Bathed in the glow of the initial success of the ecological agriculture pilot project, Lin Yue knew that this was merely the beginning of the village's agricultural transformation. The greater challenge lay in fully promoting the concepts and technologies of ecological agriculture, ensuring that every inch of land could bask in the sunshine of ecology and bountiful harvests. Standing in the village's central square, looking at the familiar villagers around her, she felt both hope for the future and a clear understanding of the arduous road ahead.
Lin Yue meticulously planned a grand exhibition showcasing the achievements of ecological agriculture, aiming to present the charm and potential of ecological agriculture to the villagers in the most direct and impactful way. The exhibition was held next to the bountiful ecological farmland, with temporary display stands overflowing with a dazzling array of ecological agricultural products. Vibrant, plump organic vegetables, full-grained ecological rice exuding a natural fragrance, and tender, juicy, and delicious ecological fruits seemed to silently proclaim the magic of ecological agriculture. On the adjacent display boards, detailed data charts and graphs showed the differences between ecological and traditional agriculture in areas such as soil fertility changes, pest and disease control effectiveness, and nutritional composition of agricultural products. For example, data from professional testing institutions showed that the vitamin B content in ecological rice was about 30% higher than that in traditional rice, while pesticide residues were almost zero; the antioxidant content in ecological vegetables was 20%-50% higher than that in traditional vegetables.
The villagers gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity and surprise. Lin Yue picked up a bright red, organically grown tomato and said with a smile, "Folks, look at this tomato! It's not only beautiful, but it also tastes incredibly sweet and delicious. This is all because we use organic farming methods and don't use harmful pesticides or fertilizers." She then offered one to an older woman to try. The woman took a bite, and a satisfied smile immediately spread across her face: "Wow, this tomato is so sweet! It tastes exactly like the ones I ate when I was a child!" This scene, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, sparked a strong interest in organic agriculture among the villagers.
To help villagers gain a deeper understanding of ecological agricultural techniques, Lin Yue invited agricultural experts to provide detailed explanations and demonstrations at the exhibition. The experts went into the fields and personally demonstrated the process of making organic fertilizer, showing the villagers how to cleverly transform livestock manure, crop straw, and other raw materials into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. As they demonstrated, they explained the principles: "This organic fertilizer not only provides the land with comprehensive nutrients but also improves soil structure, making the soil like a sponge, retaining water and fertilizer while allowing air to flow in smoothly, so that crops can grow well." The villagers gathered around, listening attentively and occasionally asking questions.
In terms of biological pest control, experts released natural enemies of pests, such as swarms of tiny ladybugs crawling on vegetable leaves and quickly preying on aphids. They also demonstrated how to install and use physical control tools such as solar-powered insecticidal lamps and insect pheromone traps. Pointing to a solar-powered insecticidal lamp, an expert said, "This thing is amazing! It charges in the sun during the day and works automatically at night, attracting pests with its phototaxis and then electrocuting them. It's environmentally friendly and highly efficient, and we don't have to bother spraying pesticides." The villagers looked at these novel gadgets with amazement.
Lin Yue also organized several training courses on ecological agriculture techniques, held in the village school classrooms. The training courses covered all aspects, from theoretical knowledge to practical operation. In the theoretical classes, agricultural experts explained the concept of ecological agriculture, the principle of ecosystem balance, and the importance of sustainable development in simple and easy-to-understand language. They cited numerous successful ecological agriculture cases from home and abroad, such as Danish ecological farms, which achieve high-quality agricultural output and a virtuous cycle of the agricultural ecological environment through precise ecological management; and Japanese natural farming methods, which respect natural laws, reduce human intervention, and produce agricultural products that are highly sought after in the market. These cases broadened the villagers' horizons and made them deeply aware that ecological agriculture is the inevitable trend of future agricultural development.
During the practical training, villagers worked in groups. In the organic fertilizer production stage, Lin Yue personally taught the villagers how to control the proportions of raw materials and how to manage the fermentation process. When a young villager encountered difficulty mixing the organic fertilizer, Lin Yue went over, picked up the tools, and patiently demonstrated: "Look, you need to mix it evenly like this to ensure the raw materials are fully mixed for proper fermentation." In the training on the use of biological control tools, villagers personally operated and installed and adjusted the insect pheromone traps, learning how to select appropriate pheromone traps based on different insect species.
However, the promotion process was not without its challenges. Some villagers had concerns about the costs and benefits of ecological farming techniques. They believed that purchasing organic fertilizers and biological control tools required significant investment, and that the yield of ecological agriculture might be unstable in the early stages, potentially impacting their family income. In response, Lin Yue provided an in-depth cost-benefit analysis. She pointed out that although the initial investment in ecological agriculture was relatively high, in the long run, the improved quality of agricultural products led to higher market prices. Furthermore, as soil fertility gradually improved, later investment would decrease, and yields would stabilize and potentially increase. For example, taking the village's ecological vegetable cultivation as an example, although the initial purchase of organic fertilizers and biological control tools incurred some costs, the superior quality of the vegetables commanded market prices 2-3 times higher than ordinary vegetables. After deducting costs, the profit per acre was about 50% higher than with traditional farming methods. Simultaneously, to alleviate the villagers' financial burden, Lin Yue actively sought government agricultural subsidies to provide partial financial support to villagers adopting ecological farming techniques.
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