip, I had gained a better understanding of the planting of wheat and products made from wheat. I hope that through our Cyberfair project we can help Mr. Shih promote his ideas and let Taiwan Wheat be marketed throughout the world. 

    Lastly, we visited Magistrate Ming-ku Wei of Changhua County and the Director general of Agriculture Bureau. We learned about the plans of the county government on creating a special wheat planting area and help the farmers of Dacheng Township to start planting wheat. This way we won’t have to depend on imported flour. We can produce enough to self-sustain. The government hopes to keep local young people by increasing job opportunities.

    Through the making of the Cyberfair project, I realized the contribution these people devoted into Taiwan’s agriculture industry.  In the beginning Mr. Liu and Mr. Shih placed the benefits of the public as their primary concern and not profit. Although the company has had a great start, they were not content. They continue to fight for their dream and hope the public can accept them and make Taiwan a better place. [Yu-han Lou]


[Pin-ling Chen] Afterthoughts on the Cyberfair project

      

Pin-ling Chen 
Introduction:
1. Yunlin County Dong Nan Junior High School Art Class 8th Grade
2. Like to draw, take photos, travel, and write

    I’ve always liked working in a group. However, after the project I had truly realized the beauty of completing something with a group of people. I like to share wonderful things with people and through this project I anticipate in sharing my findings with the whole world.
      I am glad to be a part of the Dong Nan Joy & Hope Wheat Team. In the short five months we used our free time to get our group together, decide on the topic, divide work, make work schedule, learn to make web page, do research on the topic, observe the grow of wheat, plant wheat, and conduct interviews. Although it was a lot of hard work, it was surprisingly rewarding.

    This was my first time planting wheat like a farmer from plowing to sowing to fertilizing and pulling out the weeds. You don’t have to care for and water wheat everyday like other plants. It’s a low maintenance plant and it can be planted in Taiwan. We also visited the Joy & Hope Bakery and rolled up our sleeves to make bread. We learned about different types of flours and various foods made of wheat. Furthermore, we tasted the delicious bread we made with our own hands.  
       We visited the Joy & Hope Wheat Office and the Dacheng Wheat’s Production and Marketing Group and realized that there was a group of righteous wheat farmers in Taiwan who worked silently toward the promoting of wheat production in Taiwan. We also learned about the hardship of the farmers facing the low prices of imported flour. We saw the locally grown and milled flour; Joy & Hope White Dolphin flour. I was touched by it all. The friendly Mr. Shih gave us an introduction on the history of Joy & Hope Wheat and helped us understand contracted wheat, wheat related industries, and the relationship between local industry and agricultural industry. The sincere Mr. Liu told us about the history of Dacheng Wheat and its current status. We had gained a lot of knowledge about the wheat industry.

    During the trip we also enjoyed the wonderful sight of Dacheng’s wheat fields. The sight of the gold waves of wheat swaying with the wind was beautiful and romantic. I was touched by the devotions of the locals toward its agriculture industry. Throughout the entire project I also learned to make a web page, and do internet marketing. I realized that the world of the internet was boundless.  [Pin-ling Chen]

 

The official CyberFair 2015 Banner.
Copyright © 2015 DongNan Joy & Hope Wheat Explore Team. All rights reserved