Gentleman farmer
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Photo provided to China Daily |
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Photos:Mr.Lohas's farms |
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The rose bushes are fertilized by chicken manure, and in return, they provide shade for the roosting birds. The chickens also help to remove pests from the roses and the roses provide them with rose hips.
It all sounds quite idyllic, and some farmers may be tempted to offer farm stay vacations. But not Wang.
"The more people come, the more things they want to order. To meet their needs, which may be beyond the farm's capabilities, they may need to start outsourcing," he says. "I've seen a number of farms abandon their farming origins and become purely countryside resorts, which is possibly more profitable."
The balance between making a living and advocating organic farming is what concerns Wang.
Even if he may consider starting a resort in the future, Wang says visitors will be restricted to current members and more importantly, his farm produce will remain strictly natural and seasonal.
For Wang, the only concrete plan now is to spread his farming ideas and slowly grow his rose and chicken business.
By next year, he says, he hopes to be able to raise 5,000 chickens to provide for about a thousand families in Beijing. By mechanizing the farming operation, Wang plans to make it so much cleaner and labor-saving that "any college graduate would want to work here".
"Traditional farming doesn't negate modern technology. Farmers these days do not necessarily appear disheveled or dirty. Farming must be an integrated part of the modern lifestyle, something that is accepted and willingly adopted by the young."
