PeoPo Your Shoot – Caoya’s new food force

   Caoya is small town surrounded by an industrial zone in the Qianzhen District of Kaohsiung. Like many places today, the outflow of young people from the area has resulted in an ageing population. In an attempt to address this problem, Kaohsiung City Government provided the local area with land on which to establish an urban farm for elderly residents, which today attracts 300 applications a year for 41 garden plots. With the assistance of Kaohsiung First Community University, elderly residents have been able to acquire the necessary skills to grow organic veggies, which has helped to build camaraderie in the community through the exchange of ideas, farm produce, and skills, producing a real-life “Happy Farm.” Produce from the urban farm is given free of charge to the local community development association, which cares for local elderly residents by providing outreach services like meals-on-wheels. In addition, Kaohsiung First Community University also utilizes idle classrooms in Xingren Junior High School to provide woodwork classes, giving an opportunity for people to learn woodwork skills and produce of all kinds of wood-related products.

以下為中英文對照

PeoPo踹拍 草衙新食力

高雄市前鎮區的草衙，附近工業區環繞。面臨人口老化以及年輕人外移。高雄市政府在這提供土地，作為銀髮族市民農園，41塊農地每年吸引近300人前往報名申請。在第一社區大學的協助下，不僅讓當地聚落長輩習得已無毒有機的友善農法耕作，也在互相交流心得、技術與互換農產中，凝聚了彼此間的情感，宛如現實版的「開心農場」。而市民農園所種植的蔬食，也免費提供給當地社區發展協會，做為關懷老人送餐服務的餐點食材。除此之外，第一社區大學也利用興仁國中的閒置教室開設木工班，讓有興趣的民眾可以透過學習，製作各式貼近生活的木作。