“Then we’ll build our own food supply base!” Lin Wanqiu said decisively and firmly. “Our food workshop has accumulated a lot of resources over the years and is fully capable of building its own planting base to control the quality of ingredients from the source. You can select plots of land suitable for the growth of medicinal and edible ingredients and hire professional agricultural technicians for planting and management to ensure the quality and consistency of the ingredients.”
Shen Nian'an's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood Lin Wanqiu's meaning: "Mother, your idea is excellent! Establishing our own supply base can not only ensure the quality of our ingredients but also reduce procurement costs. It's a win-win situation. I'll contact agricultural experts right away to select a site for our planting base."
"Don't rush, this matter needs careful consideration," Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. "I've already asked your father to inquire. There's an old professor at the provincial agricultural university who specializes in the cultivation of medicinal plants. He'll be coming to our area next week to investigate. I'll take you to visit him then and ask him to help guide the construction and management of the planting base. As for the ingredients, you can first select a few reputable suppliers with guaranteed quality, sign long-term cooperation agreements, and require them to provide ingredients from the same origin and with the same specifications. That should solve the immediate problem."
"Mother is so thoughtful." A warm feeling welled up in Shen Nian'an's heart. With his parents as such a solid support, he felt confident that he could overcome any difficulties he encountered.
In the days that followed, Shen Nian'an, following Lin Wanqiu's advice, simultaneously selected high-quality suppliers to ensure the smooth progress of research and development, while also actively preparing for the construction of the planting base. Shen Tingzhou also used his network of contacts to provide considerable assistance in the site selection and approval process for the planting base.
A week later, Lin Wanqiu brought Shen Nian'an to the regional guesthouse to visit Professor Zhang from the provincial agricultural university. Professor Zhang was a nationally renowned expert in medicinal plant cultivation. He had gray hair, was in good spirits, spoke with humor, and had profound knowledge of medicinal plant cultivation.
Shen Nian'an humbly and sincerely explained his research and development project and the plans for his planting base to Professor Zhang. Professor Zhang praised Shen Nian'an's ideas, saying, "Young man, your idea is excellent! The concept of 'medicine and food sharing the same origin' is the essence of traditional Chinese health culture. Combining traditional wisdom with modern technology to develop functional foods has a very broad market prospect. Establishing your own planting base to control the quality of ingredients from the source is an even wiser move."
He picked up the food samples Shen Nian'an handed him, examined them carefully, and conducted a simple test using professional instruments. Then he said, "The varieties of ingredients you've chosen are all excellent, but the growing environment greatly affects their nutritional content. For example, ginseng is suitable for growing in mountainous areas at an altitude of 800-1200 meters, with a cool climate and fertile soil; while iron yam prefers loose, fertile, and well-drained sandy loam. I suggest you choose the Qingshi Mountain area in our region for your planting base, as the natural environment there is very suitable for the growth of these medicinal plants."
Professor Zhang also gave a detailed explanation of the cultivation techniques, field management, and pest and disease control of medicinal plants, and promised Shen Nian'an that he would visit the planting base regularly to provide guidance and help them solve problems encountered in the planting process.
With Professor Zhang's guidance and support, Shen Nian'an's confidence soared. He immediately organized a team to conduct a field investigation in the Qingshi Mountain area. The Qingshi Mountain area boasts beautiful scenery, fresh air, fertile soil, and no industrial pollution, making it an ideal location for establishing a planting base. Shen Nian'an signed a land transfer agreement with the local village committee, leasing 500 mu of mountain land for planting ginseng, astragalus, angelica, yam, and foxnut, among other medicinal and edible ingredients.
Construction of the planting base officially commenced. Shen Nian'an hired local farmers with extensive planting experience as workers and recruited two graduate students from the provincial agricultural university to provide technical guidance. He himself frequently spent time at the base, working alongside the workers to till the land, sow seeds, water, and fertilize. His skin became tanned dark, but he remained full of energy. Lin Wanqiu also often brought her food workshop employees to the base to help. Watching the land being leveled and the seeds being sown, she was filled with anticipation.
Under Shen Nian'an's meticulous care, the crops at the planting base are thriving. Ginseng takes root and grows in the loose soil, its leaves vibrant green; yam vines climb along the supports, lush and verdant; and water chestnuts stand gracefully in the pond, blooming with pale purple flowers. Looking at these vibrant crops, Shen Nian'an seems to see the successful launch of functional foods.
Meanwhile, significant progress was also made in the research and development workshop. After stabilizing the supply of ingredients, Shen Nian'an led the research team to repeatedly optimize the formula, adjust the proportions of various ingredients, and improve the extraction process. They adopted low-temperature extraction technology to preserve the nutrients in the ingredients to the maximum extent; and used microencapsulation technology to encapsulate the effective components of the food and medicine homology ingredients, which not only masked the medicinal taste but also improved the stability and bioavailability of the components.
After more than three months of tireless work, three functional food products have been successfully developed. "Eight Treasures Longevity Cake" is soft, sweet, and nourishing, replenishing qi and blood; "Yam and Gorgon Fruit Cake" is refreshing and delicious, strengthening the spleen and stomach; and "Goji Berry and Mulberry Paste" has a balanced sweet and sour taste, nourishing yin and improving eyesight. Each product has undergone rigorous ingredient testing and safety trials to ensure its efficacy and safety, with no side effects.
After successful product development, the next step was market promotion. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Nian'an unanimously decided to target the high-end consumer market. They believed that as people's living standards improved, high-end consumers paid more attention to health and were more willing to pay for high-quality functional foods.
To penetrate the high-end market, Lin Wanqiu meticulously planned a product launch event. The event was held at the most luxurious international hotel in the provincial capital, and invited well-known entrepreneurs, government officials, media reporters, and food critics from within the province.
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