品牌故事-緣起
BRAND STORY 我們的爺爺
草屯薏仁創始人 林汝遠先生 (1931~2012)
早年的台灣,是個傳統純樸的農業社會。爺爺自小便隨母親務農,因年幼喪父,又是家中獨子,困苦的環境中,
成就了日後爺爺的堅毅。
伴隨著凌晨的雞啼聲,爺爺早已經在田裡開始一天的工作,年輕時代的爺爺是草屯鎮的模範農民,曾多次在水稻
比賽中獲獎,當時不只是政府當局、鄉里電台採訪,甚至也有日本農政單位派員來參觀。
爺爺總是兢兢業業、分秒不懈,從田頭到田尾,在爺爺的田裡,一根雜草也不曾看見。
In the early years, Taiwan was a traditional and simple agricultural society. My grandfather started farming with his mother at a young age. After losing his father when he was still a child and being the only son in a struggling family, these hardships shaped his resilience in later life. Accompanied by the crowing of roosters at dawn, my grandfather had already begun his day's work in the fields. In his youth, he was a model farmer in Caotun Township, having won numerous awards in rice competitions. At that time, not only did government officials and local radio stations interview him, but even representatives from Japanese agricultural agencies came to visit. My grandfather was always diligent and tireless, and from one end of the field to the other, not a single weed could be found in his land.
爺爺在工作室裡烘枸杞葉。 除了水稻外,輪作其間,爺爺也種植甜菊、枸杞、白鶴靈芝等特殊作物。
投入薏苡試種作業
台中區農業改良場雜糧股呂阿牛先生,早於日據時代即從事薏苡栽培試驗。1980年起,政府大力推行稻田轉作
計畫,選擇了土壤肥沃、環境優越的草屯地區作薏苡試種。
爺爺當時因年近90的曾祖母騎車摔倒,腳腫得像「米龜」一樣,半夜常痛得睡不著。據說可吃薏仁來改善。但考慮
進口薏仁品質相當不穩定,為了給曾祖母吃到最新鮮、品質優良的薏仁,爺爺積極投入配合本土薏苡試種。此時,
草屯的第一株薏苡就在爺爺家的田裡落地生根了。
神奇的薏仁療效
在改良場的研究員建議下,吃了紅薏仁後,約一個禮拜就消腫了。原來,因為曾祖母吃太多消炎止痛藥,腎臟代謝
不良,這才造成水腫,而薏仁恰有減緩發炎的功能。除此之外,薏仁還有許多對人體健康有幫助的成份。
時代的挑戰
為了配合改良場薏苡試種,草屯農民們組織了草屯薏仁研究班,由爺爺擔任班長。
當年農村的環境貧苦,原種植水稻尚能糊口的條件下,爺爺將大部分田都拿來配合試種,非常具有革命家精神的創
新思維,許多農友都稱他是『走在時代前端的模範農夫』。
草屯薏仁研究班
爺爺家三合院廣場中,農友們簡單地坐著小椅子開起成立班會,爺爺站在大家中間發表成果及分享。
草屯薏仁研究班的成立,象徵著"台灣新雜糧農業革命"試種工作邁向成功,爺爺號召堂兄弟及鄰居
農友們,開始投入薏仁種植 。
林汝遠先生家位於草屯鎮新豐里,是草屯鎮最早種植薏苡的地區,並持續至今日的田野仕。