Love the land, love the trees.

Mr. Binh (left) enthusiastically shares his plant care process.

According to Mr. Tran Dang Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Dien commune, Mr. Le Duc Binh is one of the exemplary figures in the local labor and production movement. Not only is he dedicated and responsible in his work, but he is also a skilled, diligent, and creative farmer, always seeking new directions in economic development, serving as a role model for the villagers to learn from.

Visiting Mr. Binh's hillside garden in the late afternoon, we saw that on his more than 1-hectare plot behind the hill, he was busy tending to his fruit trees, including green pomelos, guavas, pineapples, and durians. Pointing to the vast acacia forest in the distance, Mr. Binh proudly said, "That's my family's acacia forest, 17 hectares wide. Before, it was all overgrown with weeds and wild plants; few people thought about planting forests to get rich. I love the land and the trees, so I just went ahead and did it, not afraid of failure."

At 60 years old, this man from Phong Dien has spent over 35 years living in the mountainous Binh Dien region. In 1988, he began his journey of reclaiming land, bringing acacia seeds from his hometown to plant on the barren hillsides. Back then, when acacia trees were only planted along the coast to protect against waves and erosion, no one thought about planting forests for economic purposes. Watching him diligently plant his first 5 acres of acacia, many people scoffed, calling him "crazy." Yet, that very crop of acacia brought him his first motorbike, opening up a promising path for forest-based economic development.

Starting with 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of acacia trees, he expanded it to 5 hectares, then 10 hectares. Now, his acacia forest covers 17 hectares of hillside land. At one point, he even bought his own tractor and truck to proactively harvest timber and save costs...

Mr. Binh devoted his efforts to planting an additional 2 hectares of rubber trees. There was a time when fierce storms knocked down large areas of rubber trees, and the low price of rubber latex made the people of Binh Dien less enthusiastic about this crop. But Mr. Binh believed in the market's recovery, so he persistently encouraged the villagers to replant. Thanks to his efforts, Thuan Loc village still retains nearly 30 hectares of rubber trees, which have become an important source of livelihood and contributed to improving the economic lives of many households.

Mr. Binh actively sought out knowledge, participated in training courses, and then applied the acquired knowledge to his family's production model. He traveled extensively throughout the South and North of Vietnam, observing how farmers in other regions cultivated their crops to learn from them. From these trips, he realized that the terrain and climate in the mountainous Binh Dien area were suitable for durian cultivation. He boldly planted 100 trees on his hillside garden. Now, after 7 years of care, the durian trees have begun to bear fruit, promising a bountiful harvest.

Mr. Binh's forest garden has provided regular employment for 2-3 workers, sometimes up to 10-15 during peak periods. Besides being a successful producer, Mr. Binh is also an exemplary Party branch secretary and village head. He is also the one who resolves complex land disputes in the village. In each case, he patiently investigates, listens, analyzes the situation, and applies both reason and emotion to help the villagers understand and reach a consensus.

There were households that donated land for roads but then encroached on it by planting trees. Mr. Binh, undeterred, patiently knocked on each door, persuading residents to voluntarily cut down the trees and restore the roads to their normal state for the community.

As I parted ways with Mr. Binh, I will always remember his words: When people know how to love the land, love the trees, and are attached to their homeland with all their heart, then any place can bloom and bear sweet, wholesome fruit...

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