New perspective

Li Zhanming, 67, started renting a plot from the farm, a few subway stops from his home, three years ago. He had previously rented a plot on another farm, an hour's drive from his home, for nearly four years, from when he had retired as a physician.

Li says he visits his plot every afternoon to take care of the crops, watering them, removing weeds and pruning, and taking a stroll afterwards.

The rewards are many, he says. He can supply his family with seasonal, fresh and healthy vegetables, including eggplants, cucumbers, beans, gingers, and shallots, and his health is much better than it used to be.

About eight years ago he suffered from obesity, heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, and he tired easily, he says.

Now, about seven years after he started farming, he says, the only one of those ailments he still suffers from is diabetes, which is under control.

Li attributes the improvement in his health to his willingness to put in a lot of hard work on his plot and to the happiness he derives from that.

Farming has given him a new perspective, he says, one in which scheming and being out to grab everything he can has given way to a much more peaceful and tolerant disposition.

He is so wrapped up in farming that even when he is not at his plot he is busying searching for tips on farming and new technologies online.

"Farming is not just about harvesting crops but is a lifestyle that has taught me to enjoy a slow and relaxing life," Li says.

A woman surnamed Xie who has a 5-year-old boy, agrees.