A Mountainous Excursion
Enthusiasm was plastered on my face when my internship adviser informed me about a team trip we would be taking into the mountains to collect data from two farmers. Adventure runs through my blood, and the night preceding the excursion was filled with anxiousness for what was to come.
The next morning, prior to departing from the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), I situated myself in the back seat of the 8-person van. Taiwan’s small geographical size results in a stretch of urban cities being wedged between the ocean and the mountains, often taking less than an hour to drive directly between the two. Therefore, it wasn’t long before I was able to experience the breathtaking views of the mountains. The drive lasted around two hours, and I soon found myself passing over various bridges and weaving along the sides of the mountains in Nantou County to eventually reach Xinyi township to collect data. My fear of heights was quickly overwhelmed by the picturesque view of a valley sculpted by rushing streams, rising into towns nestled along the edges of seemingly endless mountains.
The farms our pepper-breeding team visited were contained in greenhouse-esc enclosures, and upon arriving at the first farm we were greeted by various cats that I later found out had the purpose of patrolling the enclosures to search for any rodents that threaten the health of the farmer’s crops. Everyone was soon assigned a task for the data collection to move the process along as rapidly as possible. I was given the responsibility of working with another researcher to record the heights of the pepper plants as well as the lengths of internodes 2–5. Other workers’ tasks ranged from measuring leaf size to harvesting peppers to bring back to our lab for analysis at the World Vegetable Center. After all the work was completed, we made sure to take photos of the farmer with their peppers (often having to strongly coerce them to smile). After completing data collection at the first farm, we completed an identical method of data collection at a second farm located in the same township.
Other than simply collecting data and leaving the farm, there was an ample amount of discussion taking place between the farmers and some of the researchers on our pepper-breeding team to seek personal insights about the specific pepper lines our team is studying. Discussion about actual applications of the pepper-breeding research is vital and reinforces the idea that relying solely on data-driven research can be counterproductive if there is no potential for real-world application. Additionally, the research needs to be presented in a way that can be understood and utilized in a practical manner. It is important to abandon an individualistic mindset in exchange for a communalization of unrestricted understanding when it comes to agricultural implementation.
After finishing our collection and discussion at the two farms, the last farmer we visited took us to a restaurant in the mountains. Upon arriving, it was easy to see why the farmer was a fan of the restaurant, as the view was extraordinary. The foliage-covered mountains stretched on for miles in unrivaled perfection. After being engulfed by the pristine views, our group made its way into the restaurant. I was informed the meal that was prepared consisted of traditional Taiwanese dishes (none of which I know the names of) and was served in a communal fashion at our table. I made sure to watch carefully as other people began taking food from the center dishes, adding the food to their rice, eating the food with the rice, and adding bamboo soup to their bowls after all of the rice was gone. After some time fumbling around with my chopsticks, I soon got a hang of how to go about eating the meal. Once all of the rice in my bowl was gone, I followed suit and added the bamboo soup. The meal was unlike anything I had ever eaten before, and I was happy to have been given the opportunity to experience it. My excursion to the mountains was definitely one for the memory books and undoubtedly crafted itself into an incomparable cultural experience that I will never forget.
