Farmers Develop Ecotourism Through Orchard Experiences

From Orchard to Table: A Hands-On Farm Experience

Nguyen Huu Hao’s orchard, located along National Highway 1A, stands out with rows of green passion fruit vines stretching across the landscape. Beneath the canopy, ripe golden passion fruits hang heavily among the leaves, while guava trees, pomelos and ornamental flowers are carefully cultivated throughout the garden.

Simple rustic features such as bamboo huts, swings and small check-in corners create a peaceful countryside atmosphere. On weekends, families and young travelers frequently visit the orchard to take photos, enjoy the fresh air and experience life amid fruit gardens.

The attraction of the model lies in its interactive “from orchard to table” experience. Visitors can pick ripe passion fruits directly from the vines, enjoy fresh fruit on-site and taste beverages prepared inside the orchard, including passion fruit smoothies, passion fruit with honey and yogurt passion fruit drinks mixed with tropical toppings.

These activities provide visitors with a close and authentic understanding of clean agricultural production.

Nguyen Thi Hong, a visitor to the orchard, said the rural-style setting creates a warm and familiar feeling.

“What impresses me most is that the passion fruit here is cultivated following organic-oriented practices, so I feel comfortable enjoying fresh fruit and drinks at the garden and buying products as gifts,” she said.

The “from orchard to table” approach not only raises the value of passion fruit products but also reshapes the way agricultural tourism is developed locally. Instead of simply selling raw produce, farmers are beginning to tell the story behind cultivation, care and processing directly at the production site.

Through these experiences, visitors gain greater appreciation for the journey of clean agricultural products while building stronger trust in local produce.

Turning Agricultural Land Into Tourism Assets

Nguyen Huu Hao said the land previously grew dragon fruit before his family began searching for crops better suited to local soil and climate conditions. After experimenting with golden passion fruit varieties and achieving promising economic returns, the family expanded cultivation and incorporated eco-tourism activities into the farm model.

Thanks to its large area and strategic location along National Highway 1A, with convenient connections to the expressway network, the orchard has become increasingly accessible to tourists.

In addition to serving passion fruit-based beverages, Hao sells fresh produce and helps distribute products for nearby passion fruit growers.

Although investment scale remains relatively modest, the clean agriculture model combined with eco-tourism has proven suitable for local conditions.

Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Chairman of the Luong Son Commune Farmers’ Association, said the model has attracted large numbers of visitors during holidays and festivals, creating a new direction for agricultural production and increasing the value of local products.

A New Direction for Rural Economic Development

Passion fruit cultivation in Luong Son Commune is also expanding steadily. The commune currently has around three hectares of passion fruit, while neighboring hamlets including Luong Bac, Bac Son and Luong Xuan are also increasing planting areas.

Farmers cooperate with enterprises to receive technical support, agricultural supplies and guaranteed product purchasing agreements. Most cultivation follows organic-oriented practices, combined with water-saving irrigation systems and domestically produced fertilizers to reduce costs and ensure product quality.

According to Nguyen Huu Hao, purchasing prices currently average around VND 40,000 per kilogram.

“Before collection, enterprises inspect sweetness levels and production processes. Growers must use company-approved seedlings, comply with technical standards and apply only permitted crop protection products to meet export requirements,” Hao explained.

Nguyen Du, a farmer who recently converted one hectare of dragon fruit land into passion fruit cultivation, said the plants begin flowering and producing fruit after two to three months under VietGAP standards, with the first harvest possible after five to six months.

Expanding Eco-Tourism Across Rural Areas

Agricultural tourism models are also developing in other areas across the province.

Notable examples include the Le My grape garden operated by Le Quoc Hien in Lien Huong Commune and the Nhat Minh grape farm in Phan Ri Cua Commune, where new grape varieties are cultivated in cooperation with neighboring growers to serve visitors year-round.

Other models combine orchard tours with on-site dining experiences at durian, avocado, macadamia and mangosteen farms, including the garden operated by Mai Van Minh in La Da Commune.

These initiatives are helping diversify rural tourism products while creating additional income opportunities for local residents.

As nature-oriented travel continues gaining popularity, agriculture-linked eco-tourism is emerging as a promising development direction for rural economies. By transforming less effective farming areas into experiential agricultural destinations, local communities are gradually creating products that align with modern tourism demand while increasing the long-term value of local agriculture.