Grape grower gave up chances to return to the city twice, and his business thrived even more

Zhang Xinmiao pruning grape branches

After becoming a "college-graduate village official" in Zhongliaoxi Village, Jiyi Township, Qingxu County in 2007, Zhang Xinmiao organized and guided farmers to grow grapes and become prosperous, and built up a career. Being elected "Shanxi's Most Beautiful Village Official" in 2013 gave him even more confidence to take root in the countryside - over the past 3 years, he twice gave up opportunities to take a post in a government or public institution.

On May 16, in a follow-up interview with our reporter, Zhang Xinmiao said that he had poured 9 years of youthful passion into this land in Zhongliaoxi Village, and that his career was now closely tied to the countryside, and he was unwilling and reluctant to leave.

1 The grape-growing industry has become more and more prosperous

Compared with 3 years ago, the grape-growing industry in Zhongliaoxi Village has become more and more prosperous. In the vineyard beside the road from Taiyuan City to Taigu County, greenhouse sheds stand one after another. The grapes growing in the sheds have grown to the size of peas, hanging on the vines like strings of green pearls. This grape is an early-maturing variety, ripening one month earlier than grapes grown outdoors. Coming to market earlier may fetch a higher price, allowing growers to obtain higher returns.

The grape-growing industry in Zhongliaoxi Village began 9 years ago. At that time, because of poor access to information and fear of not making money, many farmers in Zhongliaoxi Village did not grow grapes. The few growers there were also growing outdated grape varieties that could not fetch a good price on the market.

After Zhang Xinmiao became the village's "college-graduate village official", through investigation and research, he resolved to develop the grape-growing industry. In 2009, he initiated and organized 69 households of villagers to establish an agricultural cooperative, held training classes on scientific grape growing, introduced new grape varieties, and led the villagers to prosperity. By 2016, of the village's more than 2400 mu of arable land, more than 1600 mu was planted with grapes, making it a well-known specialized grape-growing village in Qingxu County.

After being elected "Shanxi's Most Beautiful Village Official", Zhang Xinmiao was even more encouraged. In 2014, through personal fundraising and loans, he built a fruit and vegetable cold storage facility in Zhongliaoxi Village. Since the cold storage was completed and put into operation two years ago, because it improved grape storage conditions, it has attracted many merchants from the south to purchase in the village. The outbound sales of grapes from Zhongliaoxi Village have become smoother. Zhang Xinmiao said that from 2013 to 2015, the cooperative vineyard in Zhongliaoxi Village had an average annual income of nearly 11,000 yuan per mu.

2 He paired up to provide assistance to 3 impoverished villagers

At noon on May 16, in the vineyard of the Zhongliaoxi Village agricultural cooperative, villagers who had worked all morning in the fields walked out of the greenhouse sheds one after another and headed for the bicycle shed. Among the crowd, villager Zhang Cuihua (pseudonym), intent on getting home early to make lunch for her bedridden husband, walked somewhat hurriedly. Zhang Cuihua started working in the vineyard two years ago, with a monthly wage of 2000 yuan.

After 2013, Zhang Xinmiao not only continued to work hard on the grape-growing industry, but also took on some public welfare undertakings in the village. "I am now paired up to provide assistance to 3 impoverished villagers."

There is a household enjoying the five guarantees in Zhongliaoxi Village who lost the ability to work due to intellectual disability and could only rely on state relief and help from relatives and friends. Two years ago, Zhang Xinmiao paired up with this five-guarantee household, letting him do some odd jobs within his ability in the vineyard, with three free meals a day and an income of seven to eight thousand yuan a year.

In another villager household, the man of the house died young due to illness, and the woman single-handedly raised two children, making life very difficult. Now, all 3 members of this family do some light work in the vineyard managed by Zhang Xinmiao and receive monthly wages.

3 He also wants to hold a grape expo

According to national policies on the recruitment of "college-graduate village officials", since 2013, Zhang Xinmiao had two opportunities to take a post in a government or public institution in Qingxu County, but he could not let go of the villagers and his career, and gave up both opportunities. "When I first came to Zhongliaoxi Village as a 'college-graduate village official', I made up my mind not to leave until I achieved something. By this year, I have worked in Zhongliaoxi Village for 9 years, and my career is now closely tied to the countryside. I cannot and am reluctant to leave," Zhang Xinmiao said.

Now, while developing the grape-growing industry, Zhongliaoxi Village has also launched projects such as rural tourism and grape picking. In the vineyard, Zhang Xinmiao built facilities including a farmhouse restaurant, parking lot, and standard public toilets. From 2013 to 2015, the vineyard received an average of more than 7000 tourists per year, with average annual income of more than 700,000 yuan.

This year, Zhang Xinmiao also invested in building a place in Zhongliaoxi Village for tourists to stay and hold meetings, hoping to further expand the vineyard's capacity to receive tourists and at the same time increase the appeal of rural tourism. "When all conditions are ripe, I want to hold a grape expo. At that time, we will invite grape growers from various places to Zhongliaoxi Village to jointly seek the development of the grape-growing business." When imagining the future, Zhang Xinmiao's eyes shone with excitement.