Ms. Lien develops her economy from growing cassava.

Although the garden is quite large, what impresses is not only the garden, the trellis with lush green fruit trees from bananas, squash... but also the neat and clean arrangement.

In addition to farming nearly a hectare of rice fields, raising livestock, and growing common fruit trees, Ms. Lien also expanded the area for growing dong leaves. “Because this is a traditional cake village, dong leaves sell very well, supply cannot meet demand. Moreover, planting and caring for dong leaves is quite simple, just need to fertilize and water the plants to grow very well. Dong leaves grown in the garden sell for a higher price than wild dong leaves. Dong leaves grown in the garden have many advantages over wild dong leaves because the leaf buds are large and wide, the leaves are thin but tough, not as crispy as wild dong leaves, especially they have a lush green color. Wrapping cakes with this type of leaf gives the cakes a natural green color, more fragrant and delicious,” Ms. Lien said.

Realizing the economic value of growing dong leaves, from the initial seedlings, she expanded the planting area to nearly 1,000 square meters. Moreover, dong leaves are strong and shade-loving. Dong leaves are planted below and trellises can be made above, so Ms. Lien also grows climbing plants such as squash and winter melon to increase income.

Dong leaves are easy to grow and grow quickly, so Ms. Lien only needs to separate and prune a few shoots from the old bush to be able to multiply into new gardens. In addition, dong leaves have the advantage of being free of pests and diseases, and there are no weeds growing at the base, so it requires very little care and investment. Dong leaves are green, thick, and flexible, so when used to wrap cakes, they do not break or tear, and are easy to wrap.

Therefore, Ms. Lien's dong leaves are always in high demand, and traders come to the garden to buy them and sell them to households that make cakes. Ms. Lien's dong leaf garden produces leaves all year round with prices ranging from 50,000 VND/100 leaves, depending on the time. Not only selling leaves, but currently in the commune, there is also a great demand for seedlings, with prices of 7,000 VND/seedling. To help the dong leaves grow well, stay green, and be harvested regularly, she regularly waters, cleans weeds, fertilizes, and increases nutrients in the soil for the plants.

From the fields and gardens, with diligence and the right direction in growing dong leaves, Ms. Lien's family earns over 100 million VND each year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, President of the Women's Union of Huong Toan Commune, said: Ms. Lien is an example of a hard-working member who is willing to develop the economy from her homeland. Seeing the profits from growing dong leaves, the Women's Union of the commune has been encouraging members to invest in buying seedlings, renovating and expanding the land area to grow dong leaves to develop the family economy. Previously, most members grew dong leaves in Huong Toan Commune only to serve the family's traditional baking profession, but from the economic benefits, many members began to expand the growing area to sell to the market to increase income.

Article and photos: Thao Vy