Interviews
Fang, general manager assistant manager of Zheng careful for us to answer all the questions.
The incumbent General Manager of Qyo Biotech Farm was Mr. Shi-wen Fang. He was the first VIP we interviewed for our project. Our first impression of him was that he was a very friendly person.
Q1: Why did you want to pursue a career in growing mushrooms?
I love to eat mushrooms and watch them grow. I was perhaps influenced by my father-in-law, and entered this enchanting industry after completing my national service.
Q2: Can you briefly describe your journey and challenges you met along the way?
Our technology was not really advanced back then. It was hard to control the temperature, humidity and lighting, so I went abroad to look at how countries like Japan, Korea and Europe grew their mushrooms. There was already mushroom cultivation in Changhua County around Hemei, Shetou and Puxin regions. However, traditional methods only allowed us to grow mushrooms during winter. Production volume was naturally much smaller than what we're getting today. Climatic changes and global warming compelled many mushroom growers to move to cooler regions in the mountains such as Xinshe and Puli. Traditional mushroom sheds would also topple easily in storms and floods, and this would be disastrous to the mushroom farmers. Hence, I utilized modern factory buildings made using steel reinforced concrete so that it could withstand the destructive forces of typhoons. We made use of fine mist systems and air conditioning to control the temperature and humidity so that we could recreate the foggy atmosphere of the mountains. Lighting was also controlled. We literally played god by using technology to recreate a paradise for the mushrooms at lower elevations. I thought that god really had a difficult job.
Q3: You're enjoying success right now. Have you ever encountered major setbacks in the past?
I'm far from success! We can't ignore any step of mushroom cultivation. The process of inoculation itself require a great deal of attention. There was an occasion when we made a mistake and ruined an entire batch! We work very long hours just to stay on top of the shipping date. Product demand would grow when new year approaches, so we would need to estimate the mushroom growth periods and plant them in advance in order to meet market demands. Other things like temperature and humidity control also required us to be fully aware of numerous minute details.
Q4: Growing mushrooms are like taking care of kids. Do you have any recommendations to primary school children?
The principal and I share the same expectations of school children. You must be curious about things around you, and persevere in times of difficulty and be determined to overcome the challenges. This would definitely help you succeed!
Q5: What is the favorite part of your work? What allowed you to remain passionate about your career?
I have many responsibilities right now. Most were related to management as well as research and development. I hired highly professional people to take care of these tasks. Sometimes I need to accept interviews or attend conferences in other places. However, my favorite thing was to watch the mushrooms grow. The sense of achievement you get by watching them grow day by day is not something you'd get from other jobs.
Q6: Is there any newly developed products that you want to share with us?
Our company recently developed mushroom floss, a type of processed food item. We also added apple fiber and seaweed to the main ingredient of pink rose mushrooms. This food is suitable for people of all ages and would be able to help supplement your calcium intake. Everyone is welcome to try a sample! (Principal: Fantastic. This would offer a new option for vegetarians like us!)
Q7: Is there anything that Qyo Company had done for protecting the environment?
We developed a means of recycling used substrate packs by re-fermenting them and adding natural nutrients so that they could be used again as a raw material for producing other mushrooms. We were also thinking about adding other agricultural products, such as barley, as a replacement for wood so that we could use less Acacia trees. Some people believe that mushroom growers are culprits behind deforestation in Taiwan. I don't agree with this. We use Formosa Acacia trees from Miaoli region. The Acacia trees were once burnt to produce charcoal during the Japanese Occupation period. Today, most families cooked their food using gas, and thus wood charcoal was no longer in demand. We thus converted these Acacia trees into sawdust to create our substrate packs. In truth, not every type of wood is suitable for growing mushrooms. Trees like cypress and camphor are full of aromatic oils. Mushrooms don't like this at all, so we would definitely not carry out random deforestation. These are just misconceptions people have about us.
Q8: What are the future plans for Mushroom Tribe?
I hope that the mushroom business could grow and that everybody would know about us! We also tried growing silver ear fungus. Thus, people in Taiwan would be able to enjoy fresh silver ear fungus that used to be only available at higher latitudes. We're also developing other products like cosmetics and health foods, such as plant-based collagen. We want our people to be able to enjoy silver ear fungus safely and avoid those imported from mainland China that may be polluted by the overuse of agricultural chemicals.
Q9: What are the prerequisites we need in order to become part of your staff?
If you are willing to work hard, have a strong sense of responsibility, are interested in animals and plant growth, and enjoy learning, we welcome you to join us when you grow up! We also welcome you to visit us often!
I love to eat mushrooms and watch them grow. I was perhaps influenced by my father-in-law, and entered this enchanting industry after completing my national service.
Q2: Can you briefly describe your journey and challenges you met along the way?
Our technology was not really advanced back then. It was hard to control the temperature, humidity and lighting, so I went abroad to look at how countries like Japan, Korea and Europe grew their mushrooms. There was already mushroom cultivation in Changhua County around Hemei, Shetou and Puxin regions. However, traditional methods only allowed us to grow mushrooms during winter. Production volume was naturally much smaller than what we're getting today. Climatic changes and global warming compelled many mushroom growers to move to cooler regions in the mountains such as Xinshe and Puli. Traditional mushroom sheds would also topple easily in storms and floods, and this would be disastrous to the mushroom farmers. Hence, I utilized modern factory buildings made using steel reinforced concrete so that it could withstand the destructive forces of typhoons. We made use of fine mist systems and air conditioning to control the temperature and humidity so that we could recreate the foggy atmosphere of the mountains. Lighting was also controlled. We literally played god by using technology to recreate a paradise for the mushrooms at lower elevations. I thought that god really had a difficult job.
Q3: You're enjoying success right now. Have you ever encountered major setbacks in the past?
I'm far from success! We can't ignore any step of mushroom cultivation. The process of inoculation itself require a great deal of attention. There was an occasion when we made a mistake and ruined an entire batch! We work very long hours just to stay on top of the shipping date. Product demand would grow when new year approaches, so we would need to estimate the mushroom growth periods and plant them in advance in order to meet market demands. Other things like temperature and humidity control also required us to be fully aware of numerous minute details.
Q4: Growing mushrooms are like taking care of kids. Do you have any recommendations to primary school children?
The principal and I share the same expectations of school children. You must be curious about things around you, and persevere in times of difficulty and be determined to overcome the challenges. This would definitely help you succeed!
Q5: What is the favorite part of your work? What allowed you to remain passionate about your career?
I have many responsibilities right now. Most were related to management as well as research and development. I hired highly professional people to take care of these tasks. Sometimes I need to accept interviews or attend conferences in other places. However, my favorite thing was to watch the mushrooms grow. The sense of achievement you get by watching them grow day by day is not something you'd get from other jobs.
Q6: Is there any newly developed products that you want to share with us?
Our company recently developed mushroom floss, a type of processed food item. We also added apple fiber and seaweed to the main ingredient of pink rose mushrooms. This food is suitable for people of all ages and would be able to help supplement your calcium intake. Everyone is welcome to try a sample! (Principal: Fantastic. This would offer a new option for vegetarians like us!)
Q7: Is there anything that Qyo Company had done for protecting the environment?
We developed a means of recycling used substrate packs by re-fermenting them and adding natural nutrients so that they could be used again as a raw material for producing other mushrooms. We were also thinking about adding other agricultural products, such as barley, as a replacement for wood so that we could use less Acacia trees. Some people believe that mushroom growers are culprits behind deforestation in Taiwan. I don't agree with this. We use Formosa Acacia trees from Miaoli region. The Acacia trees were once burnt to produce charcoal during the Japanese Occupation period. Today, most families cooked their food using gas, and thus wood charcoal was no longer in demand. We thus converted these Acacia trees into sawdust to create our substrate packs. In truth, not every type of wood is suitable for growing mushrooms. Trees like cypress and camphor are full of aromatic oils. Mushrooms don't like this at all, so we would definitely not carry out random deforestation. These are just misconceptions people have about us.
Q8: What are the future plans for Mushroom Tribe?
I hope that the mushroom business could grow and that everybody would know about us! We also tried growing silver ear fungus. Thus, people in Taiwan would be able to enjoy fresh silver ear fungus that used to be only available at higher latitudes. We're also developing other products like cosmetics and health foods, such as plant-based collagen. We want our people to be able to enjoy silver ear fungus safely and avoid those imported from mainland China that may be polluted by the overuse of agricultural chemicals.
Q9: What are the prerequisites we need in order to become part of your staff?
If you are willing to work hard, have a strong sense of responsibility, are interested in animals and plant growth, and enjoy learning, we welcome you to join us when you grow up! We also welcome you to visit us often!