Sheipa Leisure Farm

Spring: January~March Oriental Plum, blue berry flower, and Acer palmatum

Summer: April~June Oriental Plum, blue berry flower, and Acer palmatum

Autumn: July~September Blueberry, California Plum, Shinseiki Pear, Rose, and Impatiens devolii.

Blueberry

Among Sheipa’s farm products, kiwis and blueberries are the farm’s most renowned specials. Blueberries were first introduced to Taiwan in 1988 by Mr. Fan. The climate of Wufeng Township is surprisingly suitable for blueberries to grow. After Fan adjusted better soil for blueberry, blueberries had grown successfully in the next year. Today, Sheipa Leisure Farm is still the only place of blueberry production in Taiwan. The harvest season is July and August. Our guests may enjoy fruit-picking by yourself, as well as buy fruit products, taste fresh fruits, and to make blueberry vinegar DIY!

Wild Blue Berries is native to the northeastern U.S and the eastern Canada, which thrive in the glacial soils and northern climate. Wild Blue Blueberries can grow almost anywhere without much attention. This easily cultivated fruit surprisingly has multitude of health benefits. For example, anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant responsible for the intense blue and red pigments of fruits like blueberries. A study in Tufts University shows that blueberries contain the highest amount of antioxidant among forty-ish native vegetables and fruits they have collected. The blueberry also contains a high amount of fiber, Vitamin C and manganese. Furthermore, blueberries are famed for its ability to boost night time visual acuity, as well as reduce eyestrain, improve detached retina and promote quicker adjustment to darkness. This fruit was wildly used by British pilots to improve their night vision during World War II. Due to its extraordinary benefits on eye health, the Japanese often refers blueberry as “the vision fruit”. It is also a nice dietary supplement to eat before and after an eye surgery.

Winter: October~December kiwi, maple, snow pear

Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit is recognized as a fruit from New Zealand at oftentimes; yet it actually originates from China, known as “Chinese Gooseberry” until the 1960s. This furry fruit was named after New Zealand’s unique bird when it first introduced to New Zealand by missionaries in the early 1900s, and it becomes the signature fruit of New Zealand. Based on numerous studies, kiwifruit has been testified for it contains abundant nutrition and health benefits.

1. Vitamin C: Kiwifruit is a very rich source of Vitamin C, which has about twice amount of Vitamin C than a middle-size origin that gives body 230% of the RDA for Vitamin C.
2. Vitamin E: Kiwi is an unusual fruit that contains high amount of Vitamin E yet being a low fat food. It is also well-known for the benefits to heart health and antioxidant properties. Vitamin not only can decrease the risk of heart disease, but also benefit skin and hair care.
3. Dietary Fiber: Kiwi contains a large amount of dietary fiber than many vegetables or grains. A 5-ounce kiwi has four-times more dietary fiber than a cup of celery, which may improve bowel movements and the digestive health.
4. Folic Acid: Folic Acid is hard to be found in fruits; yet, kiwi provides 10% of RDA for folic acid, which is an important prime that produces red blood cells, as well as its benefit for body growth. A sufficient dietary supplement is good for expectant mothers, teenagers, weakened patients, and people who have anemia.

Kiwifruit has always been regarded as a health food; however, kiwi was an imported and expensive fruit that people could not afford 30 years ago. In 1985, the former Governor of Taiwan Province lent an impetus to the cultivation of kiwi and wished to promote this fruit that contains multitude of health benefits. With the supports of the government apparatus, Fan has successfully grown kiwis in Taiwan in 1985, and the fruits were bigger and tastier than imported kiwi after the refinement.