Sifeng Village in Jiamusi's suburban Sifeng Town converted 6,600 square meters of ordinary farmland into 118 allotment gardens. Each plot measures about 45 square meters and is rented to urban residents at 1,000 yuan per plot. All plots have been taken, with renters including retired teachers and corporate professionals who often drive from the city to harvest their crops.
The village collective offers two operational models: self-planting or full management by the village's agricultural technical team, covering plowing, planting, pest control, and harvesting. The initiative has delivered clear economic benefits. Village Party Secretary Zhao Lei stated that rental fees alone generate nearly 120,000 yuan in additional annual income for the village collective. Previously, the land was used for basic crop cultivation, yielding only a few hundred yuan per mu per year.
The project has also spurred local employment. Ten surrounding farmers are engaged in planting and maintenance of the gardens, earning an average of about 2,000 yuan more per month. One villager, while setting up trellises, noted that in the past there was little to do during slack seasons, but now there is daily work and increased income.
Sifeng Village also leveraged the project to improve the local living environment. Areas previously used for garbage dumping were cleaned, and the village collectively planted flowers, raising residents' environmental awareness.
Sifeng Village is located about 7.5 kilometers north of downtown Jiamusi. At a village Party branch meeting, the idea emerged to link urban residents' demand for vegetable gardening with idle rural land. The village collective then leveled the land and standardized the plot divisions.