Growing golden pears turns a security guard into a fruit farmer who earns more and prospers
It is fruit harvest season right now, and Li Yongqin, a post-1985 fruit farmer in Jinzhongqiao Village, Daweishan Town, is beaming with joy as he picks golden pears.
“Enjoy flowers in spring, go rafting in summer, pick fruit in autumn, ski in winter--come to Daweishan and there is something to do in all four seasons.” It is peak fruit harvest season right now, and across the hills of Daweishan the air is full of the fragrance of melons and fruit. Walking into the Daweizhizhu Leisure Farm, the whole orchard is full of golden pears. From quitting his job as an airport security guard in 2010 to return home and start a business, to putting down roots in the fields and hills and farming with care, Li Yongqin, a post-1985 new-type professional farmer in Jinzhongqiao Village, Daweishan Town, founded his own green fruit brand and applied for green food certification. The planted area of specialty fruits such as yellow peaches, grapes, plums, golden pears and kiwifruit has exceeded 500 mu, generating more than 2 million yuan in revenue each year, and driving hundreds of nearby households to find work close to home and realize their dream of living and working in peace and contentment right at their doorstep.
Getting rich at the doorstep, supporting the family and earning money without missing either
“It may not look like much, but it tastes crisp, sweet and delicious.” Spending the weekend with a few close friends and relatives enjoying the fun of picking fruit, taking a big bite of a thin-skinned, tender golden pear instantly fills the mouth with juice--what a delight. Returning happily from Daweishan Town in Liuyang City, Ms. Qin, a local resident, has grown even fonder of Daweishan, the "hometown of fruit," and her words reveal her love for the golden pear.
“The yield per unit is not high, but the fruit is excellent in quality and tastes great, and people of all ages love to eat it.” Repeat customers had already placed orders half a month earlier, and on weekends tourists who came after hearing about it packed the place to get a fresh taste. Seeing the fruit they worked so hard to grow become a hot commodity on the market, Li Yongqin and his wife were overjoyed. Though tanned dark by the sun, the couple were busy and happy, with the joy of harvest written all over their faces.
“I used to be an ordinary security guard at the airport. The job was stable but the pay was not high. Now I am my own boss. Not only has my income doubled, but I can also take care of the elderly and the children--supporting the family and earning money without missing either.” In recent years, Daweishan National Forest Park has become a hot tourist destination, attracting nearly a million domestic and international visitors every year. In 2010, Li Yongqin smelled the business opportunity, quit his job, returned home to start a business, and became a fruit farmer in Jinzhongqiao Village, Daweishan Town. He concentrated the transfer of nearly 20 mu of forest land, planted golden pears, and planted a "money tree."
Plant until old, learn until old--there is much to learn in the fields
Everything started from zero and had to be learned from scratch. With a hard-driving, never-give-up spirit, Li Yongqin caught up from behind. From seed selection and seedling raising to pinching tips and pruning, and pest and disease control, Li Yongqin started as a complete "rookie" with no experience, spending all year in the hills and fields watching the growth of the seedlings, recording the weather, and observing the soil and water conditions.
Hard work pays off. From field management to new variety research and development, over several years Li Yongqin farmed with the heart of a craftsman, systematically analyzing the base's climate conditions and soil quality, and carrying out precise control and fine management at every stage. Under his careful management, the planting scale of the fruit base grew from less than 20 mu at first to more than 500 mu today, and output and output value doubled for five consecutive years. This year, the output of yellow peaches alone exceeded 25,000 kg, and they were all sold out last week.
Today, Li Yongqin has become an expert among fruit farmers and has mastered all the skills of fruit growing. Last year he also applied to register the independent brand Daweizhizhu. The fruit produced and sold by the base is uniformly labeled and attached with a QR code. Which cooperative the fruit comes from and what variety it is can be seen at a glance with a scan, achieving full traceability from the table back to the field.
“Plant until old, learn until old. Agriculture is a field of knowledge, and there is much to be written in the fields.” In his spare time, Li Yongqin does not forget to carry his bag into the classroom to "recharge," attending the new-type professional farmer training class hosted by the municipal agriculture committee to "seek advice," and consulting experts and professors from Hunan Agricultural University. Through the internet, books, classroom training and other channels, he strengthens his professional learning, explores in practice, improves through theory, and constantly connects with "external brains" to find ideas and broaden his thinking. Now he is planning to catch the fast train of rural tourism, and through "marrying" with rural tourism, make a "glorious transformation" toward experience agriculture.