On a spring day in April, when I walked into the understory economic experimental base in Zhendong Village, Miaozhen, clusters of red matsutake mushrooms were emerging from the straw-covered soil. Soon, a group of "guests" – families from schools in Chongming – will be picking and roasting red matsutake mushrooms, making leaf stickers and having a date with the forest.
"Look, this red matsutake mushroom is so big, it's a 'fungus king'!" In the past two days of spring rain, the red matsutake mushroom has grown exceptionally fast. The ones who are picking and sorting are Gu Dafeng, secretary of the general party branch and director of the village committee of Zhendong Village, and Zhou Tong, a selected student in the village. For this little mushroom, the entire village committee has been busy for several months.
This year is the first year that Zhendong Village has tried to grow red matsutake mushrooms and develop the understory economy. As the saying goes, "everything is difficult at the beginning", we must first finalize the direction of development. "At that time, we went to many places to visit and research, and when we came back, we were actually quite worried. Gu Dafeng recalled, "Compared with the mature large-scale planting, we have no cost advantage in planting red matsutake mushrooms under the forest, so how can we stand out from the competition?"
After getting together to discuss, everyone came to the conclusion that it is not enough to rely on planting and sales, the key is to get out of their own way, "one after another" on the basis of the primary industry, and make use of the advantages of territorial resources to carry out the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism, so that the small mushrooms are not only "delicious" but also "fun".
The understory economic experimental base in Zhendong Village has about 7 acres of land, which is not large, but it is a "treasure land". It is located in the center of the various forests in Miaozhen, next to the Direct Procurement Center for Imported Commodities and the Rural Revitalization Experience Hall in Zhendong Village, and then a short walk to the 515 Coffee Art Center.
Last year, Zhendong Village was awarded the "Shanghai Forest Village", with a forest coverage rate of nearly 70% and surrounded by trees. "Can we combine the advantages of local cultural and tourism resources to engage in a picking activity, gather popularity, and then drive the consumption of surrounding industries?"
Zhou Tong, the selected student, took the initiative to stand up and provoked the beam with Gu Dafeng. This doctor graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China, although he has only been in Zhendong Village for a few months, he dares to think and dare to do, and is determined to make a "big article" on "small mushrooms". The design and registration of the graphic trademark of Zhendong Village, the planning of the picking activities, and the design of mushrooms and blind boxes...... Zhou Tong did the whole process himself, which laid a shot in the arm for Zhendong Village to explore the economy under the forest.
When it comes to the quality of red matsutake mushrooms, everyone is quite confident. "It's all grown naturally in the original ecology, except for the initial strain planting, and we didn't intervene too much in the subsequent growth process. Zhou Tong introduced, "Different from the factory production of matsutake mushrooms, our matsutake mushrooms grow naturally in the woodland, the yield per unit area is slightly less, but the quality of some mushrooms will be a little better." ”
There are not only mushrooms but also flowers in the understory. Relying on the cooperative relationship between Miaozhen and Oriental International Group, Zhendong Village transplanted the previous "flower wall model" to the understory. The so-called "flower wall model" is a "doorstep industry" that plants flowers around the walls of ordinary people's houses and buys back them by Orient International. Petunias, peacocks, bunches of red ...... Today, these flowers have been transplanted to mushroom plantations and become part of the understory economy. "Spring is the season when flowers bloom and red matsutake mushrooms are harvested, and the combination of the two is especially appropriate. Gu Dafeng said.
Mushroom "blind box" series
In addition, everyone brainstormed together and developed a "blind box" series with the theme of mushrooms. Under the cute colorful packaging, there is a mushroom stick inside, and you can grow all kinds of mushrooms by just sprinkling water, which is full of fun. "We have united ten rural schools to carry out educational practice activities, and after the students study in Zhendong Village, they can also pick a blind box to take back to plant, and then check the information of the mushrooms grown. This is probably their most interesting after-school exercise in recent times. Zhou Tong said with a smile.
With careful planning, this beautiful, interesting forest is ready to go. Recently, Zhendong Village, as a supporting unit, has kicked off the project of "Reading the Beautiful Countryside of the Yangtze River Estuary and Serving the Green Development of the Ecological Island". In a few days, the first children will come here to experience the "limited-time" beauty of the spring forest first.
Reporter: Shi Haohao, Photographer: Shen Jiajun
Editor: Zhu Yiting