As winter sets in, strawberry greenhouses in Xunzhai village, Pingdu, Qingdao are bustling with activity, offering premium berries that command high prices — up to 100 yuan ($14.16) per kilogram for red varieties and 160 yuan for rare white strawberries. This thriving industry not only expands the village's market reach but also boosts local incomes, with village cooperatives integrating tourism and farming to drive rural vitalization.

Inside the greenhouses, vibrant strawberry plants line orderly rows, dotted with ripe red fruit, some still glistening with morning dew. Farmers like Shi Ani, an 85-born grower, are busy picking the first harvest.

"The first-batch berries taste the best," she says, holding freshly picked strawberries. "My greenhouse could bring a net profit of 50,000 to 60,000 yuan per mu (0.067 hectare) this year — life is even sweeter than strawberries!"

Xunzhai's success is built on two decades of refined cultivation. From soil preparation and selecting virus-free seedlings to adopting bee pollination and precise irrigation, every step ensures quality.

"To stay competitive, we must keep innovating," explains Sun Haibing, Party secretary of the village. In addition to classic varieties, the village now grows premium red-fleshed strawberries and specialty white varieties, strengthening the "Xunzhai Strawberry" brand.

Diverse varieties attract buyers from major cities. Purchaser Pei Jingtao notes, "With excellent appearance and taste, orders are booked a week in advance." The industry also creates local jobs  — from planting and pruning to packaging — allowing local farmers to earn daily wages close to home.

The bright red strawberries both enrich the fruit baskets of urban residents and boost the incomes of villagers, serving as a sweet engine of rural vitalization.

This thriving industry not only expands the village's market reach but also boosts local incomes in Qingdao's Pingdu. [Photo/Guanhai News]