“Wandervögel Project”, the most important program of the New Agriculture Movement promoted by COA (the Council of Agriculture) has fully completed this year’s project preparation and started enrollment from Mar. 3. This project focuses on enabling the young generation experience agriculture. The minister of COA, Su, Jia-chyuan especially shared the experiences of those who have participated in this project last year and encouraged more participation of the young generation. Due to enthusiastic feedback from the Wandervögel Project held on July 2006, COA has expanded this project. For those who stayed in agriculture, COA has already set up advanced training programs and its “farmland bank” as an platform to get access of the farmland needed.

According to the COA, the Wandervögel camp held firstly on Aug 2006 was one of the most important programs of the New Agriculture Movement and has already met many young people’s urge to returning to their homelands. All the 42 training classes were had fully 836 participants. Those who failed participating kept asking the next date of this program. Therefore, COA especially expanded this program by adding to 58 training classes with 1200 participants from the age of 18 to 35. Through initial hands-on procedures, they could make sure their interests and then step into agriculture as a young farmer. This program is also considered to add youth vitality into the aging agriculture workforce.

According to Su, the Fishery Agency of COA has also set up Wandervögel fishers’ camp besides the camps already set up by seven agricultural research and extension stations. Young people who take interests in fishery can discover the whole working process by taking part in this camp. Furthermore, COA also firstly held Wandervögel camps for college students with 15 training classes providing chances of experiencing farmland life for about 400 college students.

According to the data of 2006, about 340 participants (about 44% of the total) expresses their strong intention preparing for transferring to agriculture and 98.49%of them showed interests in joining the advanced training programs. Therefore, Wandervögel project will step into the second phase of advanced training programs with different categories including floriculture, vegetable, fruit, mushroom recreational agriculture, and grouper breeding. This advanced program is anticipated to include 22 classes to let 500 participants fully understand those categories’ business. Meanwhile, professional farmer training programs are also provided to those who complete the advanced training helping them build up the foundation for entering agriculture business.

COA Chairman Su Jia-chyuan said he would design farming practical training programs, allowing the master-and-apprentice model to be applied to the farming production and management. On the other hand, it also can alleviates the shortage of labor in the farms, as well as the young vitality and concept input momentum to farming management. At the same time, it will select six young farmers to participate in Wandervögel Camp and send abroad for learning new agricultural technology. Also, it provides the selling and renting news of farmland to help the new farmers to get the needed farmland. Besides, the COA is building the “farmland bank” as a matching platform which helps to increase the lands’ utility. It is estimated to accomplish in the first half year.

What’s worth mentioning was that some members of the Wandervögel Camp couldn’t wait to have their dreams of idyllic life fulfilled. Ms. Lee Chen-yun, a former manager of the management division from a foreign company, were speculating about what environment she would raise her baby after giving birth. During the discussion with her husband about devoting in agriculture, she saw the report about the Wandervögel Camp. She registered at once. As she participated in the experience tour, she found herself gradually achieve her dream of leading an idyllic life. Currently, she is interning in the vegetable marketing and production group at Pader, Taoyuan. This couple is now looking for a perfect site to build a greenhouse. They hope to be part of the marketing and production group at the end of this year. Mr. Chen Ying-tsung, a member from the Formosan Blue Magpie Camp, lost his work passion and pondered his next step in his future. Then, he read the information about the Wandervögel Camp and registered immediately. The three days and two nights experience tour was quite short, but Mr. Chen found his next job amid the time. He expressed his willingness to the tour leader Mr. Lee Chun-tian that she’d like to work at the vegetable group. Now Mr. Chen lives a very different life from the work life in the metropolis, but feels rather content and fulfilled.

According to the COA, the Wandervögel project has gained considerable support from the youth, showing Taiwan young people’s faith and enthusiasm in Taiwanese agriculture. The COA provides a learning opportunity for whoever is interested in building a country life and further develops the agriculture. If you are interested, please log on http://academy.coa.gov.tw/ more details of the project.