Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim spent a day in Yilan meeting young farmers and workers, a friendly outreach visit aimed at rural voters and local industry.

• She toured a lingzhi mushroom farm in Jiaoxi, tried hands-on farm work, and sat down with young farmers.
• The talks focused on passing farms to the next generation, modernizing agriculture, and finding new places to sell produce.
• She thanked young people for going into farming, saying they help keep the country's food supply secure and bring fresh marketing ideas to villages that badly need new blood.
• At the Yilan distillery she sampled six-year-aged local red yeast wine and sorghum sausage, and won applause by praising the taste in the local Yilan accent.

Outlook: Expect more of these grassroots swings through farming towns as the government courts rural support and pushes young people into agriculture.