The Xingxing community members once said: if you can solve 1/10 of the agricultural waste of grapevines, you can be a leader in the field of reuse of vine branches.
1/10 is the original intention; is the core value. We are shaping the second life of the Kyoho grapevine. Start to solve the problem from the 1/10, and concentrate on doing things well of 1/10. At last, 1/10 will eventually become 1, even reach 100.
In the beginning, we followed teacher Lee to visit 4 places in Changhua, under the Bagua Mountain. That is the Xingxing community in Dacun township, The Huashu Bank, The Shunda kiln factory, and The Jasmine Huatan pavilion of dreams. As the car passed, the scenery outside from the window gradually changed from the gray concrete jungle to the simple and natural green countryside. And our feeling has been changed by the scenery.
In the following months, teacher Lee always takes us to visit the community several times, to participate in their activities, and to train us to use our profession of Industrial Design to develop creative cultural products for the locality. And arrange activities that suitable for the elders.
We, as a newcomer, received enthusiastic responses from the community at first. Very soon, from the initial strangeness to the enthusiasm. After that, observation and experience of local life, exploration, and discovery of local characteristics. Side by side exchanges and interaction, harvested the humanistic history, their current problem, and development of the community, even their warmth, troubles, and dreams.
The Xingxing community is under the Bagua mountain are mainly planting Kyoho grapes. The farmers are prudent and conscientious to inspect the orchard every day, carefully caring for the soil, trunks, branches, vines, flowers, and fruits, waiting for the grapes grows to be large and full. Then, picked and shipped in boxes.
Afterward, for the next round, farmers shuttled back and forth in the vineyard, carefully planning which branches going to stay or to cut. Observing the growth of grape veins is just like solving a mystery that a detective does. And then, the clear click sound from scissors comes and goes, and pulling down our design materials – the grapevine branches.
There were many first experiences in every activities, the most impressive was in an initial activity, which is to help the elders in the community to serve meals. At first, they were a little uncomfortable when we arrived, so teacher Lee assigned us to each elder groups, let us chat with them, introduce ourselves, and get to know them. Gradually, we both relived our guards during the meal. Since then, we have become enthusiastic. They are just like our grandparents who care about whether we eat full or not and even invite us to visit their house.
In order to understand the problems of "The agricultural waste grapevines", we also visited a local vineyard to understand the planting process of Kyoho grapes and the causes of agricultural waste. Then, started a product design project.
For the material of grapevines, we through observing, collecting data, asking first-line farmers, study a lot of researches, thinking, and designing. Finally, turn the materials that were originally agricultural waste into a local product belonging to the community through design. Such as Biochar potted plants, Biochar incense, Biochar soap, Biochar metallurgical necklace, Biochar collar buckle, Biochar brick incense holder, and grapevine furniture, etc. a series of Biochar related creative culture product design.
At the same time, we also serve as a seed teacher to teach the local elders how to follow the steps to gradually make a clock "Peace grapes clock", Biochar incense, Biochar soap, and Biochar potted plants, etc.
Grapevines were originally agricultural waste. We gathered community partners under the Bagua Mountain to respond together. Community partners provided local culture and local characteristics, combined with the innovative power of industrial design students, and became local gifts under the Bagua Mountain, named "How many grapevines ?" as the joint brand. Will link our strength to promote and activate this area. "How many grapevines? How much you know?" We are from Chaoyang University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design, The USR team: The Discovery of Biochar Technique under the Bagua Mountain – The Connection between Dacun and Huatan Township.