Knowledge from the fields 'enters' melon greenhouses

From questions about melons, farmers in Thuong Hong commune began their journey of self-study, working with the Cooperative to turn knowledge into a driving force for change in the fields.

Early winter morning, Tram Khe village (Thuong Hong commune, Hai Phong city) seemed to wake up in a new rhythm of life. The road leading to the People's Committee of the commune was bustling with footsteps and laughter of farmers. Although the melon model did not start from Thai Hoa Agricultural Service Cooperative, it was the Cooperative that created a space for people to share, learn and study together. Each meeting, each story exchange became a special "seeding season" - sowing seeds of knowledge.

Ms. Le Thi Ly in Tram Khe village, Thuong Hong commune is one of the typical households in the melon growing model. Photo: Xuan Phuong.

Knowledge paves the way for change

Mr. Nguyen Van An, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Thai Hoa Agricultural Service Cooperative shared: “Growing melons is not difficult, but if you want to succeed, you have to learn. Those who know, please teach those who do not know. The cooperative is always ready to accompany people to confidently expand the model.”

He said that up to now, Thuong Hong commune has mainly grown rice and traditional vegetables. When some households started to learn about the melon model from other localities, the Cooperative did not interfere with the model but stood behind to support the spirit, encouraging people to study properly and follow technical instructions to increase the chance of success.

The fact that people find models from other places, then come back together to learn and share has created a new movement that few people could have imagined before. To be successful, members often exchange ways to prepare growing media, choose seeds, cover with plastic, drip irrigation, treat pests with biological products... Things that were once strange have now become familiar in the countryside.

As one of the typical households in the melon growing model, Ms. Le Thi Ly in Tram Khe village recalls her journey - a journey that started from a very simple question.

Knowledge has "entered" every greenhouse and every melon bed. Photo: Lan Chi .

“When I heard rumors that Binh Giang district, Hai Duong province (formerly) had a melon model, I was very curious. I asked the district leader directly: is it difficult to grow melon, can we do it? The leader said: it can be done, just need to be willing to learn.”

From that answer, Ms. Ly began to learn. Field trips and conversations with producers in other places helped her open up a whole new world , where there were greenhouses, drip irrigation systems, production diaries and clear technical processes.

She said: “The first time I entered the greenhouse, I was overwhelmed. But as I learned, understood, and became more confident, I never thought that one day I would be able to grow in such a large greenhouse.”

Also a person who came to the melon model with curiosity and a desire to learn, Ms. Hoang Thi Thuan in Tram Khe village, Thuong Hong commune shared: "That day, I called my younger brother who was growing melons elsewhere to ask if it was difficult. He said: if you study hard, you will be able to learn, I will teach you all the techniques."

From that conversation, her whole family discussed trying it out. Her son followed him down to the model many times, took notes of each technique, then came back to build the greenhouse with his mother.

“I didn’t expect that from being confused, my grandchild can now do it very well. I am old but I can still learn, thanks to watching, asking, and observing others do it,” she smiled, her eyes shining with pride.

Mrs. Thuan's story shows the natural spread of knowledge: people seek out models elsewhere, learn and do things on their own, then return to share their experiences with the community.

Cooperatives - a bridge of knowledge with the people

Although not the unit that brought the model back, Thai Hoa Agricultural Service Cooperative still plays an important role: connecting knowledge in the community. The Cooperative invites households that do well to share. New households will organize technical activities. If people have difficulties, they will contact experts and experienced people for guidance.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thuan in Tram Khe village, Thuong Hong commune happily shares about her bumper melon harvest. Photo: Lan Chi.

The cooperative does not do it for the people, but always stands behind them as a "support" in spirit and information.

Thanks to this method, Tram Khe has become a place where knowledge spreads naturally. People learn from each other, watch each other work, and support each other from the smallest things like buying seeds, choosing fertilizers, to big things like building greenhouses or treating plant diseases.

From a few pioneering households, the melon growing model has now become a movement, not a movement of following trends, but a movement of knowledge and initiative.

The leaders of Thuong Hong Commune People's Committee recognized that it was the people's self-study, self-discovery, and self-improvement that created a strong momentum for the melon model. The Commune People's Committee and the Cooperative only played a supporting role. The important thing is that people did not wait for someone to "bring the model back", but found it themselves, learned it themselves, and then developed it themselves.

This is also a direction in line with the local policy of developing high-quality, sustainable and smart agriculture.

Knowledge has “entered” every greenhouse and every melon bed. It is no longer something far away or only available in training classes, but has become a close and practical part of daily production life.

But the most obvious value of knowledge lies ahead: when knowledge turns into sweet fruit and income for the grower.

And that will be the next story that Agriculture and Environment Newspaper wants to tell in Part 2: the story of income, of changes in each household, and of the legitimate aspiration to get rich on the land of Thuong Hong where knowledge has sprouted from the very small questions of farmers.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/tri-thuc-tu-dong-ruong-buoc-vao-nhung-nha-mang-dua-luoi-d787879.html