The old farmer's teak forest on Chap Chan hill

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - His bamboo forest was once worth a whole tree of gold and is still as valuable as gold. But there are values ​​even greater than that. His story is told slowly on a mountain afternoon...

The old man herding buffaloes by the roadside was indeed the owner of the bamboo forest we were looking for.

- Sir, can I ask where Mr. Truong Cong Hong lives?

- Yes, it's me - The old man sitting under the shade of a tree by the roadside, with a gentle, kind face, took off his pith helmet and replied.

- DoesMr. Hong have that forest?

- Here I am, the forest is ahead - He said slowly, still with a gentle smile, the warm voice typical of a highlander.

What a coincidence! It was because more than ten years ago, I had the opportunity to visit his house, still in Muoi village, Dien Quang commune (now merged with Dien Ha and Dien Thuong communes) to learn and write an article about the 327 forest planting to green up barren land and bare hills, and then the 661 new planting of 5 million hectares of forest. At that time, forestry officers and local authorities had to go to people's houses to promote, mobilize, and persuade people to accept land and seeds to plant, care for, protect, and develop forests. They accepted trees, but due to the difficult economic conditions of the people and their insufficient awareness of the value of forests, the planted trees were not cared for and protected according to the correct procedures. Therefore, a whole forest of lac mixed with acacia and xan trees grew well, with large, strong, and sturdy trunks, and cassava under the canopy - truly a typical example at that time.

- I'm 77 years old this year - He said as he pulled out the jungle knife from his waist, cleared a patch of wild plants to make room to tie 3 fat buffaloes; his movements were strong, his manner neat, typical of a veteran - I've been here for more than 20 years, you guys just come and see me.

The forest lies along the entrance to Muon waterfall...

From the inter-village concrete road, turn onto a small path leading to Muon waterfall about a hundred meters, and you will reach his old shack at the foot of the bamboo forest. Fish splashed around in the surrounding fish ponds, and dozens of chickens flocked to him when they saw their owner. The bamboo forest was almost intact.

...with small huts and fish ponds.

- In the past, the whole village was given seedlings to plant forests, but families exchanged them for alcohol, some planted them and did not take care of them, so the young trees were eaten by buffaloes and cows. I was also given 1,000 trees, after planting them, I built a hut here to look after them and have been staying there ever since - since 2001, when I had work or needed more rice, salt... I would come home - Mr. Hong continued the story next to the 25-year-old trees, spreading their branches and spreading shade at a height of dozens of meters, many of them as big as paint buckets.

Mr. Hong joined the army in 1966, serving in the army in the guard unit on the battlefields of Quang Nam , Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh provinces... In January 1976, he was demobilized and returned to his hometown with the same luggage as many other soldiers - just a backpack and the spirit of a soldier who never retreats or gives up. Together with his wife, a former Youth Volunteer Force, he and his wife diligently reclaimed land to grow rice, cassava... to provide education for their 4 "open-mouthed ships".

When the State provided him with saplings and gave him instructions on forest planting techniques, such as digging 50 x 50cm holes, fertilizing, and watering to keep them moist, Mr. Hong enthusiastically followed suit; while many households in the village strongly objected, because they thought that Dien Quang land was only suitable for growing bamboo, and bamboo trees did not require much care and still yield regular harvests. So, on this Chap Chan hillside (some people call it Thac Muon forest), every day he dug holes, and she filled the soil to plant trees. Occasionally, he had to kill a chicken thanks to the extra help.

- Since then, I have thought that only planting forests can develop the economy, but planting rice and cassava only provides immediate food - the old farmer recalls the difference in his business thinking compared to the villagers from more than two decades ago - The state has given us the seeds, we have to protect them. If buffaloes and cows eat the tops of the trees, they will not grow.

Mr. Truong Cong Hong with teak trees planted in 2021.

The proof is that the surrounding forests, eaten by cattle, are stunted and unable to grow, to the point that the owner has to cut them down. Meanwhile, Mr. Hong's forests with about 800 living trees, continue to grow and spread their canopy.

- About 15 years ago, around 2008 - 2009, there was a customer who offered to buy 40 teak trees - just a small area in the whole forest, for 60 million VND, and I remember the price of gold at that time was about 26 - 27 million VND/tree - Mr. Hong waved his hand towards the forest in front, recalling - At that time, wood was very valuable.

- What will you do with the money from selling the trees?

- But I won't sell it. I'll keep the forest as an asset for my children and grandchildren. Last month, a guest from far away came back and offered to buy this entire forest for a billion dong, about 2 hectares, to build a tourism site , right!? Not to mention the traders who kept asking me to buy wood. But I didn't sell it, partly because wood is cheap now, partly because I'm used to raise fish and chickens here - He pretended to regret it, did some mental calculations and continued the story - Each batch I raise 40-50 chickens, and each time I harvest 300kg of fish from the pond, including carp, silver carp, and silver grass carp. When buffaloes and cows were still expensive, the herd always had 8-10 buffaloes.

- Have you ever thought about selling the forest? When you and your grandparents are old?

- There was a time when I had to sell it - Mr. Hong pondered for a moment - When I needed money for my son's university studies, I had to sell 20 trees, but they were ironwood, from another forest, each tree cost 4 million VND. It was a huge pity, but thanks to that, my son was able to finish school and now works in the local armed forces.

Green lim forest regenerates on Co Kha hill.

The forest he mentioned was on Co Kha hill, about a few minutes walk from the family's house, with bamboo bushes as big as houses, and most impressive were dozens of green lim trees that had been encircled and regenerated, with trunks as big as an adult's arm, and canopies covering a vast forest. Here, his wife – a typical former Youth Volunteer Soldier – worked in the economy, along with her second son, taking care of and exploiting the forest for a living.

As he said, just selling bamboo alone brings him an annual income of about 30 million VND. Planting and preserving forests for future generations is like that!

Mr. Hong next to a green lim tree.

Finishing the story, he put on his hat, adjusted his side bag, and walked away from the small hut, worried that the buffaloes tied to the roadside might lose their ropes. In front, the Thac Muon stream gurgled as if to show off the peace and tranquility of a mountainous region.

- Is this the way to live long?

- It's because I live alone, far from my wife, that I'm beneficial - He entertainingly greeted us, not forgetting to remind us that if anyone wants to go to Thac Dau, remember to stop by the small hut to rest, grill chicken, and have a few glasses of wine with him.

Nguyen Phong's notes

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/rung-lat-cua-lao-nong-tren-doi-chap-chan-254090.htm