In 2017 Young Living provided the Taiwan Cooperative Farm and Distillery with a grant for needed Improvements. Planned projects included developing disused land, creating shading space for pre-processing of plants, and building a distillery closer to the farm in Taitung, Taiwan.
In less than two years, the farm has done more than develop the land and design a distillery—and that hard work has paid off! Today it is a Seed to Seal® demonstration farm offering tours to local acadamies and colleges.
Travel with us to the Taiwan Cooperative Farm and Distillery as we take a closer look at all it has accomplished.
Cultivated the Land
The additional acreage is in an organic agriculture zone, but the land has been in disuse for over 10 years. It took weeks to ready it for development and even longer to cultivate. Farmers prepared the fields by sowing and fertilizing, while seedlings were nurtured in the greenhouse. Spring rains provided the perfect opportunity to move the seedlings, which included several plants from Gary’s collection of Taiwan’s exotic essential oil botanicals, including xiang mao, lemon verbena, and basil.
Created Shading
To increase the yield of oil during distillation, the farm designed a structure for shading harvested plants. Farmers evenly distribute leaves and grass in the shaded area and leave them undisturbed as they dry. Once plant materials are ready for distillation, they’re grounded into small pieces and sent to the new distillery.
Constructed a Distillery
The Taiwan Cooperative Farm and Distillery needed easier access to a distillery and chose to repurpose an old home in the area. Known as adaptive reuse, the project was right in line with YL’s 5×5 Pledge. When the new building was ready, a team fabricated and installed the distiller with its water filter, boiler, and condenser. The result? A partner farm that embodies Young Living’s Seed to Seal commitment.