By+staff+reporter+SEBASTIEN+ROUSSILLAT

FOR several years， a computer game about farming has been on the minds and lips of millions of Chinese people， young and old alike. In “The Happy Farm”players tend crops and steal vegetables from their neighbors to win points. It is so popular that some players wake up in the middle of the night just to play the game and steal from other players while they sleep. Today， many Chinese have their own， real， Happy Farms.

A Farm of Her Own

It is Saturday. Yan Zhen is leaving for her grounds at the edge of Beijing. Her land？ Rather， her rental： she leases a parcel of farmland for RMB 800 per year in the Happy Farm in the western suburbs of Beijing， an area of 15 square meters. “You have to distinguish between many kinds of farms，” Yan Zhen said. There are some farms where you can rent a parcel of land entirely for yourself. The fertilizers， tools and seeds for plantation are provided in exchange for a deposit. If you dont have green thumbs， you can pay a farmer to take care of the field； the tenant doesnt do anything except pick up the vegetables and visit the countryside with their friends or family on weekends. Other farms are only open for picking. This means that you dont have to rent a plot； you just bring your basket and pick the fruits or vegetables you want before paying a fee.

In the first case， it isnt a question of owning land， but just renting. The farmer keeps the ownership rights， and the renter pays for the right to cultivate the land. Often these rental farms are nothing more than a plot of land， sometimes with a cabin， or in some cases a greenhouse. So it is possible to spend the entire weekend there with your family.

Concerns about Food Safety

Planting ones own vegetables and transporting them 40 kilometers back to a downtown home can seem a bit eccentric if you know how many small markets and supermarkets there are at the heart of the Chinese city. “I think its because for several years， we Chinese have been troubled by problems of food safety. When you have planted your own vegetables and watched them grow， and know what fertilizers have been used， and picked them with your own hands，this is an ultimate guarantee of safety，”Yan Zhen said.

Food and health are not joking matters in China. In recent years there have been many food scandals， some involving international brands like KFC and McDonalds. More and more people are turning towards organic foods， which are a growing presence in Chinese supermarkets.

The phenomenon of urbanites renting agricultural land is spreading throughout China. Some city dwellers want to get back in touch with nature， including those born in the countryside who wish to return to the earth； some long for the country life and healthy eating， and others want their children to experience farm work and the pleasure of harvesting what one has planted. Some urban schools also lease plots to acquaint students with working the earth.

“At first， we got this plot for our child， so he could come planting vegetables with us and have a taste of experience in the countryside. Now that he is 10 years old， he doesnt come anymore. But my husband and I go all the time to pass time and enjoy eating fresh vegetables we planted ourselves，” Yan Zhen said.

Older people often recall the time when farm products were untreated and food was clean， lamenting the decline in food quality. With little to keep them busy， some of them find on these farms a means to help the community and to better feed the household. Some of them start gardening for their pregnant daughters to protect the health of mother and child.

Most farms renew their leases with tenants every year. As the demand is high and the land supply limited in big cities， there is often a long waiting list in the renewal season.

An Educational Mission

The Little Donkey in Beijings western suburb is one of the few farms to operate on both a rental basis and for sale. Every month， the farm stages a market in the downtown area to sell its produce and raise awareness about clean foods. Education about agricultural work and nature are also part of the farms mission， as a manager of the farm remarked in an interview with Beijing TV. Related activities are regularly organized at the farm.

People flocking to Little Donkey fall into three categories， according to the manager. The first are retirees who have more free time. Many were sent to the countryside during the “cultural revolution，” and so experience a certain pastoral nostalgia. The second are parents who want to instill in their children the value of work and healthy foods. The third type comprise childless couples who consider gardening a beneficial leisure activity.

Rental farms regularly organize events for children who visit with their parents. “Every season we advise them what to plant， how to tend crops， and raise awareness about environmental protection. We also have activities like sketching and pony rides，” the manager said.

A Means to Equalize Social Relations

The farmer who rents the land to Yan Zhen gleefully welcomes the “weekly rural exodus” of urban Beijingers to his town， as his rental income is much higher than what he would earn from working the fields himself. “In the past， the revenue from this field was only RMB 1，000-2，000 per year； now， I collect RMB 6，000 per year in rent， so I do the same work but for more money！”

In addition to economic benefits， this kind of operation on the outskirts of big cities also reduces agricultural overproduction. Farmers are usually chained to their harvests； if crops are poor they have lean income， but if crops are plentiful then prices fall. The sickle is thus a double-edged sword. City dwellers who rent land or buy directly from farmers bring them financial security that improves their quality of life. “Farms are not just a means of producing food， but also a platform for equalizing relations between different social strata. In China we say that when drinking water people should be grateful to those who dug the well，” Yan Zhen said.

A genius combination of green dining， micro-farming， education， and recreation， rental farms bring pleasure to all concerned. They certainly deserve the nickname “Happy Farm.” Now its time to go back to stealing eggplants， I need a couple more points to buy a packet of fertilizer！