Cultivating a fascination with farming

Budding interest

Xu Duo, 25, is a young farmer in Shouguang, Shandong province.

Over the past four years, he has grown vegetables — mostly bell peppers — in two large greenhouses.

Despite his background in finance, including studies at Shandong University of Finance and Economics, he made the decision to adopt a lifestyle that would lead to calloused hands and sun-kissed cheeks on a countryside farm, rather than chasing opportunities in major cities like many of his classmates.

Observing him skillfully steer a tricycle to monitor temperatures and harvest vegetables in the greenhouses or occasionally climb up to the roof to arrange the film cover, it's hard to imagine that he was once a "too cool for school" skateboarder.

"Skateboarders are very persistent. Once they commit to something, they are determined to excel at it. They don't treat such things as mere entertainment. I want to be the best in everything I do, and that goes for farming, too."

Besides, he believes that such a rustic life provides him with more free time and fewer limitations, which befits his natural personality.

"This also shows why I love skateboarding," he says.

He also created an account on Douyin, where he shares glimpses of his farming life. To his surprise, people showed great interest in his short videos, and he got 12,000 followers in the first month.

"I aim to amplify the voice of farmers," he says.

Currently, he is active in a program initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture that focuses on teaching new farmers skills that include not just cultivation but also marketing, new media promotion and the like.

"Everything I have today is given to me by the land. I can't imagine life without it," Xu says.

"I don't want to just be a young man who's good at farming. I aspire to be an entrepreneur capable of contributing to the country's improved rural development."