Post-80s girl pursues her dream of ecological agriculture, choosing fields over fine clothes

Source: Tongren Daily Text/Photos: Luo Ao

Core prompt: When most of the "post-80s" generation chose to leave rural areas for the embrace of big cities, Long Xiaofen, born in 1989, instead formed a bond with yellow cattle. This Miao girl, who once drifted far from home, has now found her career destination -- devoting herself to beef cattle farming and realizing her long-held "ecological agriculture dream."

I. The "Dream" of Cattle

On August 7, when the reporter met Long Xiaofen in Songjiang Village, Niulang Town, Songtao Autonomous County, she was cleaning the cattle pen in the farm. In the stifling heat, sweat soaked her clothes. In rural areas, few boys of the "post-80s" generation take up such tiring and dirty farming work, let alone girls. Long Xiaofen said: "The more challenging something is, the more interested I am in it." Next to the cattle pen was a simple single-story house that served as both her workspace and her bedroom. Long Xiaofen's home is at the foot of a mountain several kilometers away.

When asked how she came to be bonded with cattle, a bright smile immediately spread across her innocent face: "This goes back to my childhood." Long Xiaofen's home is in Songjiang Village, Niulang Town. There were three sisters in the family, and she was the second. From a young age, she helped her parents with farm work and household chores while looking after her younger brother, which was very hard. "When I was little, I often grazed cattle on the mountain and played on the cattle's backs. That pastoral life was hard but also great fun." Long Xiaofen said she had loved small animals since childhood, especially yellow cattle.

In 2004, at just 15 years old, Long Xiaofen followed young people from her village to work in the coastal areas. From 2004 to 2012, during those 8 years, she did not return home even once in order to earn more money. Her experience working away from home cultivated in Long Xiaofen a habit of keen observation.

"Once I visited a pig farm in Sanming City, Fujian, and saw others becoming wealthy through scientific farming, which sparked the idea of returning home to develop a farming business." Long Xiaofen said.

In early 2013, Long Xiaofen returned to her hometown and decided to use her savings of over 50,000 yuan accumulated over the years to develop a farming business.

"At that time, although some people in the village raised cattle and sheep, the numbers were very small. In their eyes, developing a farming business was too risky." Long Xiaofen said. After returning home, she spent over 50,000 yuan to buy more than 20 purebred local yellow cattle at once, which not only stunned the whole village but also drew criticism from her family. To prove her idea was right, Long Xiaofen studied farming techniques even more diligently. During the day, she visited local farming households to learn from them; at night, she studied various farming knowledge under the lamp. With no cattle pen facility, she converted her family's plot of over one mu of vegetable garden into a simple cattle pen. By the end of 2013, within one year, Long Xiaofen earned her first pot of gold in life. "At that time, I drove the cattle to the market to sell, and unexpectedly sold 3 on the very first day." This time, her confidence in raising local yellow cattle was further strengthened.

II. The "Bond" with Cattle

From then on, Long Xiaofen formed an indissoluble bond with yellow cattle farming. "In early 2014, I went to Hunan to study. I happened to encounter a national farming conference there. It was the first time I saw so many breeds from all over the country, and I felt that I had truly been like a frog at the bottom of a well before." Long Xiaofen said. After that, in order to expand her "cattle team," Long Xiaofen often visited various places to tour and study. Each time, she would visit local cattle-raising experts, learn from their experience, and also study knowledge about cattle disease prevention and control. The clever and eager-to-learn Long Xiaofen became the village's "farming expert." As the number of cattle grew, the previously built cattle pen could no longer hold them. In early 2015, with the support of relatives and friends, Long Xiaofen invested another 200,000 yuan, contracted a barren hillside in the village surrounded by mountains on all sides, and established the "Miaoling Farming" professional cooperative. The cattle grew from the initial 20-plus to over 60, and she also introduced 65 higher-quality goats. However, just when she was full of confidence about the future, a disease outbreak in 2015 wiped out everything she had overnight. "That disease outbreak was too big a blow to me. The 60-plus goats I had introduced were all gone at once, and I also lost more than ten cattle. The total loss was over 100,000 yuan." Speaking of past setbacks, Long Xiaofen sighed endlessly. Yet in the face of difficulties, she did not give up.

In early 2016, after half a year of effort, Long Xiaofen regrouped and finally ushered in the golden period of her farming business. Orders came pouring in one after another. By early August of this year, Long Xiaofen's cattle farm had 89 breeding cattle. Calculated at the current market price of 8,000 yuan per head, the value reached over 700,000 yuan.

III. The "Wish" of Cattle

Long Xiaofen, who spends all day with her cattle, has an innocent look and always smiles before she speaks.

"I love the fields. Being with my cattle, I feel happiness." On the hillside, as soon as the cattle see Long Xiaofen arriving, they all immediately gather around. Some gently nudge Long Xiaofen's back with their horns; some stick out their tongues to lick her arms. Their affectionate gestures are like children seeing their mother.

"This one is called Huahua, she has a patterned patch on her head; this one is called Black Horn, look at how glossy black its horns are..." Long Xiaofen introduced her cattle to the reporter one by one.

Since starting her business, she has always delivered the calves herself, so she has a deep bond with her cattle. To ensure quality and breed, the yellow cattle Long Xiaofen raises are all local yellow cattle breeds. In terms of farming methods, she uses original ecological grazing. Every day she drives the cattle up the hillside to graze and does not feed them fodder.

Speaking of fodder, Long Xiaofen has a little story. She said that when she first started raising cattle, many people suggested she use fodder, but after a period of time, Long Xiaofen found that although cattle raised with fodder grew quickly, they were weak and prone to illness, and did not sell well. After repeated observation, she discovered the problem lay in the raw materials. One day, in the raw material warehouse, Long Xiaofen grabbed a handful of raw materials and smelled them, feeling that the odor was off. She then put the raw materials into her mouth and tasted a bite. "A sour, foul smell. This would definitely affect the cattle's appetite." Long Xiaofen said. She decisively decided to change the feed and let all the yellow cattle on the farm eat green grass. Long Xiaofen believes that the quality of the cattle depends on the quality of the food they eat, and facts proved she was right.

On the way home from grazing, Long Xiaofen took out a handwritten notebook densely filled with various kinds of knowledge. She said this is her treasure. From the very beginning of raising cattle until now, every little bit of the process is recorded in it. "I really enjoy my current life -- fields, herding cattle, the days are very fulfilling." Long Xiaofen said that although the journey has been hard, she has found her career destination.

Currently, with the support of relevant government departments, Long Xiaofen is continuing to strive to realize her "ecological agriculture dream."