勇敢去飛 Dream Big Be Brave

斯里蘭卡香料產地之旅工作模式第四天

這天來到胡椒農友區拜訪。一樣的，大車進不去，所以從路口下車步行近十分鐘到達農友家。根據Kasun的說法，因為這區農友的家多在山坡上，除了這一戶在比較下面，要不然，我們就得努力爬未開發的坡去農友家了！一到農友家，被他們的熱情給驚訝了，因為全家人都出動的來歡迎我們，尤其是許多可愛小小孩，看到小孩就失心瘋的Bianca，在這裡玩得不亦樂乎。

黑／白胡椒是同株生長，只是產期和製作方式不同；黑胡椒是胡椒粒呈綠色時就要收成來製作，而白胡椒則是在轉紅後才收成經洗淨磨皮後才會成，所以白胡椒的價格會比黑胡椒還要高。

為了看胡椒園，我們跟著農友們上山又下水的來到農地裡，看著農友們光腳但又飛快的行走在胡椒園中，真的覺得我們太軟腳蝦了！這區的農友，平均一個人有三畝地，然後一畝地有近七百顆的胡椒叢要照顧；因為胡椒生長要水和日光，所以農友們要適時的砍伐過高的樹叢以利陽光的照射；而旱季時，則要適時的以人工方式灑水來保持水土的濕潤。

Tyrell告訴我們，這個村落有著近二百戶的農民，多是由一位大地主在控制。在PODIE還沒進入這個村落時，農友們必須向大地主借錢來過日子，而收成時，只好用收成的農穫來還錢，所以日復一日的工作，但是依然貧窮，而且欠錢。當PODIE進入後，幫助農友們有個公平合理的銷售管道之外，也幫助他們把錢還清；因為如此，所以此村落有愈來愈多竹農友們想和PODIE合作；只是PODIE必須要先審核及評估才能增加新農友，而且一時也不能增加太快，因為大地主在他們剛進到村落時對他們並不友善，雖然現在己經比較好，但也不想因為加快農友量而破壞了現有的平靜。

臨走前，大家和農友們玩開了！照相照到要拼命的催促才走得開！回頭，依然不斷在揮手，謝謝你們的招待，希望你們可以永保此純樸。

Sri Lanka Spice Field Trip Work Mode Day 4

Came to pepper field today. Same like all other famer groups, no big vechnicle is allowed, so walked about 10 minutes to be at farmer's house. So surprsed!! Many people were there, plus many cuttie children. Bianca was totally out of work mode, but just wanted to be all children!!

This is a pretty new famer group with PODIE. Before PODIE came into the village, almost every farmer borrowed money from its landloard for daily expense month by month; then when harvest, they paied back by the harvest and went back to broke - borrow money circle. So when PODIE came into the village, they helped farmers to have better and fair sales prices, plus, helped them to pay back to landloard, so they can start having money for themselves to improve the life.

Acccording to Kasun, this farmer house is at the lowest and easy access location for us, or others are all in the mountain, and we had to claim up in rough road to visit. Looking at everyone walked in the field with bare foot, but still walked so fast and easy, we are so weak as city people!! Black / white pepper are grown in the same vine, but harvest in different stages. Black pepper is harvested in green stage, and white pepper is harvested in red stage, followed by washing, clean skin and sun dry.

Before leaving, everyone was blending together, and had so much fun to take photos together. Had to keep calling and puhing for leaving. Waved goodby and said to ourselves, hope you all keep this happiness and smiles. :)

此園的主人及大家要手牽手才到得了的胡椒園
Owner of this pepper field, and we really had to hand by hand to be in the field before we fall ourselves down to hill

玩瘋的合照及美味的午餐，了解白胡椒如何製作，覺得每口入味的胡椒更加美味。
Blending together to have fun photos with delicious lunch, we shall remember how pepper are made, and how much we need to appreciate and thankful.