89-year-old farmer Liu Jiaguan self-planted self-baked coffee master

The coffee flowers bloomed, Liu Jiagan took good care of them, and pollinated smoothly. (photo by Shen Fusheng)

89-year-old farmer Liu Jiaquan is an old coffee expert.

Liu Jiaguan, an 89-year-old farmer who lives in the back mountain of Riyue Lake, grows 3 hectares of coffee on the side of his house and sloping land. he picks beans, bakes and takes part in the competition. (photo by Shen Fusheng)

Liu Jiaguan, an 89-year-old farmer in Shuili Township, single-handedly planted 3 hectares of coffee trees and more than 2000 coffee trees in the deep mountains of Riyuetan. He also taught himself the techniques of roasting and extraction. At the end of last year, he participated in the first evaluation of "water-scented coffee" held by Shuili Township Government Office. He won the second prize, and the reputation of the super-aged "coffee talent" spread like wildfire.

Born in 1929, Liu Jiaguan engaged in logging and afforestation when he was young, and developed flexibility, fitness, and tenacity. His coffee garden is located at the back of Cien Pagoda in Riyue Lake, the upstream of Yizekeng in Minhe Village, Shuili Township, about 500 to 700 meters above sea level.

He said that he became attached to coffee because his friends gave him coffee seedlings for trial planting 13 years ago, and three or four years later they were harvested and baked, and their quality and flavor were accepted. as a result of their interest and experience, they planted more and more than 2000 coffee plants. and put into the research of baking technology, naturally became a professional talent.

Liu Jiaguan, who was educated in Japan, has a good foundation in Japanese. He has three men and two women, each of whom has got married and set up a career. At the age of 80, the old man was still keen to focus on coffee planting, management and research, and his children set up antennas in the mountains, so that he could watch programs such as NHK, and bought professional coffee books in Japanese to enrich his knowledge.

Liu Jiaguan says that coffee trees are suitable for growing in a semi-shaded environment, and the betel nut orchard in Nantou, which is full of mountains and valleys, urgently needs to be transformed, and it is a good idea to grow coffee. His coffee garden adopts organic concepts, grass cultivation, and the altitude is moderate. The harvested coffee beans are shelled in the sun before they are shelled, and the taste and aroma are as good as imported goods. If you work hard, you will win a prize.

The nearest neighbor to his home is Yuan Mengnong, a Shao who lives 1.6km away. Yuan says that it is not easy to grow three hectares of coffee on a scale of nearly 3000 ping per hectare, but it comes from an 89-year-old great-grandfather farmer. The old farmer's coffee comes from the deep mountains, and the transportation is inconvenient. if you want to buy and taste it, you must make an appointment one week in advance. Tel: 049-2741179.