It was a great day: The sun was shining and the vegetables came out to play! The annual Seed & Seedling Festival hosted by the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (DARES) in Xinhua, Taiwan delighted thousands of visitors who attended the event on Saturday, 25 November 2017.

Local seed companies showcased the fruit of their latest varieties and sold the seed and seedlings to crowds ready to buy improved tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, pumpkin, sweet corn, herbs and more. Food vendors offered delectable Taiwan specialties and local products, from red rice to mulberry vinegar.

The World Vegetable Center booth was situated at a busy crossroads with heavy foot traffic on the Tainan DARES campus. Center staff—decked out in new “Eat More Vegetables” T-shirts—guided curious visitors through displays on grafting, bacteriology, traditional vegetables, entomology, nutrition, virology, breeding, and genebank activities. The new Taiwan Seed Industry Exchange Platform was introduced. Plenty of WorldVeg swag (pencils, pens and post-it notes in the shape of eggplant and tomato) went home with visitors.

Our Vegetable Ambassadors sparked plenty of smiles—and countless photos! Thanks to Tainan DARES for the opportunity to participate!