Retired school principal couple switch school life for farm life

Retired school principal couple switch school life for farm life

2025-02-11

A husband-and-wife duo in Chiayi have taken a drastic career change that has earned them awards from the central government. Both of them used to be fully dedicated to education, having climbed their career ladders to become elementary school principals. Then, when they were both in their 50s, the duo retired to become farmers. They now run an award-winning dragon fruit farm in Taibao.

Lee Jung-shan and Wu Chu-yu are ready to hit the fields. Clearing out weeds and harvesting dragon fruit, nothing gets in the way of this husband-and-wife duo. Though they are farmers now, they both used to be elementary school principals.

Lee Jung-shan
School principal turned farmer
Back then I thought I’d want a plot of land to tend to and preserve after retiring. After all, the farms of Taiwan have been keeping people fed for hundreds of years.

Wu Chu-yu
School principal turned farmer
It was quite an interesting experience. Back then, I had the dream of living the farm life, so I decided to get into this profession. I have gained so much from the past 10 years doing this. It’s all been fantastic.

The couple loves the land, and decided to buy a field in Taibao to get started as farmers. They do all sorts of work in their orchard, and their pesticide-free dragon fruits have received raving reviews. What’s more, they’ve been recognized with prestigious awards by the Council of Agriculture and the Agriculture and Food Agency.

Lee Jung-shan
School principal turned farmer
It was a huge honor. The Agriculture and Food Agency’s awards ceremony was held at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, it was a fancy ceremony. This other trophy is from the Council of Agriculture, as it was known then. We were presented the award at the auditorium in the Council of Agriculture itself.

Cheng Shu-fen
Taibao mayor
These two former principals have the same philosophy regarding agriculture, and their efforts have yielded outstanding results that are in no way inferior to their achievements in the field of education.

The two principals turned farmers have not forgotten their roots in education. Besides dedicating themselves to the fields, they are also sharing their knowledge so that children and customers can learn from their experience.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

"校長夫妻"退休當農夫! 戴起斗笠務農還榮獲大獎

2025-02-11

嘉義有一對國小退休的校長夫妻，因為懷抱農夫夢，兩人都在50歲退休，改當農夫，種植火龍果而且不噴灑農藥，兩人從坐在學校辦公室，改戴斗笠，當起快樂農夫，更榮獲農委會、農糧署兩項大獎，實在不簡單。

李榮善、吳珠羽夫妻前往田裡工作，不論是清理田間雜草，或是採摘火龍果，都難不倒他們。兩位農夫，其實曾經都是國小校長。

[[農夫李榮善]]
“那時候就覺得說，那我退休之後是不是要找一塊地，好好的把這塊地保存下來，畢竟台灣的每一塊農地，都已經是養了我們千百年了。”

[[農夫吳珠羽]]
“蠻有意思的一個體驗，當時的話懷有田園夢，就走進來這個領域，但是我覺得這十年來的收穫是相當大的，一切都是很好的。”

由於熱愛這塊土地，他們在嘉義太保市，買農地，開始從事農作，田間工作樣樣自己來，種植的火龍果不噴灑農藥，大受歡迎，更榮獲農委會、農糧署兩項大獎。

[[農夫李榮善]]
“感到非常光榮，農糧署頒的就在大飯店，非常隆重的來頒獎給我們，這個獎是當初的農委會，我們就直接在農委會的大禮堂，接受這樣的榮譽。”

[[太保市長鄭淑分]]
“兩位校長有共同的理念，來經營農業栽培，那他們的成績也非常的亮眼，不輸他們在教育上的一個成績。”

兩人從校長變成農民，當起快樂農夫，不過即使從事農業，也不忘教育初心，把農園結合食農教育，期盼造福更多孩子與消費者。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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