Chen Fangmei, a returning entrepreneur in the blueberry industry

Starting from the urban area of Nanjing and driving along National Highway 104, in Xinxing Community, Chunhua Subdistrict, Jiangning District on the outskirts of Nanjing, a blueberry orchard of nearly 300 mu is growing vigorously, bustling with visitors. Every year from May to July is the blueberry harvest season, and the orchard's owner Chen Fangmei is happily busy, reaping success and joy.

Chen Fangmei named her blueberry planting cooperative "Ruixi." She said cheerfully: "This is my granddaughter's name. I named this blueberry orchard after her and registered it as a trademark because I treat it like my own family, cherishing it just the same."

Chen Fangmei has a very happy family. In earlier years, her husband worked in municipal engineering and accumulated substantial savings. She could have lived a leisurely life, but Chen Fangmei, who came from a rural background, had a heart that could not stay idle. "I originally wanted to return to the village to enjoy my retirement, but who knew the village officials would win me over, and I plunged headlong into agricultural development, asking for trouble," Chen Fangmei said self-deprecatingly.

In 2010, Chen Fangmei took 5 million yuan in capital from her husband and "pioneered and expanded" on nearly 300 mu of wasteland. "At that time, my first instinct was to grow varieties that were scarce in the market, and blueberries were a good choice."

In recent years, blueberries, a fruit extremely rich in anthocyanins, have indeed become increasingly sought after, but growing them has its own tricks. "The survival rate of the blueberry seedlings from the first batch was very low, and on top of not knowing how to prune or fertilize, it ended in failure." Chen Fangmei said regretfully: "I destroyed the first batch of blueberries with my own hands. I must choose the best blueberry varieties and grow something different."

Carrying her planting questions, Chen Fangmei attended specialized technical training courses and made a special trip to Shanghai to consult blueberry cultivation experts. She also invited Professor Li Yadong, president of the China Blueberry Association, to serve as chief expert of the Ruixi Blueberry Planting Cooperative. "Professor Li advised us to introduce the American blueberry variety Misty. This blueberry variety has large fruit and a sweet, glutinous taste, making it a rare top-grade choice."

With guidance from industry experts, Chen Fangmei boldly went all in: "The blueberry growing cycle is five years. Without investment there will be no output. I invested my own funds successively, plus bank loans, totaling close to 20 million yuan."

Hard work pays off. In 2015, when Chen Fangmei's Ruixi blueberries first hit the market, they "captured" the market with their special gold-medal taste, achieving annual operating income of 3.5 million yuan and a net profit of 1.5 million yuan.

After achieving great success on her first try, Chen Fangmei felt even more confident. "The most urgent thing right now is to promote these good products." Chen Fangmei knows well that the inherent characteristics of blueberries mean a short shelf life and high transportation costs, all of which pose challenges for product marketing.

Chen Fangmei took freshly picked blueberries straight to Nanjing's famous logistics wholesale market, the Zhongcai Logistics Market. "I went directly to the fruit wholesalers and had them taste the berries themselves." What Chen Fangmei did not expect was that this direct and simple marketing approach actually won over several fruit wholesalers, and their nod of approval thrilled Chen Fangmei immensely.

On one hand, Chen Fangmei relied on major buyers like the Zhongcai Logistics wholesale market; on the other hand, she contacted local news media for multi-dimensional promotion. At the same time, what Chen Fangmei valued even more was further expanding blueberry sales through agritourism. She cooperated with schools, travel agencies and other organizations to hold the "Ruixi Blueberry Picking Festival," attracting visitors to pick berries while enjoying rural fun, using visitors to drive product sales and achieving a virtuous cycle of blueberry planting, production and sales.

In early July of this year, the peak blueberry sales season was not yet over, but Chen Fangmei's Ruixi blueberries had already sold out. "Several Zhongcai wholesalers are still chasing me for goods, but there really is none left this year. Next year I will prepare enough stock for them early!" Chen Fangmei said proudly.

In just two short years, Chen Fangmei's Ruixi Blueberry Planting Professional Cooperative was recommended by the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation as a Jiangsu high-quality green ecological pollution-free planting demonstration base, and received the title of Jiangning District Demonstration Family Farm. Chen Fangmei said: "Blueberry derivatives are also being continuously developed, including blueberry wine, dried blueberries and blueberry jam."

As a local resident of Xinxing Community, Chen Fangmei has not forgotten to help surrounding farmers increase their income and become prosperous while starting her business. Currently, the Ruixi Blueberry Planting Professional Cooperative has absorbed 50 neighboring member households, with member households increasing their income by more than 20,000 yuan per year on average, and per capita income rising by over 20%.

The Ruixi Blueberry Planting Professional Cooperative has not only provided employment for more than 80 local rural women workers, but also radiated benefits to more than 100 farming households and seasonal workers, increasing surrounding farmers' income by 15,000 yuan, truly achieving industrial efficiency gains and farmers' income growth.

Standing in the 300-mu blueberry orchard, Chen Fangmei has an even bigger vision: "In the future, we will build standardized greenhouses here so the blueberry picking season can be longer. Our goal is to build ecological agriculture, leisure agriculture and sightseeing agriculture."