Urbanites in thrall to a growing passion

From trade to tilling

For 18 years, Zhang Zhimin, who used to work as a foreign trade expert, has been building an idyllic farm in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing to produce food crops and preserve biodiversity.

As a speaker of several languages, Zhang was sent to work in the food import-export sector when China opened its market to the outside world. She believes that "agriculture is the art of man and nature working together".

On her biofarm, called Heaven's Blessings, nature rules man. Instead of eliminating weeds and pests, the wholesome biosphere works autonomously to produce seasonal harvests.

"Agriculture is the management of life, and life should be nourished by life itself," Zhang said.

At Heaven's Blessings, trees, bushes, grasses, insects, birds and cattle coexist harmoniously. The place is more like a habitat than a farm. In early summer, Zhang chops tender leaves and weeds that grow in the shade of the peach trees to feed her cattle and make room for grass-based crops to thrive. In early autumn, she lets the cows roam free to finish the weeding process.