故事 红骏马枸杞基地
Story Red Steed Wolfberry Plantation
坐落在贺兰山麓以东10公里处，上世纪的农牧场。典型的黄土地上。这里的每一块土地质地，养分程度与酸碱都不一样。枸杞树因为抗沙，抗盐碱能力较强，便能够在这里的黄土地生长。
在这片田上，一部分农民早已经离开。留下来的农民中，绝大部分改种玉米，这类管理方便，无需人手，生存力强，价值多样的作物。只有寥寥两家依然坚持用这里的土地种植枸杞。下相比玉米只需要安置管路，喷洒药物，自行生长直到采摘，枸杞的种植程序要远远麻烦。修枝，灌溉冬水，浇灌系统，人工施肥，驱虫，立网，采摘……极度依赖人工，几乎全年无休的照料需求，使得近年来散户多对其避而远之。祁治真便经营着农牧场农田中仅剩的两片枸杞田之一。
Located 10 kilometers to the east of the foothills of Helan Mountain, it is a ranch-farm of the last century. On typical loess soil, every piece of land here has different texture, nutrient levels, and acidity. Wolfberry trees are able to grow on the loess soil here because they are resistant to sand and salt.
Most farmers have already left this field, and the remaining farmers switched to plant corn, a crop that is easy to manage, requires hardly any labor, also has high survivability and diverse values. Only a few families still insist on using the land here to grow wolfberry. Compared with corn, which only needs to install pipelines, spray chemicals, and let it grow on its own, simply waiting for harvests, the planting process of wolfberry is far more troublesome. Pruning, winter water irrigation, watering system, artificial fertilization, insect repellent, net erection, picking... It is extremely dependent on manual labor and requires almost round-the-clock care, which has caused many retail investors to avoid it in recent years. Qi Zhizhen operates one of the only two wolfberry fields left in the farmland of the ranch-farm.
祁治真抱着孙子 / Qi Zhizhen holding his grandson
祁治真 / Qi Zhizhen
2000年，祁治真与农牧场的“红骏马农业合作社”签下合约，购买农牧场的四十亩土地，使用权30年，每年向合作社缴纳少量租金即可。 初期，老祁随着土地上的其他农户，种植玉米，高粱等作物。可随着这片土地上的作物高度同质化，这些作物的采购价格逐渐跌落，所能获得的收益也显著降低。“家里有三个孩子啊，还要养老人，这些钱肯定是不够啊。”处于最现实而直接的目的，老祁决定另辟蹊径，种一些不一样的作物。通过亲戚的介绍，老祁联想到枸杞，这一宁夏的特有植物。调研过程中，老祁了解到，种植枸杞的成本与所花费得的精力都远远高于玉米，风险也更不可控，可他依然果断的一次性购买了二十六亩地的枸杞苗，开始种植。正是从这一批树苗的生长开始，老祁经营这片枸杞种植园已经长达七年了。
In 2000, Qi Zhizhen signed a contract with the "Red Steed Agricultural Cooperative" of the ranch-farm to purchase 40 acres of land, with the right to use it for 30 years. Thus he only needs to pay a small amount of rent to the cooperative every year. In the early days, Qi followed other farmers on the land to plant corn, sorghum and other crops. However, as the crops on this land became highly homogeneous, the prices of the crops gradually fell, and the benefits obtained also decreased significantly.
"I have three children at home and I have to support the elderly. The money is definitely not enough." For the most practical and direct purpose, Qi decided to find another way and get some different crops. Through the introduction of relatives, Qi thought of wolfberry, a unique plant in Ningxia. During the research process, Qi learned that the cost and energy required to grow wolfberry were much higher than that of corn, and the risks were more uncontrollable. However, he still decisively purchased 26 acres of wolfberry seedlings at one time and started planting. It was from the growth of this batch of saplings that Qi has been running this wolfberry plantation for seven years.
老祁与女儿在晒场/Qi and daughter on the drying field
除了采摘季，老祁与他的老伴负责田上的所有工作。种植枸杞的工作非常耗费人力，几乎一年四季无休。 从新一个生长周期的修剪枝条开始，需要经过去枝，翻土，除草等，让枸杞树获得所需要的最佳养分，从而准备过冬。 冬季的工作相对轻松，通过滴灌系统，向枸杞树灌溉冬水即可。灌溉后一直到开春，是老祁一年内唯一可以休息的空档期。利用这一假期，老祁与老伴才得以逐渐向各个散户销售秋季没有卖完的枸杞，再将剩余的存货提供给枸杞贩子。开春之后，工作立刻变得繁忙起来。修剪去年入冬前留下的老枝，再次翻土，使用水管播撒配比好的营养液·，再给枸杞树打上预防春虫的农药。对于两人来说，春天是除了采摘季最让人精疲力竭的，枸杞树在日月更迭间长出新芽，积攒养分，老祁和老伴在繁忙的劳作中，无暇顾及这缓慢而生机勃勃的变化，即使已经为了它们付出了数不清的操心与汗水。时间逼近六月的采摘季，随着淡粉色的枸杞花盛开，早茬枸杞逐渐由绿变黄，挂上枝头。这时，老祁和老伴便和附近的邻居一起，为整片二十六亩的土地挂上一层纱网，防止野外的飞鸟毁坏枸杞。
Except during the picking season, Qi and his wife are responsible for all work in the fields. Planting wolfberries is very labor-intensive and works take place almost all year round. Starting from the pruning of branches in a new growth cycle, it is necessary to remove branches, turn over the soil, weed, so that the wolfberry tree can obtain the best nutrients it needs to prepare for the winter. The work in winter is relatively easy, irrigating the wolfberry trees with winter water through the drip irrigation system. After finishing the winter irrigation, it comes the only gap period during which Qi can rest in a year. Taking advantage of this holiday, Qi and his wife were able to gradually sell the unsold wolfberry in autumn to various retail investors, and then provide the remaining inventory to wolfberry dealers. As spring begins, Qi and his wife immediately become busy. Pruning the old branches left before winter last year, turning over the soil again, using water pipes to spread a well-matched nutrient solution, and then apply pesticides to prevent spring insects on the wolfberry trees...For both of them, spring is the most exhausting time apart from the picking season. The wolfberry trees grow new buds and accumulate nutrients in this crucial period.
However, Qi and his wife are busy working and have no time to view this slow and vibrant change, despite countless care and sweat they had spent. As the picking season approaches in June, the tiny pink wolfberry flowers bloom, and the early wolfberries gradually turn from green to yellow. At this time, Qi and his wife worked with nearby neighbors to hang a layer of gauze over the entire 26 acres of land to prevent wild birds from destroying the wolfberries.
枸杞鲜果从采摘到上市，还要经过几道重要的工序：清洗，晾晒，吹叶，色选，分级，装袋。因此，采摘季相比一年内的其他时段，工作量呈几何指数级暴增。在第二茬枸杞采收时，往往每天都需要雇佣四十几个采摘工人。老祁与老伴的三个子女都会在这一时期向公司请一个长假，回到家里的农田帮忙干活，分担父母的压力。这几周里，老祁每天总要在不同的地方来回奔波。枸杞田，晾晒场，仓库，之间，每天老祁都会骑着电瓶车，在酷热的太阳下来回折返超过十趟，一丝不苟的完成每一道工序。
From picking to market, fresh wolfberry fruits go through several important processes: cleaning, drying, leaf picking, color sorting, size grading, and bagging. Therefore, the workload during the picking season increases exponentially compared to other times of the year. During the second crop of wolfberry harvest, it is often necessary to hire more than forty farmers every day. Qi and his wife's three children will take a long leave from the company during this period, return to the plantation at home to help the picking and selectiing work of the wolfberries. In the busiest weeks, Qi travelled between different places every day. He would ride a electric bike, shuttling between the wolfberry fields, drying fields, and warehouses, going back and forth more than ten times under the scorching sun, completing every process meticulously.
防鸟网与稻草人/ bird gauze net and scarecrow
采摘季时，陡然增长的工作量使得老祁不得不招呼所有自己的儿女从工作中请假，帮助家里的田地干活。枸杞的每次收获以“茬”作为计量。从头茬开始算起，一个多月的采摘季中一共有五茬枸杞。每一茬枸杞采摘完成后，都需要单独喷洒杀虫和药物以防止蜜虫等害虫侵袭枸杞。
During the picking season, the sudden increase in workload made Qi to ask all his children to take leave from their job and help work in the fields. Counting from the first crop, there are a total of five wolfberry crops during the more than one-month-long picking season. After each crop of wolfberries is harvested, insecticides and drugs need to be sprayed individually to prevent honey bugs and other pests from invading the wolfberries.
头茬：数量较少，在全部产量中约占10%，但是单颗枸杞重量最大，色泽较为饱满红润。
第二茬：数量最多，在全部产量中占50%，单颗重量适中，是经销的最主要批次。
第三茬: 略多于头茬，约占总产量的20%， 其余属性与第二茬枸杞相似。
第四，五茬：数量较少，综合约占20%，平均品质，大小与色泽都略低于前几茬枸杞。
First crop: The quantity is small, accounting for about 10% of the total output, but the weight of a single wolfberry is the largest and the color is plump and rosy.
Second crop: has the largest quantity, accounting for 50% of the total output. The weight of a single crop is moderate, and it is the most important batch for distribution.
Third crop: slightly more than the first crop, accounting for about 20% of the total output. The remaining attributes are similar to the second crop of wolfberry.
Fourth, fifth crop: the quantity is small, accounting for about 20% of the total, and the average quality, size and color are slightly lower than the previous crops of wolfberry.
新装好的枸杞/Newly packed wolfberries
吹枸杞叶的机器/Leaf blowing machine
据老祁所说，他的枸杞田种出的枸杞相比市场上的其他产品，最特别的一点便是在冲洗过程中，使用食用碱，也即碳酸钠配比水清洗。由于食用碱的价格能够达到工业碱的五至六倍，很多商家在大批量枸杞的清洗过程中都会选择工业碱。但这也造成了一些隐患，如碱残渣没有清洗干净，食用时会影响枸杞的口感，并造成人体内的安全风险·。“即使成本再高，有安全风险的事我也绝对做不出来。咱们做农民的，最后的底线也就是对得起自己的良心。” 聊到枸杞行业内如上的乌烟瘴气时，老祁有些义愤填膺，但最后也只能无奈的摇摇头。他告诉笔者，自己相信人们会逐渐认识到挑选枸杞时所需注重的健康和品质问题。他坚信自己一直走着正确的路，也会坚持使用高成本的食用碱，更会在不远的将来得到值得的回报。
According to Qi, the most special thing about the wolfberry grown in his field compared with other products on the market is that in the rinsing process, he uses "edible alkali", that is, sodium carbonate mixed with water. Since the price of edible alkali can reach five to six times that of industrial alkali, many businesses will choose industrial alkali during the cleaning process of large quantities of wolfberry. But this has also caused some hidden dangers. For example, if the alkali residue is not cleaned, it will affect the taste of wolfberry when eaten and cause safety risks in the human body.
"No matter how high the cost is, I will never do anything that poses a safety risk. As farmers, the final bottom line is to live up to our own conscience." When talking about the chaos in the wolfberry industry, Qi was filled with indignation, but In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly. He told us that he believes people will gradually realize the health and quality issues that need to be paid attention to when selecting wolfberries. He firmly believes that he has been following the right path and will continue to use high-cost edible alkali, and will receive worthy rewards in the near future.
每个傍晚，当天采摘完的枸杞全部铺开在晾晒盘上时，老祁和老伴都得彻夜守在旁边，以随时面对天气变化。枸杞晾晒的过程中，最害怕的就是突然的降雨。“晾晒中的枸杞，一下雨泡湿了，再晾晒的话一下就爆了，可就白忙活咯。”望着头顶奔跑的云，老祁与笔者叹道。而这些经验，也都是通过一次次挫折与失败积累起来的。为了能更迅速的赶到晒场，在降雨前安置晾晒的枸杞，老祁和老伴用晒盘搭起了建议的棚子。很多个晚上，他和老伴都睡在直接铺在水泥地的被褥上，彻夜警备着天气变化，随时准备拿出防水布盖好所有枸杞。
Every evening, when all wolfberries picked that day are spread out on the drying plates, Qi and his wife have to stay by the side all night to face changes in the weather at any time. During the drying process of wolfberry, the most terrible thing is sudden rainfalls.
"The wolfberries that are being dried will get wet when it rains. If they are dried again, they explode immediately, and all our work will be in vain." Looking at the clouds running overhead, Qi sighed. All his experience is accumulated through repeated setbacks and failures. In order to get to the drying site more quickly and place the wolfberries under water-proof clothings before the rain, Qi and his wife built a simple shed using drying plates. Many nights, he and his wife slept on bedding directly laid on the cement, alert to weather changes all night long, ready to take out a tarp to cover all the wolfberries at any time.
老祁展示自家的枸杞/Qi showing his wolfberry
晒盘搭建的棚子/The shed built by drying plates
老祁告诉笔者，现在很多农场，为了能更快晾晒很大一批枸杞，都会采用硫磺或者其他化学物质熏制枸杞，以更快使枸杞析出水分。化学物质熏制过的枸杞颜色也与自然晾干不同，会呈现更鲜明的红色。“市场上所有人都看我家枸杞颜色不一样，更暗红，没有怪味，和别家味道都有区别，更鲜甜，所以吃过的人都说我家的好！”聊到他坚持用阳光自然晾干所有枸杞，老祁的语气里充满骄傲。“苦的确是苦了点，一早上就要把几百晾晒盘摆开，一直到晒完一批再全部堆起。不过所有顾客都认可我家的枸杞，这些苦也就值啦！”
Qi told us that many plantations now use sulfur or other chemicals to smoke the wolfberry, making fruits release water more quickly, thus, a large batch of wolfberry can be dried much faster. The color of wolfberry smoked with chemicals is also different from that of natural drying, and will appear more bright and red.
“Everyone in the market noticed that the color of my wolfberry was different, darker red, without any strange smell, and tasted different from other wolfberries, fresher and sweeter. So everyone who had eaten it said that my wolfberry was good!” When we talked about it, he insisted on using sunshine to dry all the wolfberries naturally, Qi's tone was full of pride.
"Indeed, so many hardships. I have to put hundreds of drying trays out in the morning and pile them all up until one batch is dried. But when all the customers approve my wolfberry, I felt all hard work pays off!"
枸杞年鉴 Wolfberry Yearbook
01
三月/March 修剪枝条 pruning
开春之后，便需要开始修剪上一个周期没有完全剪掉的残枝，方便枸杞发芽。
At the beginning of spring, start pruning the remaining branches that were not completely pruned in the previous cycle, in order to facilitate the germination of wolfberry.
02
四月/April 翻土与施肥 plowing&fertilizing
待到枸杞树发芽，便开始用拖拉机翻土，施肥，以准备更进一步的生长。
When the wolfberry trees sprout, tractors are used to plow the soil and fertilize to prepare for further growth.
03
五月/May 搭网 net building
当枸杞树开花结果时，需要立刻搭建起防鸟网，组织野外的飞鸟破坏生长中的果实。
When the wolfberry trees bloom and bear fruit, anti-bird nets need to be set up immediately to prevent wild birds from destroying the growing fruits.
04
六月与七月/June&July 采摘 harvest
六月底，头茬枸杞成熟，一年内最忙碌的采摘季便开始了，周期长达一个多月，到七月底结束最后一茬枸杞的采摘。
At the end of June, the first crop of wolfberries matures, and the busiest picking season of the year begins. The cycle lasts for more than a month, with the picking process of the last crop of wolfberries ends at the end of July.
05
八月/August 晾晒与筛选 drying&selection
全部枸杞完成采摘后，进行晾晒，在制成干果后需要进行色选，分类等工序。
After all the wolfberries are picked, they are made into dried fruits. Then before packing, there are color sorting, classification and other processes.
06
十月/October 售卖 selling
包装好的枸杞通过市场，电商平台供应，枸杞商贩三种途径进行售卖，通常大量没有销售完的枸杞都会低价流入贩子手中。
Packaged wolfberries are sold through markets, e-commerce platforms, and wolfberry vendors. Usually a large amount of unsold wolfberries flow into the hands of vendors at low prices.
07
十一月/November 灌溉冬水 winter irrigation
一年劳作的最后阶段，也是最轻松的阶段，便是冬水灌溉。给枸杞树苗灌溉足够多的水分以过冬，种植枸杞的繁杂工作便宣布告一段落了。
The last stage of a year's work, and also the easiest stage, is the winter irrigation. After irrigating the wolfberry bushes with enough water to survive the winter, the complicated work of planting wolfberry trees is declared temporarily over.
