Nanhe County's "Herb Brother" digs a "golden nugget" out of the soil growing medicinal herbs

"Trichosanthes root is a traditional Chinese medicine with high economic value. Last year, under the guidance of 'Herb Brother', I planted more than 2 mu, and this year I plan to plant several more mu," Zhang Changchun, a villager from Mazhuang Village, Nanhe County, Hebei Province, told reporters.

"Herb Brother" is what the villagers of Mazhuang Village, Nanhe County, call Dong Qian. Dong Qian, 31 years old this year, graduated from Yanshan University in Qinhuangdao with a major in international trade. After graduation, driven by his love for his hometown, he returned home to start a business. After 8 years of arduous effort, he built a ten-thousand-mu traditional Chinese medicine base, which has become a key characteristic planting area developed by Nanhe County and has also been included in the county's three-year outline for optimizing and upgrading the industrial structure.

Back then he leaped over the "dragon gate", yet returned to his hometown to farm. At the time, many fellow villagers did not understand his actions. Faced with the villagers' gossip, Dong Qian faced it calmly. "The countryside is actually a place of great opportunity. Farming today is no longer simply facing the yellow earth with your back to the sky. As long as you settle down and do it seriously, you can certainly carve out a place for yourself," Dong Qian said.

Since he chose to return home to start a business, how did he choose his direction? As a child, Dong Qian often followed his father, who was in the medicinal herb business, around the country. By his teens, he already had a deep understanding of what herbs were grown where and what their quality was like. When he saw wild Trichosanthes root in a field, he was very excited. This traditional Chinese medicine has the effects of clearing heat and purging fire, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, draining pus and reducing swelling, and has high economic value. So he decided to go to Anguo in Baoding, the nearest Chinese herbal medicine planting base, to learn planting techniques.

Starting a business is always difficult. After learning planting techniques, Dong Qian rented 30 mu of farmland for planting. In the first year, the survival rate of what he planted was pitifully low, and the Trichosanthes root he harvested was also very little. In the second year, because he did not understand pest and disease control techniques, he discovered at harvest that almost all the Trichosanthes root had been eaten clean by parasites. Two consecutive years of failure did not crush Dong Qian; relying on a stubborn streak, he endured it. In the third year, he invited Chinese medicinal herb experts from Nanjing Agricultural University to solve planting problems on site, and also improved planting methods and techniques by way of experiments. That year he succeeded, and the per-mu yield of Trichosanthes root reached more than 500 jin.

Dong Qian excitedly told reporters that after 8 years of painstaking operation, his Zhilan Chinese Medicinal Herb Planting Base has become a relatively large Trichosanthes root planting base in China, and last year it was awarded the title of "Trichosanthes Root GAP Certification Base" by the State Food and Drug Administration.

Dong Qian, now well known, is not satisfied. He told reporters that his dream is to make this family business into a common undertaking for the villagers and a major characteristic industry of his hometown. "I just want to lead the villagers to get rich together." To realize this dream, Dong Qian worked out a "company + base + farmers" production model, providing free technical services to farmers growing Chinese medicinal herbs in Nanhe County and surrounding counties, and purchasing their products year-round. In this way, farmers can plant with peace of mind and steadily increase their income. In addition, he established a cooperative farmer poverty alleviation and development fund, signed special agreements with disadvantaged groups such as poor households and households enjoying the five guarantees, and helped them escape poverty early or improve their lives through targeted assistance. At present, more than 600 farming households have joined Dong Qian's "company + base + farmers" production model. His company provides an average of 400,000 temporary jobs each year, indirectly driving employment for thousands of families.

Grower Liu Dacheng told reporters that under Dong Qian's leadership, the villagers all began to grow Chinese medicinal herbs, and they no longer had to worry about sales.

After several years of development, Dong Qian has led more than 800 surrounding farming households to grow medicinal herbs, forming a Chinese medicinal herb planting base of more than 10,000 mu. He signed a cooperation agreement with Guangzhou Baiyunshan Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to jointly build China's first large-scale, standardized Trichosanthes root planting base, and in 2014 it passed national GAP certification (short for Good Agricultural Practice).

"As a farmer in a new era, we must keep learning and try various business methods. Next, I am also preparing to carry out online sales and strengthen myself with the power of the Internet Plus. When the time comes, I will take my brand abroad," Dong Qian said.