Farmers in Ngoc Lac district earn high incomes from model gardens.

In order to promote the development of production within household premises, Ngoc Lac district has actively propagated and encouraged households in the area to renovate their neglected gardens, enhance the value of crops, and create model gardens with green, clean, and beautiful landscapes.

The model garden of Ms. Ha Thi Yen's family in Minh Tien commune generates high income.

The 6,000m2 garden of Mr. Le Xuan Chu's family in Ngoc Son neighborhood, Ngoc Lac town, is scientifically planned with a drip irrigation system reaching each tree. Around the garden, his family has invested in planting 60 Dien pomelo trees, 70 Thai jackfruit trees, 40 Siamese coconut trees, 40 custard apple trees, 350 betel nut trees, and *Dinh Lang* (a type of medicinal herb) under the fruit trees... In recent years, the fruit trees have yielded abundant harvests, bringing in an income of 100 million to 120 million VND per year. According to Mr. Le Xuan Chu, with guidance from the commune on improving his mixed garden, his family has invested in replacing less efficient crops with higher - value fruit trees. The fruit trees are divided into sections and planted in rows, making it easy to apply technical care methods, resulting in a thriving orchard with large, beautiful fruits. In addition, the family's garden mainly uses organic farming methods, so when harvested, the fruits are bought directly from the garden by traders.

Thanks to visiting and learning from successful model gardens in Trieu Son and Tho Xuan districts, Ms. Ha Thi Yen's family in Thanh Son village, Minh Tien commune, invested in building a 6,000m2 model garden. With this area, her family has planted 400 Taiwanese pear guava trees; over 4,000m2 of thorny pineapple; and a livestock area with 20 sows and 600 fattening pigs annually. The garden is neatly divided into sections, clean and beautiful. Solid concrete paths separate the sections, and an automatic irrigation system is installed to each tree, making garden care convenient and highly economically efficient. Ms. Ha Thi Yen said that her family's model garden, combining farming and livestock, is currently proving effective, providing regular employment for 3 workers. After deducting expenses, the garden generates a profit of nearly 600 million VND per year.

In recent times, the renovation of unproductive gardens to create model gardens has been a focus of Ngoc Lac district, with efforts being made to expand this initiative across communes and towns. This is contributing to a shift in people's mindset, moving from traditional gardening to developing a garden-based economy oriented towards commodity production. As a result, many model gardens in Cao Thinh, Ngoc Trung, Minh Tien communes and Ngoc Lac town generate incomes ranging from 30 million to hundreds of millions of VND per year. These model gardens in the district contribute to promoting the "Clean House, Beautiful Garden, Green Fence" movement, aiming to create a green, clean, and beautiful environment and a new look for rural areas in Ngoc Lac district.

Ms. Le Thi Nhi, Chairwoman of the Ngoc Lac District Gardening and Farming Association, said: The construction of model gardens in the district has contributed to improving neglected gardens, transforming them from self-sufficient production gardens to commercial production gardens, and creating a ripple effect to increase people's income and improve the rural landscape. The Association has also actively encouraged people to plan and renovate their family gardens to create space for building model gardens. At the same time, it has coordinated with the District Farmers' Association to organize training courses and guide people in communes and towns on the process of building model gardens, such as: planning and implementation; application of scientific and technical advancements; selection of garden products; environment and landscape... It has also implemented the model garden criteria in the construction of advanced new rural areas and model new rural areas. To promote the development of model gardens, the association organizes an annual "beautiful garden and model farm" competition, thereby discovering good and creative practices and high-income gardens to be replicated throughout the area.

According to the Chairman of the Ngoc Lac District Gardening and Farming Association, to develop model gardens, the district authorities and specialized departments continue to pay attention to, support, train, and guide people in planting crops suitable to the soil and production capacity, linked to market demand. At the same time, the specialized departments and communes and towns actively create conditions for organizations and individuals to implement production and consumption linkages from garden-based economic activities...

Text and photos: Le Hoi

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nong-dan-huyen-ngoc-lac-thu-nhap-cao-tu-vuon-mau-215566.htm