Youth group 'passing the torch' for organic farming

That is the story of Ms. Tran Mac Van Anh, born in 1994 in Chon Thanh town, Binh Phuoc province, a bachelor's degree holder majoring in Finance - Banking, and Mr. Tran Mai Anh (Mike Tran), a computer engineer born in 1982. The duo inadvertently ventured into becoming farmers and engaging in work unrelated to their academic backgrounds.

Beginning from ground zero

I had previously met Van Anh and Mike Tran during their five-year land reclamation process in preparation for a project in cultivating medicinal herbs and organic farming on a 5-hectare plot in Chon Thanh town. At the time, the duo demonstrated the benefits of organic farming and the initial results of the land reclamation process. Their success had further materialized on our reunion. In addition to providing consultation on several successful organic farming models, they also established a rice cake production facility, creating an affordable snack modified with a revised production process using clean ingredients and attractive packaging, thereby enabling export to the United States at a price over 20 times higher.

Upon graduating from the Faculty of Finance and Banking at Hoa Sen University in Ho Chi Minh city, Ms. Van Anh earned a relatively stable income from her business in solar energy equipment and website design. However, even during her time at the university, she had the dream of pursuing clean agriculture. This notion emerged after several visits to provinces in Western Vietnam and participating in a clean water project. As participant of the project, she witnessed the unsafe agricultural practices employed by local farmers, leading to low-quality produce, which had an adverse impact on both consumers' health and the farmers themselves. She was deeply motivated to improve on these poor practices, unknowingly nurturing a connection with agriculture.

Subsequently, many of her friends resonated with the idea and joined her project. In 2016, Van Anh and her friends formed a consulting group focused on clean agriculture, called Medifood.IO. The group's mission was to provide traditional farmers with consultations on transitioning to organic farming and subsequently aid them in establishing brands to increase the value of their products.

Ms. Van Anh recounted a time when she would travel across three different provinces in a single day in order to closely monitor each project. The volunteer group consisted of approximately 100 individuals at the time, comprising agricultural students from various universities and others sharing the same passion. They alternated in groups to directly visit farms, assisting farmers in caretaking, weed management, planting short-cycle crops, and creating compost from earthworms to fertilize the plants. To date, the group has successfully supported a large number of specialized vegetable, tuber, and fruit farmers in the provinces of Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Long An, and Lam Dong.

Mr. Ho Thanh Thuan, a vegetable farmer in Tan Lap commune, Dong Phu district, Binh Phuoc province, who received support from Van Anh's team to transition from traditional to organic farming, shared his thoughts: "I am relatively informed on organic farming. It is not simply about avoiding chemicals, but rather a comprehensive process, including seeds, soil, water, the use of inputs, meticulous daily care, harvesting, preservation, and consumption.

Natural farming may result in lower yields compared to traditional methods, and the harvesting time is typically prolonged. On the other hand, consumers may be skeptical about the authenticity of the organic product due to their unappealing appearances and a lack of brand presence.

After collaborating with Van Anh's consulting group, I have resolved all the above issues. My products are now popular and well-liked by many consumers. Although their prices are not significantly higher compared traditionally farmed produce, the difference in quality is noticeable. One notable difference is that, under the same storage conditions, organic produce lasts much longer than traditionally farmed vegetables."

"We chose the solution to accompany farmers directly because they will only believe it with firsthand experience. After a successful cultivation, if the farmers fail to find a market, we will continue to support by purchasing and then selling the produce in Ho Chi Minh City through the project's sales channels," Ms. Van Anh explained.

No failures, only lessons learned

Similar to Ms. Van Anh, Vietnamese-American Mike Tran is also an "amateur," transitioning from a computer technology expert to agriculture. However, during our conversation, I was astonished by his agricultural knowledge.

Mr. Mike Tran, whose Vietnamese name is Tran Mai Anh, hails from Lai Vung district in Dong Thap province. His family settled in the United States when he was young. Growing up, he pursued an academic career of computer technology and became an engineer specializing in researching and designing the most critical part of a computer, the chip. His professional career in this domain has also yielded considerable success.

In 2015, Mike returned to Vietnam to visit his relatives and coincidentally met Van Anh's group of young friends. After learning of Van Anh's dreams of clean agriculture, Mike resonated with the idea as he also wanted to contribute to his homeland. Subsequently, during his time in Vietnam, the Vietnamese-American delved directly into farming, gradually developing a passion for agriculture.

I once asked Mike, "Are you truly passionate about farming or is it the young girl Van Anh that captivates you?" Mike chuckled, saying, "Both. But without a passion for agriculture, I would not have been able to acquire a decade-worth of knowledge within two to three years, nor can I discuss in-depth about soil science, crop management, and the organic production process, so you have seen."

I must admit, Mike is well-versed in various agricultural topics such as the amount of fertilizer needed for specific areas, or the suitable timing for fertilization to ensure plants absorb nutrients without waste. He is also knowledgeable about herbal pesticide formulation, knowing which type is suitable for combating specific pests, and the recipe for organic composting.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, an elderly farmer with a pomelo farm in Chon Thanh town, Binh Phuoc province, was supported by Van Anh's group to convert from traditional to organic farming methods. He recounted, "My house is only a few hundred meters from the young folks' farm. I saw them laboring away in the wild grass every day without planting anything, which caught my attention. When I went over to ask, they said they were 'cleaning the soil.'

After seeing my puzzled expression, they explained further. I contended that "Organic farming is very complicated. The soil must be abandoned for several years, and then you must take care of the grass. What a waste!" But after hearing the young folks explained in more detail, I finally understood. Afterwards, when they learned about my nearly ten-year-old green-peel pomelo farm, they said they wanted to consult me on a new organic farming process. I told them they could do whatever they liked, but don't cost me my living.

They chuckled and shortly after, brought a group over to the farm and started making changes. They brought organic fertilizer, made personally by Mike, for application, formulated insect repellents made from herbs, and so on.

In the first year following the consultation of the youth group, the pomelo trees remained largely the same, with fewer and smaller fruits, but more bees, butterflies, and ants in the farm. By the second year, the trees had a healthier appearance and the fruit output remained consistent. There were even fruits with unappealing appearances, but the fruits contained more juice and a deeper sweetness. It began growing on me, so I just followed their instructions. Now, after four years of following the organic process, using only biological products to control pests and fertilize as advised, the soil in the garden has become more fertile, softer, and more porous. When I dig my hands into the soil, it feels cool to the touch.

The pomelo trees look much healthier. Without the need to buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides, relying only on inexpensive organic compost, the costs have reduced significantly. I really like the feeling of producing clean pomelos. Even though the selling prices are not too high, and not many people may know about it, they are selling out more often compared to before."

"In the field of agriculture, especially organic farming, there are always inherent risks, and even failures. When we first started, we prepared for the worst-case scenarios and indeed, we faced numerous challenges. For instance, due to various difficulties in 2017, Medifood.IO had to temporarily cease its operations. However, we used this pause for reflection, reevaluation, securing additional capital, and crafting long-term plans to move forward rather than accepting failure. I believe that there is no such thing as failures; only lessons to be learned, to adjust and perform better," Mike shared.