Youth Industry Management and Experience Sharing Event inspires the next generation of young farmers in Yunlin

(中央社訊息服務20260511 18:25:01)To cultivate sustainable development momentum in Yunlin's agriculture and strengthen local students’ connection to agriculture, the Yunlin County Government's Agriculture Department actively promotes the "Youth Industry Management and Experience Sharing Event." Following visits to agricultural and industrial vocational high schools in Huwei and Beigang, the department visited National Siluo Agricultural Industrial High School on Feb. 25 for in-depth campus dialogue. This activity, centered on "The Next Stop for Top 100 Young Farmers: You Can Also Be a Young Farmer Trainee," aims to break down traditional agricultural stereotypes and guide students to see a new blue ocean of career opportunities in rural agriculture.

Director Wei Sheng-de (魏勝德) of the Agriculture Department stated that agriculture is not just labor, but a deeper commitment to the land. Through the experience sharing sessions led by outstanding young farmers, the county government hopes to show local youth that choosing to stay and work in their hometown does not mean losing competitiveness. On the contrary, by leveraging local resources and integrating smart technologies with branding strategies, young people can create their own professional opportunities for success. The county government's role is to build bridges that enable students to develop an international perspective on agriculture while still in school, and to view their hometown as a place where they can pursue entrepreneurship and realize their self-worth.

This event, centered on the "Yunxian Nong Junior" cultivation model, invited Chen Po-yin, founder of the local young farmer brand "Farm Around You," and Chang Hui-chu, manager of "Bamboo Tribe," to National Siluo Agricultural and Industrial High School to share their experiences from returning to their hometown to invest in agriculture, facing market challenges, to gradually establishing brand identities and business models.

Chen Po-yin, the "Farm Around You": From American bubble tea shop owner to livestock expert protecting ranches in her hometown.

Chen Po-yin, who had previously achieved entrepreneurial success in the United States, shared her journey of returning to Baozhong Township in Yunlin from a bustling commercial district in Southern California. A remark from her father prompted her to rethink the meaning of "home." She admitted that she faced setbacks upon returning home, but her determination to "give a shot at the family business" motivated her to learn pig farming from scratch. She brought her international business philosophy back to Yunlin, founding "Farm Around You" to promote circular agriculture and revitalize a once-abandoned ranch. She demonstrates to the students through her actions: "Take off your shoes and step onto the soil of your hometown; you'll discover limitless opportunities here."

Chang Hui-chu of the "Bamboo Tribe": Unwilling to let the "bamboo shoot" flavor of her hometown disappear, she uses innovation to preserve the warmth of the community.

Chang Hui-chu of the "Bamboo Tribe" shared her initial motivation for returning to the Dapu community from Taipei. Watching her grandfather and father struggle to maintain the declining bamboo shoot industry, she felt heartbroken that the flavors her hometown was so proud of were being forgotten. This "unwillingness" led her to return home and lead community farmers in building a brand. She insists on traditional sun-drying methods to preserve the natural flavors and develops food and agriculture education. Speaking emotionally to the students, she said, "Every bamboo shoot from my hometown carries warmth. I stayed to ensure that this warmth can be passed on." She encouraged the students, saying that as long as they have a love for the land, they can discover new business opportunities in traditional industries.

President Kuo Huan-jui of National Siluo Agricultural and Industrial High School stated that the two young farmers used real-life experiences to illustrate how to start from a production mindset, further introduce value-added processing, experiential design, and marketing strategies, expand distribution channels, and increase the added value of agricultural products, demonstrating the possibility of diversified agricultural development and allowing teachers and students to see the changes in agriculture.

The atmosphere at the event was lively, with students actively asking questions and engaging in discussions on entrepreneurship preparation, brand building, production and sales strategies, and future development directions.

The Agriculture Department stated that through this series of activities, the self-identity and social responsibility of young farmers are strengthened, while passing on the spirit of "inheritance". In the future, they will continue to visit Douliu High School, allowing more young people to see the diverse facets of Yunlin agriculture. The county government will support these future "young farmer trainees" through industry-academia collaboration and resource support, helping them take root and thrive in their hometown, sowing the seeds for a new generation of sustainable agriculture in Yunlin, and strengthening local development momentum.