Imagine a dusty stretch of deep-purple shale soil in Suining, in Sichuan Province on the Chinese mainland. For years, farmers here could only grow daikons and potatoes. But today, this same patch is bursting with glossy tomatoes and juicy watermelons 🍅🍉.
This transformation is thanks to the Gen Z Farming Class—a team of over 30 young graduates from agricultural colleges who built a smart greenhouse and training program over the past year. Leading the charge is Bao Wen, a digital agriculture technician in his early twenties.
Rebooting the soil with biology
'The soil in Suining is short on organic matter,' Bao Wen explains. Before planting a single seed, the team started underground. They boosted organic content using compost made from local crop residues and introduced beneficial microbes that improve nutrient uptake.
Smart tech meets traditional knowledge
Inside the greenhouse, IoT sensors track temperature, humidity, and soil moisture in real time. Young instructors guide middle-aged village farmers through data dashboards and hands-on demos. The result? Yields are now several times higher, and farmers are learning to read the signals of their soil.
Growing more than crops
Beyond higher yields, this initiative bridges generations. Village elders share decades of farming wisdom, while Gen Z brings fresh ideas and digital skills. The collaboration is sparking excitement: locals now dream of exporting their produce to nearby cities.
Suining's story shows how smart farming and soil biology can revive nutrient-poor lands—and how a wave of young changemakers is sowing the seeds of a greener future across the Chinese mainland.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
