In 2008 I wrote a story for The China Post , “Revolution in the Taipei countryside” about Pierre Loisel, a French-Canadian whose organic farm in Toucheng seemed the epitome of a natural pharmacy.

Over ten years ago now, Pierre started this treasure trove of nutrition near Baishawan, northern Taiwan. At the time, his wife was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. He would put an organic salad in front of her, and importune her to eat it, chewing slowly so the enzymes would react and heal her. They did; and luckily today she is alive and kicking.

Pierre tells the story by email:
“When my wife discovered her breast cancer, it was already in second stage. After checking with a second hospital, she immediately went for the operation to remove the breast, and after analysis, the “beast” was found to be of a very aggressive type, which required chemical therapy with double the normal dose. Survival was in question. This was a very powerful motivation to go ahead with my organic farm. I had just started. A couple of weeks later, every night after getting home, she would find a big bowl of salad (about 500g) on the dining table in front of the TV. She would watch a nice movie, and chew on the salad for about one hour, finishing it off. Appetite and sleep came back very soon. And most surprisingly, the nurses at Veteran Hospital were astonished: ‘why is your wife coming for the shots like a rabbit, jumping all over the place, while we are trying to kill her?” They all came to visit the farm. Now she is 10 years older than at that time, and also in perfect health with no effects at all from a very strong chemical therapy.”

“Can’t beat it. Be optimistic,” Pierre urges cancer survivors.

Today, he sells his Pierre Organic vegetables only to those who have been diagnosed with cancer.

The ‘magic’ ingredient in Pierre’s veggies is most likely the exceptional mix of enzymes used in fertilizing the farm. He throws in any and every organic material onto the pile. During the composting process, the heat breaks down the bacteria, finally resulting in light brown flakes.

A team of Japanese researchers analysed Pierre’s mountain of nutrient-rich fertilizer and found it to contain over 400 enzymes, compared to 50 or so present in other mixtures.

Hippocrates would approve. He once said, “Let medicine be thy food, and food thy medicine.”