Tian Xiuzhen: A woman who yields not to men, lifting up a dream of prosperity through farming
Tian Xiuzhen, female, a native of Zhongzhai Village, Zhongzhai Town, Yanhe County, a deputy to the 11th People's Congress of Guizhou Province, and a provincial-level model worker. Starting in 2008, she single-handedly raised goats in Langouzi, Zhongzhai Village, Zhongzhai Town. She has now helped 35 poor households in the surrounding area take up goat farming, and her own farm has grown from an initial stock of 188 goats to more than 300 goats on hand, with an annual turnover of more than 500 head and an annual income of one million yuan. Tian Xiuzhen's farm has played a two-way driving role in the local industry's development, lifted up the local industry, and made her a leader in bringing prosperity to the area.
Tian Xiuzhen's original reason for raising goats was her obsession with that stretch of grassland in Zhongzhai Village, Zhongzhai Township, Yanhe Autonomous County, her hometown.
Tian Xiuzhen, a leader in getting rich, and her white goats.
More than 1,000 mu of natural large grassland, with forest wrapped around it like a green belt and a mountain pond set in the middle. Such beautiful scenery made the village girl Tian Xiuzhen dream big dreams since childhood. “It is very beautiful, but back then I didn't know what could be done with it.” Speaking of how she felt at the time, Tian Xiuzhen still could not hide her excitement.
After growing up, Tian Xiuzhen became a military wife, followed her husband to his garrison to work, and made plans to return to her hometown grassland to tend goats. As a military wife, she could have followed her husband to the garrison and taken a much easier job, but in March 2008 she resolutely returned to her hometown and joined the grassland ecological animal husbandry development project, becoming a goat-herding “shepherd”
In September 2008, she borrowed 188 foundation ewes from the county grassland center to put into the pen. According to the agreement, after 3 years she had to repay an equal number, and the lambs produced by the ewes were to be split with the center on a seven-to-three basis.
After becoming a “shepherd”, Tian Xiuzhen experienced the hardships of starting a business, and only she herself knew the bittersweet tastes of it all. After repeated failures, her hard work finally paid off. In November 2009, Tian Xiuzhen's first batch of more than 150 lambs was sold, and she received more than 60,000 yuan as her share. This year, she sold two more batches of goats, earning more than 200,000 yuan. Today, Tian Xiuzhen has invested more than 300,000 yuan in the pasture and has become a well-known large-scale goat farmer locally. She plans to expand further and increase the number of ewes to 500. Seeing Tian Xiuzhen's success in raising goats, some farming households have also joined the ranks of goat farming.
She did not forget her neighbors after getting rich. Having developed her business, Tian Xiuzhen never forgot to give back to her hometown, actively repaying her fellow villagers with the skills she had mastered. Whenever her fellow villagers needed help, Tian Xiuzhen helped enthusiastically, serving free of charge as a veterinary technical adviser. The large-scale farmer Yang Shengqiang, with Tian Xiuzhen's help, vigorously developed his goat-raising project, reaching a scale of 243 goats on hand and more than 400 sold per year, with an annual income of 800,000 yuan, becoming another large-scale farmer after Tian Xiuzhen.
Up to now, Tian Xiuzhen's goat farm has more than 300 goats on hand, sells more than 500 head per year, and has an annual income of one million yuan. At the same time, she has helped 35 poor households raise goats, with each household's average annual income reaching more than 100,000 yuan, greatly promoting the local industry's development and becoming a core force in boosting poverty alleviation.
Over the past few years, Tian Xiuzhen has returned home only 3 times to reunite with her husband and child. She has devoted all her time and energy to developing goat farming and serving her township. In the prime of her life, she has given her youth and passion, silently supporting the poverty alleviation of her neighbors and carefully cultivating the beloved hot soil of her hometown. She said: “I am 36 years old now. Do I look like I'm 40?” But in Yanhe, many people call her the “most beautiful shepherdess”. A woman who, while developing her own business, has helped 40 surrounding farming households take up goat farming and played an excellent demonstration and driving role in the development of local goat farming. Her entrepreneurial story has moved countless people who are starting businesses.
Whenever Tian Xiuzhen is mentioned, the villagers give a thumbs-up and praise her warmly. Among the farmers she has raised a banner of leadership in getting rich, striving to be a pioneer and the best, and she is a fine example for the local villagers to learn from. Smart people never wait for opportunities; they actively seek them, seize them, grasp them and make use of them. Only by standing on the shoulders of opportunity can one achieve greater success. Adjust your mindset well, seize opportunities, do not give up and do not be discouraged, be diligent and hardworking, grounded and content, and use your hands and wisdom to create the value of your life.