Post-80s Returnee Becomes a Farmer Growing Strawberries, Gives Up a 400,000 Yuan Salary

Returnee and farmer - when these two seemingly completely mismatched words come together in one person, what kind of story unfolds? Wang Mian, a young man born in the 1980s who once studied in France, could not forget the ecological farm he had visited in France after returning to China, so after saving up some money, he started an organic farm in the suburbs of Beijing, insisting on not using pesticides. With the help of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, 36 greenhouses now harvest more than 1,000 jin of fruits and vegetables every day. Even though strawberries sell for 100 yuan per kilogram, there are still many repeat customers!

In 2003, Wang Mian graduated from university with a degree in computer science. In 2007, Wang Mian earned two master's degrees in economics in France. In 2010, he quit his job in France, gave up the opportunity to immigrate to Canada, and returned to Beijing. In 2012, he quit his real estate auditing job with an annual salary of 400,000 yuan and started growing organic strawberries.

In 2012, Wang Mian hired more than a dozen workers and began growing organic strawberries in two greenhouses. What Wang Mian had not expected was that these workers, despite having rich experience in organic farming, still could not do without hormones when growing strawberries. “I wanted to use biological control methods to repel strawberry pests and diseases, but the workers did not agree.”

Seeing patches of “red spiders” on the strawberry leaves, Wang Mian could not sleep. Waking up at night, he went into the greenhouse and, facing the infected strawberries, was at a loss. The workers advised Wang Mian to spread some pesticide to suppress it, but he insisted on not using any. After more than 70 days of cultivation, both greenhouses of strawberries suffered a total crop failure.

The failure of that year also gave Wang Mian a lot of experience. In 2013, Wang Mian quit his high-tech job and, together with his parents, began a new round of strawberry cultivation in Heiqiao Village near the 798 Art District. At this time, the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences also signed an agreement with Wang Mian, sending technicians to be stationed at the farm to work with Wang Mian.

This time, starting over, and with the help of the academy's technical workers, Wang Mian was even more cautious about growing strawberries than last time. In order to create the environment most suitable for the growth of natural enemies and the suppression of pests, Wang Mian stayed inseparable from his strawberry greenhouses. Starting with temperature and humidity, and then moving on to the ratio and timing of releasing natural enemies, Wang Mian and the workers tested one thing after another, and finally achieved a bumper strawberry harvest at the end of 2013. “We sell for 100 yuan per kilogram, and many customers have become repeat customers after tasting them.”

Wang Mian launched a 7×24-hour live stream. As long as consumers join the farm's subscription, they can monitor the farm's cultivation anytime and anywhere through video. Wang Mian said that by doing this, he wants more people to see and eat truly green fruits and vegetables.

The strict production standards of no pesticides have brought Wang Mian more than 40 family members. The farm delivers 10-12 jin of vegetables and fruits to each member family twice a week. On weekends or holidays, Wang Mian also invites members to the farm for picking, leisure and vacation.

Compared with big clients, Wang Mian prefers to accept these ordinary members. “I want more people to know about the modern farm model and build word of mouth. Once society recognizes it, the industry chain will gradually take shape.”

He has opened the door to the development of a health industry, just as Ma Yun predicted: Ma Yun said that the next person to surpass me will appear in the health industry. Could this person be Wang Mian?