In early autumn, the Green Manor picking garden in Baalizhuang Village, Guhan Town, Xiangchuan County, Changzhi, Shanxi Province, presents a delightful scene with purple-red plums hanging in clusters of three to five on branches heavy with fruit. The garden buzzes with activity as villagers pick, sort, weigh, and package the harvest, each step radiating the joy of a bountiful season.
Baalizhuang Village features predominantly dry land with significant day-night temperature differences. The dry conditions allow plum roots to penetrate deep into the soil, absorbing abundant underground nutrients, while the large temperature variations help lock in sugar content - daytime accumulated sugars don't dissipate at night. This environment perfectly matches the characteristics of plums that "tolerate drought and favor temperature differences," resulting in large, sweet fruits with well-formed shapes and vibrant colors that have become the picking garden's "star products."
Additionally, the picking garden has introduced premium fruit varieties such as Yulu fragrant pears and Fuji apples, diversifying the orchard's offerings and attracting numerous urban visitors who make special trips for fruit picking.
Wang Jiarong, carrying three full bags of plums, shared her "flavor-seeking journey" with visitors. "The plums here taste exceptional with full, juicy flesh. More importantly, they have high nutritional value. I always make special trips from Lucheng to buy them. Each time I purchase plenty, and this visit is another successful haul."
From August when plums fill the branches, to September when fragrant pears bend the boughs, to October when apples turn red and sweet, the picking garden maintains continuous fruit fragrance for three consecutive months. This not only enriches people's "fruit baskets" but also provides villagers with employment opportunities right at their doorstep.
From spring and summer maintenance to autumn harvest, throughout the four seasons, villagers work in the picking garden after completing their own farm work, handling light physical tasks such as weeding, fruit thinning, fertilizing, and harvesting. This allows them to balance family responsibilities while increasing their income. Currently, villagers can earn over 80 yuan per day working in the garden, accumulating more than 2,000 yuan just during the picking season.
Village resident Yao Tianjun moves through the orchard with tools in hand, sometimes helping visitors pick plums and other times cleaning the garden. "I live nearby and usually grow some corn. During agricultural downtime, I work in the orchard. The work isn't heavy, and I can earn money."
The ability to provide nearby employment for villagers and attract distant food enthusiasts stems from the orchard's strict quality control in cultivation. Each year before freezing weather, the garden buries chicken manure in the soil near fruit tree roots. When plums grow to the size of broad beans, they undergo "fruit thinning." From soil maintenance to fruit cultivation, every step prioritizes natural and healthy practices to produce fruits that combine excellent taste with nutrition.
"The plantation covers 30 acres with over 1,800 fruit trees of various types. This year's expected total production includes approximately 8,000 jin of plums, over 10,000 jin of pears, and around 40,000 jin of apples," said Han Ying, project assistant at Xiangchuan County Green Manor Agricultural Company. Such yields result from scientific planting management.
The plantation consistently practices organic cultivation, using farm manure and relying entirely on manual weeding and physical pest control methods. Han Ying indicated that the company will continue introducing superior varieties, improving cultivation techniques, and vigorously developing specialty fruit forestry to contribute to farmers' income growth and the high-quality development of specialty agriculture.