When speaking of Wufeng, people often think of the historic Lin Family Mansion and its vast Qing-era gardens and residences, where every detail reflects the wisdom and blessings of past generations. Wufeng not only boasts rich cultural heritage but is also one of the birthplaces of Taiwan's democratization—it once housed the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and now serves as the site of the Legislative Yuan's Democracy Park. With favorable geography and climate, Wufeng produces a wide range of agricultural goods, making it a vital grain hub in central Taiwan.
On June 29, National Chengchi University (NCCU) organized the “50+1 Industry–Academia Exploration in Wufeng, Taichung” tour. Participants included members of the NCCU 50+1 Local Revitalization Association, NCCU Sustainable 50+1 Social Enterprise Co., Ltd., NCCU 50+1 Social Enterprise Inc., faculty from the Department of Land Economics, the USR team for “Implementing the Satoyama Economy through Holistic Rural Planning,” and local revitalization stakeholders. The group visited local farms and the Wufeng Farmers’ Association.
Wufeng is the largest mushroom-producing area in Taiwan. The first stop was the Ruei-Feng Mushroom Educational Farm, where owner Mr. Zhu Ruizong provided an overview of the industry and introduced the facility’s equipment. Participants learned about the process of making mushroom cultivation bags, visited a normally restricted sterile room to see the sterilization equipment, and entered the low-temperature cultivation room to observe mushroom growth at various stages. Every step was eye-opening and deepened their understanding of the mushroom industry.
What makes Ruei-Feng Farm's mushroom cultivation unique? Mr. Zhu explained that while most mushroom bags are made with sawdust, Ruei-Feng uses hay. After mushroom harvesting, the leftover substrate can be used to feed cattle, effectively solving waste issues and achieving circular agriculture.
In the afternoon, the NCCU delegation visited the Chuwu School, where Director Zeng Shiquan of the Wufeng Farmers' Association introduced the region’s agricultural development. With over 100 years of history, the Wufeng Farmers’ Association has helped local products win national awards for quality. In response to changing times, the association has actively pursued innovation and promoted the six-tiered industrialization model.
In primary industry, the association began guiding farmers in the 2000s to cultivate Yi-Chuan aromatic rice, establishing Taiwan’s first specialty rice zone. Today, Wufeng is the largest aromatic rice producer in the country. Building on this, the association developed various rice-based alcoholic beverages under the brand “Chuwu.” Under the guidance of brewer Lin Bo-Kai, participants tasted several local products, including junmai ginjo, shochu, and lychee-honey rice wine made from local ingredients. Notably, since 2010, the association’s liquors have received international recognition, with Chuwu Shochu winning a Double Gold Medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Having built strong primary and secondary industries, the Wufeng Farmers’ Association has also expanded into tertiary industries—using cultural creativity for marketing, operating restaurants and guesthouses, promoting agri-tourism and food education, opening a Taipei branch for direct sales, and launching an e-commerce platform. Additionally, it collaborated with 14 other farmers’ and fishers’ associations to establish the Taiwan Agricultural Innovation Company, using a flexible corporate model to supplement the limitations of the farmers’ association system.
“Agriculture,” “Sustainability,” “Carbon Reduction,” “Ecology,” “Nature,” and “Dedication” are the six guiding values of the Wufeng Farmers’ Association. Beyond promoting local agricultural products, it also buys crops at guaranteed prices to support natural farming and encourages eco-friendly practices. Their “Five-Jia Land” brand markets these efforts, including the successful transformation of Wufu Community into an organic farming area. This initiative was selected for the IPSI (International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative) case listing.
The association also revitalized the long-unused Wanfeng Rice Granary and the former Minsheng Clinic, once home to Dr. Lin Peng-Fei. The granary has been converted into the Wufeng Winery and now serves as the association’s exhibition and retail center. The clinic has been transformed into the Wufeng Minsheng Story House, which restores the original medical space and showcases local history and prominent figures, allowing the memories and heritage of Wufeng’s older generations to be passed down—making it an educational landmark.
Through this visit, NCCU participants gained valuable insight into a model of local revitalization in Taiwan. The university’s USR team for “Implementing the Satoyama Economy through Holistic Rural Planning” also drew inspiration from the experience and aims to deepen its future engagement and collaboration with local communities.
