The members of “Farmers’ Friend” decided to work with the poorest peasants near Liuzhou City in Guangxi Province.
The village they selected was Nashe, a three-hour drive from the city that was far from the urban pollution.
The president of “Farmers’ Friend”, Zhou Jinzhang, talked to the senior caption of Nashe, Wei Xiuqing.
It wasn’t easy convincing Wei that organic farming could be profitable for everyone. To encourage the peasants, “Farmers’ Friend” agreed to be responsible for any economic losses.
With this guarantee, Wei agreed to work with “Farmers’ Friend” to set up the duck-rice system.
The ducks would eat the insects and pesticides would no longer be needed.
Soon after starting the project, there were problems. Some of the ducks died from pesticides used by other farmers.
“Farmers’ Friend” also brought in experts to help create better pig breeding programs. The result was that the urban people enjoyed healthier food and the peasants earned more income.
Now Wei has a dream to become prosperous enough through organic farming to attract the young people who left to work in urban factories to return home to the village.
See Deng Xiaoping’s 20/20 Vision
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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