Summer holidays, fragrance of guacamole. In the fields of the strong family farm in the green cities, the harvest season is beginning to be full of black beaks. The farmers travel through the masonry, busy picking, sorting, loading, fresh winter melons from the fields to the market, with a busy and lively collection of harvests in front of them。
On the morning of 28 july, walking into the winter melons of the mahjong family farm, a series of green vines crawled up along the bamboo rack, and a green black-skined melon hanging between them, like a “emerald lantern” on a green curtain。
“be careful to hold the guacamole! Don't rub it in the vine!” the farmers are divided in order to remove mature winter melons and pass them to the fields; some put the winter melon in three-wheeled cars, along the fields to the van, while others were responsible for putting the winter melon on a net to avoid bumps in transport. The sound of the tricycle engine, the sound of the farmer's conversation, and the sand of the meadows, are interwoven and play the instruments of harvest。
“these are the winter melon species introduced from hainan, which have been planted for more than 100 days since april.” the farm director, pang long, crouched on the side of the field and photographed with his hands a half-capture of a winter melon, "look at this look, the skin is smooth and without yellow spots, all thanks to our stereo-sets, so that every melon can tan to the sun and not crush the vine." he described the application of the cropping technique on the farm, which allowed 650 to 700 seedlings per acre, and the general weight of a single melon, which was around 35 pounds, with easy production exceeding 20,000 pounds. On this basis, the total production of 9 acres is nearly 200,000 pounds。
That morning, the farm had collected 234,000 pounds of winter melon, which was being sent to the south chang wholesale market; in the afternoon, it had to pick and supply the surrounding supermarkets and wholesalers. Such harvests cannot be achieved without upgrading cultivation techniques. Pang long described how the farm has achieved precision temperature control and water control through high-altitude, stretching and spas, combined with membrane cover and drip irrigation. “a previously flat melons were prone to decomposition, and are now drenched and dripped, both flood-proof and water-efficient; hanging up, with good ventilation and fewer pests.” according to pang long, this scientific cultivation model not only enhances the production and quality of winter melons, but also gives them the advantage of a “skin-heavy bear” that can withstand long-distance transport, which is the key to access to the off-site market。
Today, black melons from powerful family farms are available for planting for two seasons a year, and are listed around july and november, and are well recognized by the market. “the next step is to expand the plant to 20 acres, to drive the surrounding farmers to grow together, so that the black emerald becomes more humanly rich.” pan long looks at the winter melons on the fields and looks forward to it。
