From growing grapes to eating grapes and drinking wine: the whole process
Editor's note: As an upgraded version of agricultural industrialization, the integration of the three industries has strong momentum. Many places are constantly innovating business methods in the integration of the three industries, forming an industrial chain of "production, processing and sales in one continuous line" and "integration of trade, industry and agriculture," and have explored new ecological agricultural business formats such as "eating, lodging and playing." While leading enterprises grow bigger and stronger, they also drive agriculture and farmers in the shift from "production-oriented" to "consumption-oriented," giving rise to new business formats and turning themselves into new farmers.
After the rain, the fields are lush and green, so verdant they seem to drip. In the high-tech greenhouse of Xinzhong Family Farm in Dong'e County, Shandong Province, grapevines clamber and the grapes enter maturity one after another. Enticing purple grapes hang all over the branches, heavy enough to droop, and under the sunlight they look especially round and lustrous, while the air is filled with an intoxicating fruity fragrance.
In Dong'e, the grapes are not large, but the industry scale is not small. While the grape industry in many places is still stuck in the 1.0 era of selling right after planting, grape growers in Dong'e County are already racing along the track of the 2.0 and 3.0 eras: agricultural sightseeing tours driven by grape picking, and wine-making to increase the industry's added value.
From growing grapes to eating grapes, and then to winemaking and wine tasting, a complete industrial chain that "squeezes the grapes dry" is displayed in the vineyard of Xinzhong Family Farm in Dong'e County; and the charm of the integration of the three industries is also extended along the long grapevines.
Sharing model——both the farm and farmers benefit
"After struggling away from home for more than ten years and saving a little money, I thought that while developing myself I should do something for the village and lead the folks back home to get rich together." Speaking of the original intention behind growing grapes, Tao Wanqian, the person in charge of Xinzhong Farm, said this.
Tao Wanqian and several other people in charge of the farm, Zang Zhantao, Tao Deli and Tao Dehang, grew up together. On one casual occasion, the several of them talked about the topic of returning home to invest, and they all happened to take a fancy to the development prospects of agriculture. They acted as soon as they decided. The four quickly raised 20 million yuan and, through land transfer, built the more than 600-mu Xinzhong Family Farm in Tao Zhuang Village, Liuji Town, Dong'e County——Tao Wanqian's hometown.
"Grape growing shows results relatively quickly and has high returns, so it is a good choice for developing an agricultural industry. We spent two years breeding the late-maturing variety Ice Grape, which is suitable for planting in the local climate, and the early-maturing variety Fujiminori grape, which is suitable for greenhouse planting," Tao Wanqian said. In the process of growing grapes, he explored a mature three-dimensional cultivation model. In the 210 mu of late-maturing Ice Grape vineyard, vegetables such as rapeseed, spinach, cilantro and onions are intercropped according to different seasons. The average income increase from the intercropped leafy vegetables alone is more than 3,000 yuan per mu, with obvious economic benefits.
The sharing model is also reflected in deeper exploration. In Tao Zhuang Village, many villagers joined the farm by contributing land as shares converted into equity. Under the mechanism of "shared benefits, shared risks and a second round of profit returns," the year-end surplus is distributed.
Tao Xiangzhong in the village is one of the villagers who joined with land as shares. "All my family's land has been transferred to Xinzhong Family Farm. I now also work on the farm and can earn a monthly wage of 1,200 yuan. At the end of the year, there is also a bonus based on performance, so I can earn nearly 20,000 yuan a year!" Farmers working at Xinzhong Family Farm receive, in addition to a fixed wage, a year-end performance assessment. The quality and yield of the grapes are directly linked to the farmers' interests. According to the market conditions of that year, farmers are given a bonus of two jiao to five jiao per jin, greatly stimulating their enthusiasm and sense of responsibility for growing grapes.
At present, Xinzhong Family Farm has absorbed nearly 100 surplus laborers from nearby rural areas, driving farmers to find employment at their doorstep and increase income in the fields. It has developed from the initial more than 50 households doing scattered vegetable planting to 169 households in a modern agricultural park based mainly on grapes and vegetables with scientific management of three-dimensional intercropping.
Off-season listing——seizing sales opportunities in the "time gap"
Several heavy snowfalls last winter caused large areas of grapes to suffer freeze damage, and many growers suffered heavy losses. But the "Xinzhong No. 1" Ice Grapes of Xinzhong Family Farm not only were not damaged by the freeze, but looked even more delicate and charming in the heavy snow.
"Ice Grapes are extremely resistant to severe cold, bear three crops a year, and the ripe fresh fruit can be left unpicked for three to four months, resisting cold without dropping fruit," said Zang Zhantao, who also serves as director of the Liaocheng New Fruit and Vegetable Grape Research Institute. "The grapes hang on the vine for a long time, most of the water evaporates, and more nutrients are stored, so the fruit becomes even sweeter and more delicious." Around Spring Festival, grapes are often in short supply. Ice Grapes listed before Spring Festival precisely fill the gap in the fresh grape market during this period. Once listed, Ice Grapes won the favor of many consumers.
In addition to the late-maturing Ice Grapes, Xinzhong Family Farm also has 15 high-standard sunlight greenhouses for growing early-maturing grapes. Through temperature control inside the greenhouses, they can usually mature and be picked before May, more than two months earlier than local traditional grape varieties, occupying great initiative in a market where "things are precious when rare." It is understood that the Xinzhong grape base covers more than 300 mu, and after entering the full production period, the annual output is about 1.5 million jin.
The sweet and delicious grapes come from a green, ecological planting model. "We have planted clover throughout our vineyard. The roots of clover can fix nitrogen and increase fertility, which not only reduces nitrogen fertilizer input and improves soil structure, but also effectively prevents soil erosion and improves the farm's ecological environment," Chang Na, a person in charge of Xinzhong Family Farm, told the reporter. "In addition, clover is highly invasive and can suppress weed growth. Now we do not need to spray chemical herbicides at all, saving time and money while being green and environmentally friendly……"
Solar pest killing, physical control,raising geeseweeding, animal manure fertilizing the soil, pure organic probiotic fertilizer…… The grapes of Xinzhong Family Farm adopt biological management methods, use organic fertilizer, contain no ripening agents at all, and are all naturally ripened, green and natural, making them sweeter and safer to eat.
Chang Na introduced: "Every product produced in the park has an intuitive 'ID card,' which gives our grapes strong traceability and ensures that consumers are willing to pay for safe and trustworthy products." At the end of 2015, Xinzhong Family Farm installed an agricultural product traceability system in the park, and on the basis of the traditional traceability system, updated and upgraded it to a mobile version. By scanning the QR code on the grape packaging label, consumers can view the park in real time and learn about the grape production process.
Integration of the three industries——look far and move forward
In the past, a vineyard simply grew grapes, but Tao Wanqian's vineyard not only grows grapes, but also uses Ice Grapes as the main radiating point to carry out deep processing of grapes, develop the wine industry, and at the same time develop agricultural sightseeing tourism.
As is well known, Dong'e County is the famous "hometown of Ejiao." For this reason, Tao Wanqian takes the health culture of the Ejiao Group and the farming culture of the family farm as the theme, uses grapes as the medium, and combines agricultural production with tourism centered on the Ejiao industrial chain. Around the park's activity venues, relying on resources such as farming activities, he has built Xinzhong Family Farm into a new modern family farm for agricultural tourism and leisure integrating leisure tourism, science education, and scientific research and breeding, attracting tourists to come for sightseeing, shopping, experiences, leisure and vacation, to learn about Ejiao culture and experience the joy of farming.
It is understood that the farming culture base here designs simple agricultural production into interactive and participatory agricultural experience projects, giving agricultural products and teaching activities more functions and cultural connotations. In September this year, they plan to work with the county education bureau to let school-age teenagers get close to nature and enjoy farming through experience, so that traditional farming culture can be passed on.
In order to develop the grape industry chain, the farm specially established its own fruit and vegetable research institute, building a technical team, conducting technology development and product research, and making every effort to enhance the industrial added value of agricultural products. "Next, we will dig deeper in the park and build a wine cellar for storing wine and a tasting and appreciation culture room," Tao Wanqian told the reporter. "The added value of deep-processed grapes is extremely high and is less affected by market fluctuations. As long as management is strengthened, sales markets are continuously expanded, and ties are made with the tourism and education industries, the economic benefits will be very significant: a one-time investment with continuous returns."
Speaking of the future, Tao Wanqian is full of confidence: "The integration of the three industries is a new direction and new trend for traditional agricultural development. For a long time, our agricultural development remained only at the production of agricultural products. Now we can see that after processing, agricultural products can enter broader markets and bring higher economic benefits. Today, many workers on our farm are not merely 'farmers'; they not only know how to grow, but also understand technology, can operate a business, and understand market conditions and consumer demand. We are confident that Xinzhong Family Farm can drive more farmers to increase income." As a leader in getting rich, Tao Wanqian is weaving an even grander dream of getting rich through grapes, striving to build the "Xinzhong" agricultural product brand that consumers trust within three to five years.