Luzhou woman says goodbye to the big city and goes to the countryside to be a farmer, cultivating her entrepreneurial dream

Food safety has always been a concern of the whole society, and how to grow ecological vegetables has become a issue of widespread concern among growers and city residents. In early 2014, Song Xiaolan, a Luzhou woman who grew up in the city, saw a business opportunity. With the support of the district government department, she resolutely decided to go to Dongyunba in Fenshuiling Town, Jiangyang District, Luzhou City. She successively invested nearly 2 million yuan to level the land, buy vegetable seedlings, build greenhouses... She contracted about 1,000 mu of land to grow ecological vegetables, established the Dongyunba Vegetable and Fruit Professional Cooperative, and cultivated her own entrepreneurial dream.

The road to entrepreneurship is full of setbacks

At the beginning of the venture, setbacks came one after another.

The contracted fields were hard and needed to be softened early. Because transportation in Dongyunba village was still inconvenient, machines specially used to soften the land could not be transported in. Song Xiaolan led the villagers in the cooperative to pour water into the soil and use the backs of hoes to strike the hard land. Even after working for two months, the results were not great. People around her mocked her, and her family tried every possible way to persuade her, but none of it made her give in. In the face of difficulties, she remained calm and persistently cultivated this hard soil. "If you want to get things done, you need a spirit that refuses to admit defeat. I don't believe a path to prosperity cannot be carved out of the land!" Song Xiaolan always encouraged herself this way.

In order to expand the ecological vegetable planting project, at the beginning of the venture, Song Xiaolan mobilized 3 individual agricultural households to participate, raising more than 1 million yuan in total, and created the Dongyunba Vegetable and Fruit Professional Cooperative. Agricultural experts and surrounding "land-lost" farmers also joined the cooperative.

However, after 2 months, the partners saw that the fields were still barren and that the farmers were still striking the hard land, so they could not help but think of backing out. At the same time, the project still needed a large amount of funding support. After discussion, the other 3 partners unanimously decided to withdraw from the project cooperation, and the funds invested in the early stage were lent to Song Xiaolan in the form of debt.

Just like that, the "task" of growing ecological vegetables on more than 1,000 mu fell on Song Xiaolan, often pressing her so hard that she "could hardly breathe."

"You look sallow and thin now. If you didn't grow vegetables, we wouldn't owe relatives and friends money either." Song Xiaolan's entrepreneurial dream was opposed by her husband, her partners withdrew, and the invisible returns also once made her think about giving up.

"But the farmers 'handed' the land to me because they trust me. I don't want to disappoint the people who trust me. Growing good ecological vegetables has become a 'belief' of mine." Song Xiaolan rolled up her sleeves and pant legs. Having never done farm work before, she also learned to raise seedlings, weed, apply fertilizer... and often sought experience from agricultural experts. Now, she has also become a farmer of the new era.

Now, the vegetables grown by Song Xiaolan are sent directly to major farmers' markets and large supermarkets in Luzhou City. They are well received by consumers and often in short supply. More and more customers come to her to discuss and reserve vegetables. These vegetables also have their own name - "Jiangyang Vegetables." They are green, environmentally friendly, pollution-free, safe and reassuring products.

Leading villagers to get rich together

"Carry out ecological vegetable planting, bring our green agricultural products to the national market, and let our fellow villagers all embark on the road to prosperity..." Song Xiaolan founded the Dongyunba Vegetable and Fruit Professional Cooperative. While striving to realize her own value, she also did her best to lead the villagers of Dongyunba to prosperity. Through practical action, she set an example of women's entrepreneurial development and for this reason won the title of "Advanced Individual" for two consecutive years.

"We have all joined the Dongyunba Vegetable and Fruit Professional Cooperative. Now we have two sources of income, land rent and work income. Life is getting better and better!" said Gan Qinghuai, a villager whose land had been transferred. Song Xiaolan paid surrounding villagers 60 yuan per day in work wages to help tend the vegetables, fulfilling the villagers' wish to find employment at their doorstep.

Ecological vegetables sell well and are widely favored by customers. Nearby villagers, upon hearing the news, came to ask about new techniques. Song Xiaolan and the cooperative's agricultural experts patiently introduced planting techniques and development prospects, and often went deep into the fields to provide training, helping villagers master modern agricultural techniques, raising farmers' enthusiasm for planting, and promoting farmers' income growth and prosperity. At present, the cooperative has absorbed more than 200 member households and has spread to drive farmers in surrounding towns and villages to engage in ecological planting production and operation.

"The village has undergone great changes. Tens of thousands of mu of land have been leveled, steel-frame greenhouses have been set up, and transportation is 'extending in all directions.' We are full of hope for the future." With the village taking on a new look, the villagers of Dongyunba Village often beam with joy. Song Xiaolan's entrepreneurship added momentum and vitality to the development of the Dongyunba Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone project. At the same time, the Dongyunba Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone project has played a positive role in promoting the adjustment of the agricultural industrial structure, promoting the rapid development of the rural economy, accelerating industrialized agricultural operation, raising the level of agricultural science and technology and productivity, improving the quality of life of residents in surrounding cities, and increasing farmers' income.

"In the next 5 years, the cooperative will expand the scale of planting and production, form an industrial chain, bring our green agricultural products to the national market, and make 'Jiangyang Vegetables' famous nationwide." When talking about the long-term plan, Song Xiaolan was full of confidence.