Model gardens for new rural areas

The construction of model gardens not only contributes to the new rural development movement but also helps people increase their income, painting a bright picture in many rural areas of Ha Tinh province .

Model gardens contribute to making the landscapes of many rural areas even more vibrant.

Raising incomes and building more livable rural areas.

I was fortunate enough to witness many model gardens in Ha Tinh province. Each new rural area, with its clean concrete roads, green hedges lined with neatly trimmed trees, and meticulously maintained gardens arranged in rows, beds, and sections... The movement to build model gardens, starting from these initial bright spots, has permeated many rural areas in the province.

When embarking on the New Rural Development program, in many localities, shade trees were cut down to make way for concrete fences. Recognizing this shortcoming early on, the Ha Tinh New Rural Development Coordination Office created a new approach, establishing criterion 20 – model rural residential areas and model gardens.

Ha Tinh is a "hotbed and rain pocket" region, heavily impacted by climate change. Despite these difficulties, the people of Ha Tinh have made tremendous efforts to develop their economy . The overarching goal is to improve the material and spiritual well-being of the people. This begins within each family, extends to model gardens and model residential areas, and is linked to a green, clean, and beautiful environment.

“If the model garden criteria are not implemented with high concentration in guidance and initial support mechanisms and policies, then the ‘golden land’ in Ha Tinh will forever remain dormant in overgrown gardens. Awakening the mindset of gardening to create stable income and beautify the face of new rural residential areas is an innovative step in the new rural development movement in Ha Tinh,” said Mr. Tran Huy Toan, officer in charge of Criterion 20 - Ha Tinh New Rural Development Coordination Office.

The establishment of model gardens creates a stable source of income for the local people.

At 74 years old, Mr. and Mrs. Dinh Van Dy (Ha Thanh village, Tuong Son commune, Thach Ha district) are still enthusiastically leading the movement to build model gardens. In 2014, his family was one of the first households in the village to renovate their neglected garden and build a model garden. On their garden of over 2,000 square ^meters , he planted fruit trees such as Taiwanese guava, longan, and sapodilla; the remaining area was used to grow vegetables and a 200 square meter ^pond for raising carp.

Mr. Dy is always diligent in learning new knowledge, experimenting with new varieties, and ensuring food safety and hygiene in production. He cultivates vegetables in staggered and off-season crops to increase income. He and his wife are always willing to share their best practices in crop and livestock care with their neighbors, especially their experience in preventing pests and diseases in squash, gourds, and cucumbers without using pesticides. Thanks to their diligence and sound planning in production, his family earns between 50 and 80 million VND per year.

Chairman of Tuong Son Commune People's Committee, Duong Kim Huy, said: “Up to now, the entire commune has 80 model gardens, with an average income of 80-100 million VND per year. Besides creating a stable source of income for the people, the construction of model gardens has also created a ripple effect in the development of household garden economies. People are boldly investing, introducing scientific and technological advancements into production. Model gardens also ensure environmental landscape, bring high aesthetic value, and create an image of a prosperous new rural area.”

To avoid stopping at the model

Visiting Ha Tinh today, one sees the vibrant, prosperous, and happy atmosphere of the countryside reflected in every home and every face of its people. In rural areas, houses are tiled and sturdy; rural roads are paved with concrete and asphalt; the infrastructure—electricity, roads, schools, health stations, irrigation, and village cultural centers—is modern and well-maintained; and gardens are not only beautiful but also economically productive.

The establishment of model gardens has created green, clean, and beautiful household spaces in many rural areas.

The poverty rate throughout the province has dropped to only 3.79% (a nearly tenfold decrease compared to 2001); per capita income has reached 46.3 million VND/year. The number of wealthy and well-off households has increased rapidly. In many places, new tiled-roof houses and multi-story buildings have sprung up side by side; at night, the bright lights create a modern look of "a city within a village".

According to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Tinh, Chairman of the Ha Tinh Gardening and Farming Association: “As the first province to effectively implement the model gardening movement in building new rural areas, Ha Tinh has had many good and creative approaches. In particular, the construction of model gardens for VAC (gardening, animal husbandry, and aquaculture) production in the direction of organic farming has created green, clean, and beautiful household spaces, forming a habit among people in producing high-value economic goods. The construction of model gardens has yielded clear results, contributing to the transformation from self-sufficient gardens to commercial gardens; from simple farmers to farmers accessing commodity production, creating a ripple effect to increase people's income and improve the landscape of the countryside.”

Horticultural farming contributes to improving the lives of the people.

Undeniably, the model gardens and exemplary gardens of the new rural areas in Ha Tinh have created a new look for rural regions. However, because the main target of the model garden construction movement is farmers, the primary goal and strict criteria for model gardens in the new rural areas remain, first and foremost, to increase income from garden-based economic development.

Therefore, to effectively exploit the potential and advantages, and create a large volume of goods from the garden economy, all levels, sectors, and localities need to continue paying attention to the development of the garden economy to increase income for the community; select key crops and livestock suitable for the locality; and establish cooperatives and associations to help each other develop production and strengthen solidarity within the community.

To replicate and spread this model, we must first establish farms that are universal in terms of scale, area, investment costs, and income, so that many farmers can learn from and adopt them. In addition, we need to promote the application of science and technology, produce organic fertilizer from agricultural waste and household waste, improve environmental sanitation, and strengthen joint ventures and partnerships with businesses to ensure product distribution.

Tra Giang

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nong-nghiep/vuon-mau-nong-thon-moi-dung-dung-lai-o-mo-hinh/258301.htm