Growing vegetables without worrying about sales: An agricultural base in Linyi, Shandong connects with university cafeterias

In Fangcheng Town, Lanshan District, Linyi City, Shandong Province, there is an agricultural production base mainly focused on vegetable cultivation. The vegetables picked here, after passing inspection, are not sold to the market but are sent by dedicated vehicles directly to cafeterias at 6 universities within Linyi City. "From picking to entering the university cafeterias, it can be completed within 3 hours," said Qiao Ziqing, office director of the base.

This is a farm-school connection base. The investor is an enterprise in Beijing, which in 2013 transferred 1300 mu of cultivated land in 3 villages in Fangcheng Town and established an agricultural development company. The company initially focused on vegetable production and later gradually expanded to livestock and aquaculture. Agricultural experts from Linyi University provide technical support for the base's planting and breeding, and the products are sent directly to cafeterias at 6 universities within Linyi City.

Qiao Ziqing said that the base has both greenhouses and open-field vegetables to ensure year-round supply without interruption. The varieties are mainly common vegetables, and for each variety a cultivation protocol has been developed according to green food standards; fertilizers are mainly organic fertilizer and microbial fertilizer, and pest and disease control is mainly biological. Every batch of vegetables after picking must be tested, and only those that pass can enter the campus.

Now, the vegetable planting area of this base has grown to 230 mu and can provide vegetable supply for about 10,000 university students every day. The base delivers vegetables to the university cafeterias once in the morning and once in the afternoon each day, and the price is set according to the price of ordinary vegetables on the market that day. "Although we grow according to green standards, the price implemented when delivered to campus is the price of ordinary vegetables. From another perspective, the base's planting is planned and its sales outlet is guaranteed, which also reduces planting risks," said Qiao Ziqing.

Qiao Ziqing said that there are currently more than 80,000 university students in Linyi City. After all 1300 mu of land transferred by the base is fully developed, more than 1000 mu can be planted with vegetables, which can supply vegetables to 40,000 university students, far from meeting the demand of university cafeterias within Linyi City.

This is also precisely why this farm-school connection base was built in Fangcheng Town. Of the 100,000 mu of cultivated land in Fangcheng Town, 30,000 mu are melons and vegetables, and farmers have the tradition and skills of vegetable cultivation. "The technology, model and green vegetables produced by the farm-school connection base have a demonstration effect on surrounding farmers," said Xiang Tingfeng, deputy director of the Fangcheng Town Agriculture Office. The base's long-term development goal is to sign planting agreements with surrounding farmers, with farmers producing entirely according to the base's requirements, and after the vegetables produced pass inspection, they enter the farm-school connection direct delivery channel. "In this way, it can both meet the needs of university cafeterias and increase farmers' income," said Xiang Tingfeng.